August 16, 1900

Tombstone. 

This morning I found Mr. Alex and told him, “Miss Trin’s been telling me all ’bout her stories from years ago... Back before she came to Tombstone. She’s working on getting her memoirs together I guess.” 

“I bet there are some interesting stories.” 

“Uh huh. This one is from October of 1869…” I looked up from the book. “Some Mexicans had burned down her newspaper office while she and her friends were inside.”

“Wow!” 

“She’s a detective at that point. And then when they tell the sheriff ’bout it... cause two lawmen were in there with her… He seemed to not really care. Oh and… You’ll like this part. : There was some doctor runnin’ around who was injecting people with somethin’ posionous.” 

“Yikes!” 

“Yeah he did it to one of the deputies right after the fire thing happened. And then when they were all better and healed, Miss Trin and Mr Logan started dancin’ in the clinic cause they needed to feel better about the day! And Mr Adder hid under the bed from both of ’em cause he thought they was nuts.” 

“That’s quite a story!” 

“Uh huh I can’t wait to see what happens next! What you been doin?” 

“Just wandering around, checking the clinics to make sure they’re supplied. Are you going to go to school this morning, Nat?” 

“Uh huh. Not lots of people around though so wasn’t sure if it was happenin’.” 

“I saw a sign that said it was.” 

“Hope they aren’t mean to me like last time I went to school.” 

“They were mean to you?” 

I nodded and looked down. “Mr Finesmith asked us to have a basket with stuff and he told us to talk to each other and trade things. But no one wanted to trade with me. And Sabi and Ruby just said that they’d get me to come do all the hard work on their island.” 

“Aww Nat. I’m sorry.” 

“They didn’t really want me there. Just wanted to make me do the work. But Mr Finesmith said it was okay cause I still had all my stuff in my basket so I still did good. But Jimmy wasn’t there and I wanted to sit on the left side of the school and Mr Finesmith yelled at me to sit with the girls. But the girls are mean. Just like everywhere else.” 

“Well, how about if I’m still around when school starts, I’ll go to school with you and keep an eye out for you.” 

“Maybe I could sit with you instead.” 

“I’d be happy to have you sit with me, as long as the teacher doesn’t mind,” he nodded. “Who is today’s teacher, do you know?” 

“I dunno. I just dun ’ like going to school now.” 

“Miss Aeryne was last week’s teacher. I got to sit in on part of that class and it was really interesting. She was talking about Leonard da Vinci.” 

“Wish I coulda gone to that one. That was the day of the wedding, right? For Miss Trin’s brother.” 

“Oh yes, it probably was. You two were out of town,” he smiled. 

“Guess we should go to school soon,” I sighed. 

“Nat, I know school isn’t always fun, but it’s still important to go.” 

“But they’re mean,” I folded my arms. 

“I won’t let them be mean to you while I’m there,” Mr. Alex said and looked at me seriously. I stood and walked over to him and looked around nervously. 

“I walk behind you. Guess we should go.” 

“Come on, it might be fun,” Mr. Alex held my hand and we walked towards school. 

I talked with Payton and met a girl named Onica. I told them about my ma and about Mr. Alex being there with me. Miss Paisley came over to school and we talked about how if there was no teacher, Mr. Alex could show us his microscope. When I talked about living with Miss Trin, Payton made a face about her but I wasn’t sure why. 

“What a microcope?” Onica asked. 

“A microscope is a fancy tool that lets you look at little tiny things,” Mr. Alex said and gave me a little tug as we walked into the classroom. I sat in the back row of the boy’s side and looked over at Alex. 

“Seems there might be a little problem with that teacher. I ain’t even sure as it’s a Mister or a Ma’am. But there’s a washout in the road t’ Benson, an’ the stage can’t get through. So, uh... Instead, I got a report I done wrote ’bout planets an’ all that,” Nora said then. 

“I be teacher," Onica giggled. 

“Planets sound like an interesting thing to talk about,” Mr. Alex smiled at her. 

“You go ahead an’ have a seat, huh?” Nora said to Onica. 

“Natalie u like boys?” Onica asked me. 

“Reckon it’s usually boys on the left side, an’ girls on the right,” Nora said. “That’s where you’re sittin’, Nat. You’re on the boys’ side. ‘course, we ain’t got no boys…” 

“But there ain’t no boys here,” I protested. 

“Yes boys yucky to don’t want to sit by them,” Onica stated. 

