Selina covered her mouth with her left hand and chuckled. "I'm not really that tall. Well, I am if you compare me with the girls in our class. But if you compare me with an adult, I'm really short."
"But you'll get taller when you grow up," Sandy assumed.
Selina's dark brown eyes went back to the view outside the window. "Maybe..."
Sandy looked at her cup. She had been so engrossed in questioning her friend that she had not noticed that her beverage was beginning to cool. She drank some before it became too cold to enjoy.
Selina looked back at her, her expression serious. "Sandy, I wanted to ask you something."
"Yeah, what is it?" Sandy swirled the cup once more before taking another drink. That would be what she would do with scotch or whiskey or whatever it was that grown women drank - when she was older and could afford it. She would look classy.
"Have you been playing tricks on Annie Billings and Connie Baker from 9-C?"
Sandy froze. Her heart felt cold despite the warm liquid in her mouth. She had never told any of her friends about her arrangement with each of the two girls from the next class. "No," she lied.
"Sandy..." Selina began with a reproving tone, "I know you've been taking money from each of them to play tricks on the other."
Sandy swallowed. How did Selina find out about that?
"You should stop doing that," Selina advised, "Mercenary work is dangerous."
"But I like the money," Sandy said, unintentionally confirming Selina's accusation.
"Working for money, doing things to other people is dangerous business - especially since you're working for both sides of the same conflict," Selina advised.
Sandy did not say anything. She really did not want to lose her source of income.
"You'll do things that you don't want to," Selina continued, "sometimes doing things that you know is wrong. You'll lie, you'll cheat, you'll gain people's trust and then betray them."
Sandy did not want to believe those words. But Selina spoke with kind concern, with the conviction that came from some unknown experience. That caused Sandy to at least consider her friend's words. She started rubbing her left forefinger with her right thumb.
"You may hurt someone someday. You may even get hurt yourself. And you have no one to turn to for help. Sandy, you don't have what it takes to be in this business. You should get out while you can," Selina advised.
Sandy had been afraid of hurting Connie before, of dropping a bucket on the redhead. There was some truth in Selina's words. But Sandy really, really liked the money. Besides, if she should stop, would her fortune come true?
"If you want money," Selina said, "there are other ways to earn it, safer ways. You just have to be patient."
Sure there were. But they were all so far away, so out of reach. Getting a job was not possible and her allowance was a pittance. Sandy wanted her fortune as soon as possible. She did not want to wait until she graduated to start earning money.
Selina brought her hands together in front of her. "Think about it," she urged.
Sandy forced on a smile. "I will."
To Sandy, there was not much to think about. If she stopped, the money would stop and her fortune would not come true. Yes, there might be some danger but certainly some sacrifice was required to achieve her goals. She could endure whatever it took to gain her wealth.
Besides, what danger could grade-nine girls pose?
***
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