“We need to be practical for once in our lives,” Andy said. “We can go back to hippie-dippy land once we get the busfixed.”
“There’s no point in arguing until we know what Greg’s dad says,” Daisy said. “We might be fighting overnothing.”
The front door to the house opened and Greg stepped out. The screen door slammed shut behind him as he hopped over the porch steps. He jogged over to where theystood.
“All right,” Greg said. “I have good news. My parents have agreed to talk to you about the arrangement. It’s not a done deal yet, but I have a good feelingaboutit.”
“Groovy,”Daisysaid.
“But before we go in, I have to give you a few tips,”Gregsaid.
“Here it comes,” Rivermumbled.
“I told them you were on your way to see your parents. So stick to that story. Be super respectful to my old man. If he thinks you are disrespecting him or my mother, he’ll boot you out so fast your head will spin. Don’t interrupt him—ever. And most importantly, don’t tell him you’re draftdodging.”
“I’m not going to roll over for some friggin’ uptight dick,” River said. “I’ll find a way to put some scratch togetherintown.”
“Stop being a hardheaded asshole for two seconds,” Daisy snapped. “We’re all going up there. If you don’t want to hang with us, then bail. But I think this guy’s our best hoperightnow.”
River scowled at her and turned to Meadow, who gnawed on herbottomlip.
“Well?” Riverasked.
“I’m going with them,” Meadow said. “I worked hard hustling for that bus. I don’t want toleaveit.”
“Don’t you care about what happens to Andy?” Daisy askedRiver.
“What doyoumean?”
“We’re doing all of this to save my brother’s life. If we don’t get him to Canada, our dad will find him and force him to report for the draft,” Daisy’s voice broke. “Do you really want himtodie?”
“Shit, Daisy,” River said. “I don’t want that. You know Idon’t.”
“Well then come inside with us and let’s do what we can to get throughit.Okay?”
“Okay.”
Daisy breathed a sigh of relief as they headed back toward the house. Underneath his outwardly careless attitude, River was a good guy. A bit lackadaisical, but his heart was in the rightplace.
She followed Greg up the front steps and into the house. She gazed around the entryway. Wood planks lined the floors, walls, and ceiling. It was as if she’d stepped into a tree. Thick, woven rugs covered most of the floor. A threadbare couch and matching armchair sat in the center of the living room in front of a smalltelevision.
“My parents are in the kitchen,”Gregsaid.
They turned right and filed into a lemon-yellow room. A bowl of fruit rested on the end of the counter. Cupboards without doors lined one wall, while cabinets with proper doors stretched across theoppositewall.
A woman stood at the stove stirring a huge pot of stew which smelled divine. She turned and smiled at them. A thick headband pulled back her golden-brown hair. Bangs hung down to the tops of her eyebrows. The fine ends of her hair flipped up and bounced as she moved. She reminded Daisy of Marlo Thomas from the television showThatGirl.
“Hello, I’m Betty,” she said. “It’s nice tomeetyou.”
“I’m Daisy and this is my brother Andy and our friends Meadow andRiver.”
“You have interesting names,”Bettysaid.
“Meadow and I changed our names to reflect our true spirits,”Riversaid.
“I suspected that they weren’t your given names,” Greg’s dad saidsarcastically.
“Joseph,” Betty saidsoftly.