“Go ahead and sit with the girls. It’s okay,” Alex nodded to me. 

“But you never know as one might come. ’Sides, they been sittin’ there, gummin’ up them seats with.... Stuff an’ whatnot,” Nora said and I frowned, going to sit with the other girls, but I sat in the back so I didn’t have to sit with them. 

“If you tip the scales, you’ll have the whole schoolhouse toppling over,” said a woman named Miss Sara. “I think I’ll have a seat at the boy’s side.” 

I grinned and went back to sit beside Sara and she pat my shoulder, and Miss Paisley sat beside us too. 

“Okay kids, sit down and listen to Nora!” Mr. Alex instructed. 

“You go on an’ sit down, then. What’s your name? I ain’t sure we met proper,” Nora looked at Onica again. 

“Least I’m wearin’ a dress,” I muttered. 

“I don’t know where to sit last time Ruby was here,” Onica said. 

“Any idea when the teacher’s coming?” Miss Sara asked and I shrugged.

“Just take a seat over there somewhere. Anywhere’ll do,” Nora said and the girls sat down. “You’re gonna want a seat at the desk so as you got your slate an’ all handy. Right.... Everyone’s happy with their sittin’ arrangements, then?” Nora looked around the room and then began. “We all live on the planet Earth. An’ the Earth is part of somethin’ as called the Solar System. Folks been watchin’ the Solar System an’ the planets just ’bout as long as there’s been people in it. An’ I’m gonna talk ’bout the modern understandin’ ’a’ some ’a’ what’s out there.” 

“Wait, this is your teacher?” Miss Sara whispered to me and I shrugged and nodded. 

“’Fore I get started on talkin’ ’bout the planets, though, I wanna talk ’bout how folks look at ’em. Folks use big ol’ telescopes, like big ol’ lenses like a photographer uses t’ take pictures. These telescopes is in big ol’ buildin’s as called observatories,” Nora went on. 

I raised my hand and when she looked at me I asked, “That like Mr Alex’s microscope?” I asked and Mr. Alex chuckled. “Well…” I shrugged. 

“It’s just like that Nat, but I see really small things and a telescope sees really big far away things,” Mr. Alex said. 

“Yeah, a lot like. Only see, ’is microscope’s for lookin’ at real small things, an’ the telescope, see, it’s for lookin’ at things real far away,” Nora said. 

“Telescope... Micrscope… Sounds the same,” I shrugged. 

“See the ‘micro’ means small, an’ ‘scope’ means you’re lookin’ at it,” Nora said. “Then the ‘tele’ means away, see, so as you’re lookin’ at somethin’ real far. Believe it or not, we got one ’a’ the greatest observatories in the world right here in Arizona Territory! Mister Percival Lowell is one ’a’ the greatest astronomers in the world, an’ just a few years ago, he done built his observatory up in Flagstaff, on account ’a’ how good the air is for lookin’ at planets.” 

“Where Flagstaff?” I whispered to Miss Paisley. 

“It is not too far from here,” Miss Paisley whispered back. 

“You got a question, Nat?” Nora asked. 

“Oh sorry was just wonderin’ where Flagstaff was.” 

“Aw, well, see,it’s up north, right. Still in Arizona Territory, but real far north, up in some mountains. I heard it’s real different from here. Ain’t hot, on account ’a’ how high up it is? An’ they got a whole lot ’a’ trees. Well anyhow, Mister Lowell got a couple telescopes up there, an’ the biggest ’a’ them got a lens as two feet across. It’s one ’a’ the biggest ever built. Can you imagine that? If you seen Mister Stone’s microscope, you know as that lens is real small. But this one’s two danged feet across!” 

“Oh that huge!” Onica exclaimed. 

“Now most observatories, see, they’s in cities. Mostly on account ’a’ them astronomers is city folk an’ they don’t like t’ stray out where there ain’t conveniences. They’d not like Tombstone, sure. But Mister Lowell’s the first one t’ come on out special for the clear air. That picture, there, on the left, is him lookin’ at Mars through his telescope up in Flagstaff sometime last year. Now you see he’s sittin’ on a ladder there…” she pointed at the picture. “That’s ’cause as the telescope gets moved, he gotta sit in different places t’ look through it. Now there’s eight planets, see. Six of ’em folks’ve known ’bout since forever, on account ’a’ they’s visible in the night sky, or ’cause we live on one of ’em. On a planet, yeah. Planet Earth, see. That’s a big ol’ ball ’a’ rock or whatnot, floatin’ through space, goin’ ’round our own star.” 

