"Did you ever get that red dress back?" Sabine asked as she sat right beside Gloria on the bench under the tree. It was after school.
"No, they still need it for evidence. I hope I get it back before I grow too big to fit into it." Gloria finished the last of the food that she had partially eaten at lunch break.
"Why? Isn't court over?" Sabine adjusted the bag on her lap.
"For you." Gloria closed her lunch box and slipped it into her schoolbag. She gazed at the cloudy sky. "There's still Connie's trial in the adult court." She had never seen Connie again after that day in court. Last that she had heard, the redhead had been charged with masterminding a kidnapping with malicious intent.
"She really hated you," Sabine stated needlessly.
"Well, we don't have to worry about her anymore. She'll probably be locked up somewhere." That was a depressing topic to dwell on. "At least it's over for you."
"Yeah, right," Sabine uttered gloomily, "I've been given community service. There goes my weekends."
"Why not come to my house today?" Gloria suggested, "We can do our homework together, have some fun."
Sabine's eyes widened with apprehension. "What about your mother?" She was probably recalling the personification of anger that Mother had turned into at the courthouse.
"You have to get along with people again. We can start with her."
"Well... all right..." the plump girl agreed reluctantly. "How are we going?"
"Mother's coming to pick me up."
The look of alarm returned to her friend's eyes.
"Don't worry," Gloria assured her, "Mother will not crash the car while I'm in it."
Despite Gloria's assurance, Sabine was tense and alert the whole journey home. She kept watching Mother for any sign of trouble, though all she could see was the back of Mother's blond head and her bespectacled blue eyes occasionally in the rearview mirror. Mother, on the other hand, was polite. She even invited the plump girl to stay for dinner.
However, Gloria thought that Mother was a little too polite. She was not her usual overbearing self. She had better not allow her parent a moment alone with Sabine.
At home, once Sabine was safely doing her homework in her room, Gloria went downstairs to check on Mother, who was cooking dinner.
"Mother, you aren't planning on putting anything weird in Sabine's food, are you?" Gloria asked.
Her blond mother turned to her. "What!? How could you suggest such a thing?"
"Just so you know, I'm tasting anything you give Sabine first."
Mother's mouth dropped in surprise.
So she was indeed planning something.
"Why are you protecting her?" Mother demanded.
"She's my friend, Mother," Gloria told her.
Mother planted a hand at her side. "Need I remind you all the things she did to you?"
Gloria kept her gaze on her mother. "Mother, all she did was give me a spiked drink. Even then, she was forced to do so. It wasn't her idea for all those other things to happen to me."
Mother turned back towards the kitchen sink and continued washing carrots.
Gloria stepped next to her. "Sabine's been through a lot. She's lost her friends and her weekends. She's suffered enough. Please, just forgive her."
Wordlessly, Mother took the carrots to the kitchen counter.
"Kids make mistakes," Gloria added, "We should be there to support them and lead them the right way."
A moment passed. Mother's shoulders slumped. "Okay. I'll leave her be," she decided finally, "But she'd better not hurt you again." Her hand closed around the hilt of the kitchen knife. She started chopping the carrots. Rather vigorously, Gloria noted.
Gloria left the kitchen and went to check on Sabine.
She would convince people to accept her friend again. Today, Mother and her family. Tomorrow, the rest of the class.
It was the right thing to do.
***
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