I leave her sitting at the kitchen table, wiping away invisible crumbs. I wish it was as easy to wipe away all her worries.

Chapter Seven

Ben and Gil seem extra happy to see me when I open their stable doors and let them in to eat their dinner. When they’re done, they wander back into the corral to watch me finish my chores. They stand apart just enough to swish their tails against each other to shoo away the flies they can’t reach themselves. “What good friends you are,” I tell them. They stare back in their quiet, gentle way.

The chickens race toward me when I spread their feed around in their pen. I’m glad I only have to collect eggs once a day. The little scruffy chicken stands outside the frenzy. I toss a handful of feed in her direction, but then all the others scramble that way and leave her out of the group again. I keep trying to toss feed to her, but the other chickens seem determined not to let her eat. Eventually they settle down in one area because I’ve tossed so much feed everywhere that they can’t be in all the places at once, and the little one finally gets some food. I decide to call her Bashful.

“Poor thing,” I tell her. “Why are they so mean to you?”

“Because they’re all bullies,” a fake baby voice says behind me.

I jump a mile.

“Micah! You scared me!”

“How’s the sunburn?” he asks.

“Painful. How are Sam and Sierra?”

“You’re not going to ask about Ivy?”

“I know how Ivy is. Thrilled she got to spend the afternoon with you.” I sound like a jealous jerk, but I can’t seem to help myself.

Micah shrugs. “They’re fine,” he says. “Why are you asking like that?”

“Like what?”

“In that weird tone of voice. Like you’re jealous.”

“Do you like them?”

“Sure. They’re fine, I guess.”

“I mean like them, like them. You know, like could one of them be a possible girlfriend?”

“What? No. I mean, I don’t know. Why are you asking me this?”

I shrug.

“Why?” he asks again.

“A lot of people start dating by eighth grade.”

“So?”

“I just wondered what will happen to us. You know. If you get a girlfriend.”

He rolls his eyes. “Nothing.”

I can tell he’s irritated with me.

“I’m sorry I was a jerk,” I tell him. “You’re right. I was jealous.”

“Why were you jealous? I thought you didn’t want to be more than — never mind. You’re really confusing me, Rachel.”

We watch the chickens ignore Bashful for a while. It makes me sadder than I already am.

“I don’t want to be more than friends,” I finally say. “But I don’t want to lose you, either. And I know that’s not fair.”