“Oh I thoughted we lived on a flower,” Onica said. 

“But see, there’s also other stuff in the Solar System: there’s twenty one moons in the Solar System, an’ ’bout seventeen comets too. There’s lots ’a’ asteroids, too. Must be hundreds out there, an more are gettin’ discovered all the time. I ain’t sure what kinda flower looks like a place like Tombstone, but... It ain’t a pretty one, right. So now, there’s two kinds ’a’ planets out there. We got the rocky ones, as close t’ the sun, an’ then there’s the gas giants, as further out. The rocky ones is Mercury, Venus, Earth an’ Mars. The gas giants is Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus an’ Neptune. T’day I’m gonna talk ’bout the rocky planets.” 

Payton raised her hand then and asked, “If that’s what the planets are made of… What is the sun made of?” 

“Well…” Nora blinked. “It’s burnin’, see. I read up on planets, not the Sun. So let’s start with the planet as closest t’ the Sun. An’ that’s Mercury. It’s called that on account ’a’ how fast it goes ’round the Sun, like the Greek god. Only takes 88 days t’ do its orbit. Now orbit’s a fancy word for the year. The Earth goes ’round the sun once every year. An’ that goin’ ’round is called an orbit. So Mercury’s year is only 88 Earth days. But it don’t got a day, precisely, on account ’a’ it’s always got the same surface lookin’ at the Sun. See, the Sun done slowed it down on account ’a’ givin’ it tides, like there’s tides in the ocean. So the side under the Sun is real hot, an’ the side away from the Sun is real cold. Ain’t nothin’ as could live there, see, on account ’a’ the atmosphere’s real thin, like a whole lot thinner’n even up on the highest mountains on Earth, an’ there ain’t no actual water, apart from thick ice on the dark side. Now, Mercury ain’t got no moon. If it’d had one, it’d got grabbed away by the Sun. The next planet out is Venus. Venus is sometimes called Earth’s twin: it’s ’bout the same size as Earth, and if you was standin’ on Venus, you’d weigh ’bout as much.. It’s the closest planet to us. Its year is ’bout 225 days. See, Venus got a lotta atmosphere. A whole lot. I mean, they think that the atmosphere on Venus could weigh twice as much as the atmosphere on Earth! Imagine that! Now, on account ’a’ how much atmosphere there is, it ain’t easy t’ see the surface, so folks ain’t sure how long its day is. However, most astronomers think it’s probably ’bout the same length as the year. So it’s locked, like Mercury. Now on account ’a’ that it don’t ever see the sun rise or set, there’s a side ’a’ Venus always pointed at the Sun, like Mercury. An’ all that atmosphere gotta be churnin’ ’round an’ ’round, like when cowboys try t’ rob the bank an’ lawfolk get after ’em, an’ they run all over town. But it ain’t likely that Venus got nothin’ livin’ on it. An’ that’s on account ’a’ that the sunny side gotta be real hot, an’ the dark side gotta be real cold, even if the atmopshere’s gonna take heat from the bright side t’ the dark side. Like Mercury, Venus ain’t got no Moon. The first planet out t’ have a moon is our own Earth. See, Earth’s far ’nough out from the Sun that our Moon weren’t torn away. So we got days, an’ we got tides, an’ we got life. If we was even a little closer t’ the Sun, like Venus, we’d have no Moon, no days, an’ no life. Earth used t’ be covered by lava, when it were real young. That were a long time ago. Maybe even as much as 24 million years! Ain’t that a long time! But I ain’t gonna talk ’bout Earth. I’m talkin’ ’bout the other planets.” 

As Nora talked, I stared blankly ahead at the massive amount of information being thrown at us and tried to focus as she went on. 

