The air outside was strangely still. The dark cloudsstill hovered in the distance.
"Storm's coming," said Will.
"We have to eat quickly, before it starts to rain,"said Kate. She and Will sat down on the grass.
Annie and Jack sat beside them.
Will opened a small burlap sack. He took out fourlumpy objects. They looked like dark rocks.
"Hey, there's one here for each of us!" said Kate.
"One what?" asked Annie, frowning.
"Sweet potatoes!" said Will. He gave a potato eachto Kate, Annie, and Jack.
"Um--no thanks," said Jack, trying to give his back.
"We don't want to take your lunch.""We have enough! Keep it!" said Kate.
"What do you do with it?" asked Annie, holding upher potato.
Kate laughed.
"Just bite!" she said. "Like this--"Kate and Will bit into their cold sweet potatoes as ifthey were apples.
"Cool," said Annie. She took a big bite out of herpotato, too.
But Jack just held on to his. He didn't quite feel likeeating the cold, brown potato.
Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Jeb Sitting byhimself. The big kid didn't seem to have any lunch atall.
Jack thought he'd try to be friends one more time.
"Hey, Jeb," he called out. "I'm not hungry. You wantmy sweet potato?"Jeb gave Jack a mean look.
"I could have brought my own lunch if I wanted toeat," he said.
"Oh, sure," said Jack.
Jeb narrowed his eyes.
"You making fun again?" he said. "I'm warning you.
Do that one more time, and I'll fight you."Jack couldn't believe it. This kid took everything hesaid the wrong way!
"Hey!" Annie said. "Leave my brother alone. You'renothing but a bully, Jeb.""Annie, stay out of this," said Jack.
But Jeb just laughed. Then he stood up and walkedback into the schoolhouse.
Jack felt angry. He hoped they would find thespecial writing soon so they could leave.
Will seemed to have read Jack's mind.
"Don't worry about him," Will said to Jack. "He'snever been to school before.""Oh, so he's embarrassed," said Annie. "Why hasn'the been to school?" said Jack. "Because he has to workin the fields all the time," said Will.
"I heard him tell Miss Neely he walked five miles toget here today," Kate said. "So he must have reallywanted to come.""Wow," said Annie. "How far did you and Willwalk?""Only two," said Kate.
"Two what?" asked Annie.
"Miles," said Kate.
"Two miles," Jack repeated. The prairie kids nodded.
"It must be lonely living out here," AnnieWill and Kate nodded again.
"Do you live in a sod house?" Jack asked.
"We used to," said Will. "But it was always dirty. Soour pa built us a log cabin.""He cut trees near the creek," said Kate. "Then hemade the cabin by hand."Before Annie or Jack could ask another question,thunder cracked in the sky. Then rain started to fall. Itfell fast and hard.
Everyone jumped up.
"Come in! Come in!" Miss Neely called from thedoorway.
They ran back inside. The wind slammed the doorbehind them with a BANG. |