at her old blue jeans. "They're always messy anyway. Don't worry about them. C'mon, let's walk."

"Isn't it nice it's the last day of school?" Amanda began walking again, her small feet making no sound on the path. "How did you get to my house so fast?" Seely had sped home from school to get out of her hateful skirt and had run all the way to Amanda's house, waiting outside until she had stopped puffing like a steam engine. But she wasn't going to tell Amanda that.

“I didn't go fast, you just walked slow," she said, remembering the boys that always buzzed around Amanda when she was homeward bound from school. And every other time too, it seemed.

Amanda's eyes lowered demurely but she didn't answer. She just walked quietly on through the woods next to Seely.

"I brought some lemonade and cookies. See?" Seely held out the grubby bag she was carrying. "We can stop somewhere and have a feast."

"That'll be nice," Amanda answered sweetly, dimpling up at Seely.

They walked in silence a little while, Seely watching, out of the corner of her eye, the yellow dress swinging. So pretty.

"Hi!" Seely looked up quickly and got an awful shock. She was staring straight into the startled eyes of one of the most obnoxious boys in school. "Kendall!"

"Kendall!" Amanda said, obviously delighted to see him.

Seely's afternoon was shattered. This! He stood so proud and was so good looking. Conceited thing.

He smiled at both of them. "Gee, I didn't think anybody was out here. Where ya going?"

"No place," Seely said truculently.

"We're just walking," Amanda explained. "Come with us."

Seely kicked a stone viciously and it skidded hard against a fallen tree trunk. "Boy, that could hurt somebody. You better watch out." Kendall said it pleasantly enough, but it was all Seely needed. Stupid busybody!

"Oh, whadda you know about anything?" She scowled and clenched her fists. "Wha-?" Kendall looked at her, puzzled.

"Can't we walk in the woods without everybody comin' too? It makes me sick." She stood glaring at the flabbergasted Kendall.

Amanda looked from one to the other. "Seely! What's the matter with you? Come on Kendall, let's walk. She'll have to come too." Amanda started down the path again.

Seely turned on them. "I don't hafta do anything!" Her eyes brimming with misery, she whirled abruptly away from them. Raising the bag with their 'feast' in it, she threw it with all her might. It hit a rock and they heard the sharp splintering of smashing glass.

"Seely!" The two voices rang out into the woods. But Seely was runningfrom the broken afternoon, from her spinning thoughts, from-, she knew not what.

"Seely!" Amanda called after the fleeing figure but it didn't stop. Kendall took her hand. "Don't bother about her."

"But what's wrong?" Amanda's eyes were faintly clouded. "She's so funny." "I know it. Don't pay any attention to her. Come walk with me." They went on down the path together.

The slanting sun picked brilliant lights from the glass splinters scattered beneath the rock.

17