“Now we all seen the Moon. All our lives, even. An’ it’s a real rough place. It’s covered in them round pock marks. The second picture there’s a real nice picture ’a’ the Moon. Them pock marks is all dead volcanoes. See, the Moon’s covered in rock as called basalt, an’ that’s lava done cooled off. Not only does it got all them volcanoes, it’s got channels on it as called rills, an’ you can see a bunch ’a’ bright lines as called rays. Them rills an’ rays is lava flows. The rills are valleys now, an’ they can be up to 150 miles long an’ two miles wide. Them rays is so bright on account ’a’ the noxious gasses comin’ out from all that volcanic lava that bleach the rock. They also might be bright on account ’a’ there bein’ volcanic ash in ’em. That’s not t’ say the Moon got much atmosphere. It ain’t got no air at all. It ain’t got no water neither. Now, it might have ice. See, since it ain’t got no atmosphere, there ain’t nothin’ t’ keep the heat in, an’ it gets real cold. Folks think as it don’t get much hotter’n freezin’ right when the Sun’s overhead on the Moon. An’ durin’ the night, it gets ’bout as cold as cold can get. Seein’ as the Moon’s got one side pointed at the Earth all the time, each night lasts ’bout fourteen Earth days, so that’s a lot ’a’ cold. But if you wait a little while, rain’s gonna come an’ wash them tracks away. Or wind’ll blow dust over ’em. There ain’t no wind or rain on the moon. So an’ outlaw up there ain’t gonna ever be able t’ hide ’is tracks. ’Course, he won’t be able t’ breathe anyhow. So I reckon there ain’t none too many lunar outlaws. Or law, for that matter. But anyhow, that means nothin’s changin’ up there on the Moon. It’s the same it’s been since the volcanoes stopped. An’ folks think they probably done stopped a long time ago, maybe even all that 24 million years ago. “ 

I finally started to understand what she was sayin’ as she talked about outlaws. “Now let’s talk ’bout Mars. The last two pictures, see, on the right, are of Mars. But they ain’t photographs. See, them plates is real good for takin’ shots like what you see ’a’ the Moon right there. But that’s the best one anyone ever took. An’ what I’m sayin’ there, is that picture ’a’ the Moon. It’s ’bout five years old, an’ got took in Paris. That’s done on somethin’ as called a photographic plate. Problem is, it takes a while t’ get that plate t’ take the picture. ’Least, when what you’re lookin’ at’s real dim, like, say, Mars. The Moon, see, it’s real bright. So the reason as you can’t do no nice photo-plates ’a’ Mars, see, is it’s so dim. Means it takes a long time t’ get the light on a plate. But all that time, see, the sky’s movin’ ’round. You got winds an’ what not. That’s what makes the stars twinkle. So if you try t’ take a photo-plate ’a’ Mars, it’s gonna come out all fuzzy. But if you’re lookin’ with your own eye, see, you’re gonna see the planet when it’s blurry, but you’re also gonna see in them brief moments when the atmosphere gets real clear. So that’s why Mister Lowell an’ Mister Schiaparelli an’ the rest ’a’ the great astronomers sketch what they see. An’ that’s what them two pictures is. So now, Mars is the fourth planet out, an’ the furthest ’a’ the rocky planets. An’ ’cause it’s so far out, it got moons. The sun ain’t grabbed ’em.” 

I reached to rub my forehead, starting to get more and more lost as she went on. 

“It got two moons. One of ’em’s called Phobos, an’ the other’s Deimos. Them moons was discovered ’bout twenty years ago. Now Mars ain’t quite as big as the Earth. Its area is ’bout two sevenths the size ’a’ Earth’s, an’ it’s ’bout one ninth the mass, on account ’a’ it ain’t as dense as the Earth. So things ain’t as heavy on Mars as on Earth. A fella as could jump a two-foot fence here in town could jump an eight foot fence, like ’round the orphanage, on Mars. Folks been observin’ Mars an awful long time. An’ they found long ago that a Mars day’s just a little bit longer’n an Earth day. It’s about 24 hours, 37 minutes. But bein’ as it’s so much further out, it’s got a much longer year: 687 days. If you go out in the night sky an’ have a look at Mars, you’ll see it’s real red. An’ it’s still red when folks look at it through them big telescopes. But the poles, see, get a lotta ice in winter, just like Earth. Maybe more so.” 

Mr. Alex raised his hand then and asked, “Nora, can you tell the class what that force is that makes things weigh differently on different planets or why the sun could grab a moon?” 

“Oh sure, Mister Stone. See, that’s gravity. We got us our gravity, on account ’a’ how big the Earth is. But the Sun, see, it got its own, right, an’ that’s what pulls them planets in the orbits.” 

“Thank you, Nora!” Mr. Alex smiled at her. 

“Mars got lower gravity ’cause it’s so much smaller,” she nodded. “Mars is tilted just ’bout like Earth is, an’ it’s got seasons just like Earth. So when it’s winter up in the North, it’s summer in the South, an’ the other way ’round too. So the poles get real thick ice caps in winter, but... They go away real fast when it starts gettin’ warmer. Them ice caps is water, sure, an’ that means as there gotta be a lotta water on the surface. Bein’ as Mars is so much smaller’n Earth, it ain’t got as much atmosphere as the Earth got. Folks reckon as the surface air pressure gotta be ’bout the same as ’bout twice as high as the highest mountains on Earth. Now see, right here in Arizona Territory, we got us a special connection t’ Mars, on account ’a’ that Mister Lowell an’ ’is observatory. See, Mister Lowell been observin’ Mars a whole long time, an’ he come out here t’ get that big ol’ telescope built so as he could look at Mars. Even if we got outlaws an’ such ’round here, he don’t care. Anyhow, the picture in the middle on the right, that’s a map ’a’ Mars as done by Mister Giovanni Schiaparelli. ’Bout ten years ago. He’s from Italy. The dark part up at the top, see, that’s an ocean. An’ you can see that the ocean goes on south ’til it gets t’ this land as got a bunch ’a’ canals in it, right there on the equator. Now Mister Schiaparelli, an’ Mister Lowell, an’ a lotta other folks, think as there must be folks as livin’ on Mars, done built them canals. They think, heck, there ain’t no water down south, an’ the canals, see, take the water up north down t’ the cities they got in the south.” 

“Kinda like… here,” Payton blinked, looking at the map. 

“Yeah, a little like here, Payton. See, folks reckon it’s a big ol’ desert in the south. That’s real excitin’, ain’t it, t’ think there’s folks livin’ on Mars. I wonder what they’s like. I wonder if they’s got outlaws like we got. Maybe down south, where it’s a lot like Arizona Territory. So, see, that’s another connection we got with Mars. It’s a lot like Arizona Territory, only bigger.” 

“Maybe one day they can have ours too,” Payton nodded and Nora giggled. 

“Now up top there, that word there, it’s ‘Mare’ -- means sea in Latin, see. That’s Mare Australe. Down south, they got plains, like you see some plains as called Utopia, that they called ’cause ’a’ Mister Thomas More’s book. An’ there some other plains as called Cydonia. That big ol’ dark triangle, there, just t’ the left ’a’ center, as called Syrtis Major, was one ’a’ the first things folks saw ’bout Mars. The point ’a’ Syrtis Major is pointed down in that map, an’ got a dark channel comin’ off it t’ the right. Now... There’re some folks as say that maybe them ain’t oceans an’ such. See... There’s some little color variations in the dark parts, that maybe you wouldn’t see in an ocean. But folks ain’t real sure. But they are sure that there’s water on Mars, an’ most folks is sure them’s gotta be canals. So let’s look at the last picture, there on the right. That’s a sketch done a few years ago by Mister Lowell. That big triangle on the left there, that’s Syrtis Major, just like in Mister Schiaparelli’s map. But t’ the right, there, see, you got them canals.” 

“Could it be just deeper water.. like the lakes here.. makes it different colour?” Payton sighed softly. 

“Well, I reckon maybe, Payton. Most folks think as it’s an ocean, anyhow. One ’a’ the weird things ’bout them canals is there’s usually two ’a’ them, side by side. Now you ain’t lookin’ at water, there. Instead, what you’re seein’ is like what you’d see if you was lookin’ at a river here in Arizona Territory from on top a mountain.” 

Mr. Alex stood up then and smiled, “Sorry I need to leave. Good job, Nora. Very informative.” He pat me on the head and headed out and I frowned as he went. 

“You see the water, sure, but mostly you’re gonna see the dark ground ’round the river gettin’ fed all that water,” Nora went on. “Where them canals join, see, you get some dark spots. An’ that’s what Mister Lowell an’ them other astronomers think them canals is all about. They call them spots ‘oases’, see. That’s maybe where the folks livin’ on Mars got their big cities. Now... I dunno what the future holds for Mars, or the Moon, or Venus, or Mercury. But these are the planets in the Solar System that’re most like our own. They’s rocky, an’ maybe one of em’s got folks livin’ on it, just like Earth. But they’s also real different. Mercury an’ Venus don’t got no days, no moons, an’ nobody livin’ there. But Mars and Earth, see, they got moons, they got water, they got days, an’ maybe they both got folks on ’em. Well, that’s what I got, anyhow” 

“Wonder what kinda animals they got,” Payton said as she continued to draw. 

“Yeah, I dunno. Reckon they might be like what we got here in Arizona, huh? Or maybe not.” 

“Oh I go live there if they have lots of animals!” Onica said. 

“Well, I reckon we ain’t got no way t’ get there.” 

“Oh,” Onica sat back and pouted. 

“Now the air’s thinner there, so I reckon as they got t’ have big lungs. Any questions ’bout any ’a’ this stuff? Moon, Mars or whatnot?” Nora looked around the room and I stared at my desk, having not been able to focus today for some reason. “Well, I reckon that’s all we got time for anyhow. Thanks for puttin’ up with me, as that other teacher, Placebo Substitute, couldn’t make it in. So I reckon as class is dismissed,” she curtseyed. 

“You did good miss Nora,” Onica said. 

“Thank you Nora. Very informative,” Miss Paisley smiled. 

“Thanks Nora it was fun hearen bout them planets and moons,” Poppy jumped up from her chair. 

“I reckon as Mister Lowell could get a better picture ’a’ the Moon with ’is big ol’ telescope, but he ain’t done it,” Nora said as I stood up and wandered outside, taking my book as I headed home. 

*** 

Later this afternoon I waved to a man who was sitting in front of Kate’s and told him about how I was reading about Miss Trin’s adventures before coming to Tombstone. He said he was waiting to talk to the mayor about where to work and I told him that I helped out at the library. We talked about the new matron and how I didn’t live at the orphanage anymore ‘cause miss Angi didn’t want me. I told him about the girls at my old orphanage and about Miss Trin’s best friend and about Mr. Thomas. 

Miss Pet came over and I ran over to hug her tightly.We talked a bit and then I played fetch with a puppy that came over. The dog found the ball floating in the water and got all wet and then brought the ball to me and shook so I got soaked too. I headed home to change into something dryer after I said goodby to the dog. 

*** 

I walked over to Kate’s tonight and talked with Miss Paisley and then I hugged Jimmy tight as he came over. He hugged his arms around the dog that was still there and I told him about the dog getting me all wet before. We talked about how the dog was chasing frogs and then I said, “I not seen you much Jimmy. I missed you in school today Jimmy.” 

“How ya been Natalie, I no see you in while,” Jimmy said. 

“School was confusing today. Nora talked bout planets and stuff in space.” 

“Oh yeah, Payton say they teach bout vegetables or sumtin.” 

“But was lots of stuff at once. Got confused and not able to keep up.” 

“Why aren’t you both in school?” Mr. Seth asked. 

“I went this morning mister. Don’t gotta go twice in one day do I?” 

“Learn twice is good,” Mr. Seth said. 

“I miss this morning, do I gotta go tonight?” Jimmy looked up. 

“What you think Jimmy? I already got confused once today,” I looked at him. “Do I gotta go now?” 

“This is my family’s dog,” Mr. Seth told us as another dog came over. 

“What its name?” I asked. 

“Mary.” 

“Hi Mary!” I said and pet the other dog. 

“I go Natalie, you comin wit me?” Jimmy asked. 

“Guess so. But if I get cconfused I blaming Mr ranger man. And I not sitting on the girls side either.” 

“I stay confused, so we be okay,” Jimmy said. 

“Don’t like they make us sit on sides. You my friend. I wanna sit by you.” 

“You want me to sit next to you Nat?” Miss Paisley asked. 

“We stick together, like biscuits and gravy,” Jimmy grinned. 

“I jes wanna sit by Jimmy, Miss Paisley, but they prolly won’t let me,” I told her. 

“Then sit next to me. I like going.” 

I sighed as she didn’t get it still and Jimmy said, “We sneak in and sit together Natalie.” 

“They won’t let us,” I looked at him. 

“I know you hate sitting with the girls,” Miss Paisley said, “And want the boys side sweetie.” 

“It’s not just that Miss Paisley,” I told her. “I want to sit with my bes friend.” 

“And Jimmy is your friend,” she summarized. “How about you sit across the aisle from each other.” 

“We better get goin Natalie...it mus be close time,” Jimmy said and I nodded to him with a frown.

“If we gotta. Don’t see why I gotta. Already went once today. Don’t gotta get confused twice,” I muttered. 

“I would love for you two to sit together,” Miss Paisley said. 

“I don’t wanna, but Mr. Amos say I do,” Jimmy said. 

“Sometimes compromise is good,” Miss Paisley advised. 

“He not your daddy,” I told Jimmy. 

“I will go along too,” Miss Paisley said. 

“Fine but if they make me move I going home,” I sighed. 

“No, but he Mrs. Joan’s brother. He tell her, an I might get trouble,” Jimmy saida s we walked over to the school. 

I sat in the back stubbornly, not wanting to be in school but I wanted to be with Jimmy. Payton gave me a look and I sighed. “Hey Nat... You should come on over an’ sit on the girls’ side,” Nora told me. “You reckon you’re a boy?” 

“I wanna sit beside my best friend and he a boy. It ain’t hurtin’ no one,” I told her. 

“Well, you sit there an’ Mildew’s gonna thump you. That’s ’is seat,” Nora said and I went to sit on the other side of Jimmy. 

“Told you,” I muttered as other kids came into the classroom. 

“I sat in Jeffery’s seat once for class,” Jamie said. 

“But I’m just tryin’ t’ save you a paddlin’ is all, Nat,” Nora said. 

Jimmy walked in and sat down beside me and I looked at him, wanting to bolt at any minute as Molly said, “Natalie, you ain’t supposed to sit on the boys side.”

Jimmy took my hand and held it and I looked at him knowingly. Miss Traci walked in and I sighed with relief as it wasn’t one of the strict teachers. I felt her behind me and told Jimmy, “Jimmy, she gonna tell me to move. I told you this was no good idea.” 

“Uh hem,” Miss Traci said and grabbed at a pigtail. 

I stood then and ran out of the classroom crying. I hid outside beside the wall and cried, too scared to go back in. I started to run away but then Miss Paisley came out and called my name. “No! They can’t make me! I’m not goin’ back!” I cried. 

“Come here… It is okay,” she said comfortingly as I sat down on the ground and stared into the water, crying. “I am not going to make you go back.” 

“I already went once today! Jimmy weren’t there! Now he is and I in trouble. Payton keeps lookin at me funny. Like those girls did back in that awful place with all the s’s.” 

Jimmy walked over and joined us and I cried more, reaching for him as Miss Paisley said, “I am sorry they are unkind to you.” 

“Natalie it’s ok, I ain gonna let nuttin happen to ya,” Jimmy promised. 

“I’ll get Miss Trin to teach me and learn at home. Don’t need no school. I already know how to read and write.” 

“But you do need school sweetie,” Miss Paisley told me. 

“Not twice in one day. This morning was confusin enough. But it was jes Nora and I could stay where I was. Now I wanted to sit with Jimmy.” 

“Nora did give you a lot of information,” she agreed. 

“Cause they mean over on the other side and they don’t get it.” 

“I do understand wanting to sit with a person you care about.” 

“He my best friend!” I cried and clung to Jimmy. 

“Then why won’t they let us?” Jimmy asked her. 

“He not mean to me. He not look at me funny,” I told her. 

“I know sweetie. They feel kids learn best in this fashion is all. It has been this way for so many years.” 

“Well it should change,” I frowned. 

“I learned like this. I sat with the girls. And later went to a school where it was all girls.” 

“Well it ain’t right,” I sighed and looked at Jimmy. “I sorry if I get you in trouble for not goin to school. But she went to pull my pigtails. But I ran faster. Told you, girls mean.” 

“I know... teachers do that kind of thing,” Miss Paisley said. 

“I ain gettin in trouble, to heck with ’em,” Jimmy said. 

“Men can be just as mean.”

“Well yeah but…” I folded my arms. 

“I would never be mean to a girl, especially Natalie...she my bes frien in all world,” Jimmy said. 

“See?? That why I like him and wanna sit with him,” I wiped away my tears and Jimmy hugged me.  

“I know. Usually boys are friends with boys and girls with girls.” 

“Miss Trin ain’t. She friends with everyone and tells me I can do the same,” I said. 

“Nothing wrong with you two being friends,” Miss Paisley said. 

“Better not be,” I muttered. 

“Nothing wrong with it sweetie.” 

“Jes not at school. At school I gotta act like i don’t know him. And I not gonna do that,” I hugged Jimmy tighter. 

“No, not like you don’t know him!” 

“Yu huh.” 

“Just a break from being so close is all.” 

“Then he gotta sit all alone. Jeff don’t even sit with him.” 

“It is such a short time.” 

“This morning didn’t feel short,” I muttered. 

“It never means you two are not friends.. ever... You will always be friends. You know something? I am married, right? I am apart from my husband at times, right?” 

“But Miss Paisley, aint what they doin to us in school, same wha they do wha ya call ’em...slaves...seperate from another,” Jimmy said. 

“But they don’t make ya sit across from each other,” I said to Miss Paisley. “When you in the same room.” 

“But... he travels for work... that keeps us apart for many days at a time,” she said. “I can’t see him ... or talk to him for days. He is still my husband. That never changes does it?” she looked at us. 

“But yore grown up Miss Paisley, dults use to bein apart, us kids we stay together,” Jimmy said. 

“Not the same,” I agreed with Jimmy. “When you in the same room… You get to sit beside each other.” 

“It is the same... Friendships are what YOU make them,” Miss Paisley said.

“Like in courthouse,” I looked at Jimmy. “She not listenin.” 

“Oh I am,” she promised. “It will not kill you to sit apart for forty-five minutes.” 

“Well as long as I cant sit with Natalie, I no go school…that’s that,” Jimmy said defiantly. 

“It longer than that. And it ain’t just Jimmy,” I said. 

“It is you that are not accepting,” Miss Paisley said. 

“The other girls are mean!!” I protested. 

“I agree there!” 

“They’ll kick me under the table or somethin!” 

“Then sit in another row. A chair apart.” 

“Keep givein me looks.” 

“Then let them. Hold your chin up.” 

“This ain’t fair,” I sighed. 

“But… You will always have your dear friend and your dignity. That is far more valuable.” 

“Then I become doormat.” 

“No.”

“Let em walk over me. Let em be mean. Let em stare.” 

“Holding your head high... is not letting them walk over you.” 

“Yea it is cause they’ll still do it if I sit over there. So I lose either way where I sit.” 

“They give up after time. Trust me. I was picked on as a child.”

“Nu uh. I was in that darned orphanage for… eight years. They never stopped.” 

“Eventually they will… and you will be a better woman for it. Better for standing your ground. For not being a bully.” 

“I don’t wanna wait another eight years.” 

“You tell me who pick on ya Natalie, and I bus em in da eye,” Jimmy insisted. 

“I WAS standing my ground!!!” I exclaimed. 

“You will be the strong one,” she promised. 

“I was sitin beside Jimmy!!” I sighed, confused. 

“I suggested compromise. Across the aisle.”

“I did. I moved from Mill’s seat.” 

“I tell ya what Natalie, you go sit girls side, and I sit wit ya..wha they do? Nutin’,” Jimmy said. 

“They’ll yell at you too,” I told him. “Den you’ll get in trouble.”

“You need seats across from each other on proper side,” Miss Paisley suggested. 

“Wha they do, throw me out, cuz I won move?” Jimmy asked. 

“She’ll pull you out by hair like she was gonna do to me,” I folded my arms across my chest. 

“My suggestion is one of compromise. You are next to each other... just with an aisle between and you are on proper side. And it keeps you two in school and out of trouble. Yes?” Miss Paisley suggested. 

“I guess so,” Jimmy said and I looked away, still upset at getting my hair pulled. 

“I know you are upset. I would be if my hair was getting yanked... My older brothers did it a lot,” Miss Paisley said. 

“I ain going back tonight...they jus deal wit it,” Jimmy said defiantly. 

“Yes. Let tonight go,” Miss Paisley suggested. “I do suggest talking on a seating change to accommodate the compromise.” 

I saw a man walk by and relieved it wasn’t someone from the school. Jimmy looked over at Miss Paisley and said, “But see Miss Paisley, wha ain right..they let us sit beside each other before, now they say no, that not right.” 

“Yeah Traci never yelled before,” I nodded. 

“I know, and I agree….” Miss Paisley said. “But sometimes it takes a bigger person to suggest a compromise.” 

“Jimmy you wanna take me home?” I sighed. “It getting dark.” 

“Yeah, I walk ya home Natalie,” he nodded and stood. 

Miss Paisley offered me a hug and I hugged her tight with a sigh. “At least you not mean girl.” 

“I will talk to the teacher Nat,” she promised me. “You two run along.” 

“Come on Jimmy,” I said and we ran back towards Pearce.