“Wait up, Kara Lynne.”
 
I turned to see who had called my name. Meredith ran down the front steps of Grant School, her ponytail bobbing as she caught up with me.
 
“Huh?” I wondered what she wanted.
 
“That English project. Want to stop at the library to check out some Anne of Green Gables books?”
 
Miss Pidge had assigned Meredith and me to work together on an interesting project. We are to study and write a paper on the time period of Anne’s life. I’d already read the books, but I didn’t know how we could work together. Nobody at school knew about my problem at home, and I didn’t want them to know.
 

“Can’t,” I told her. “Gotta hurry home.” I couldn’t let her come home with me and I didn’t have time to go to her house, or the library, or anywhere. It wasn’t fair.
 
Meredith persisted. “Okay. I’ll walk with you and we can plan on the way.”
 
“Uh … I’m not actually going straight home. I have to pick up my sister at day care first.”
 
That part was true and sounded reasonable to me. I did have to pick up my sister Amber—at a school for the mentally challenged. Once Meredith saw Amber, it would be all over school. I jammed my hands into my jeans pocket.
 
“No problem.” She had no intentions of giving up. I wondered how I could get rid of her without hurting her feelings. She said, “I have lots of time. No one’s at my house anyway.”
 
“Oh, a latchkey kid!” It had just slipped out. I slapped my hand to my mouth, as if that would delete what I’d just said. “Me, too.”
 
A couple girls across the street called. “Meredith, we’re stopping at Friendly’s. Want to come?” They didn’t even invite me.
 
“See you later, Kara Lynne.”
 
I nodded to Meredith. She joined her friends and I went to pick up my sister.
 
Amber’s teacher was one of those soft cuddly persons, as old as my grandmother, or maybe even older, but I could tell that she loved those kids. And Amber loved her.
 
“See, Kara-in.” Amber pointed to a string of paper dolls along the wall. “Made dolls.”

I gave Amber a hug, thanked her teacher, and we were on our way home. After Dad left we moved to this section of town so Amber could attend a special class. Now I was in a new neighborhood, a new school, but no time to make new friends. Sometimes people acted as if Amber’s problem was catching. In my old school some kids called me “retard” because of Amber. I didn’t want that to happen here.
 
After our snack, Amber settled down with her toys while I did my homework at Mom’s desk. Later, as I peeled potatoes for supper, anger crept up my throat like a leap frog. The more I thought about it, my mind came up with everything I needed to say to Mom. A couple tears slid down my cheeks. I brushed them away.
 
As soon as Mom opened the kitchen door, Amber came running to meet her.
 
“Hi, precious.” Mom leaned down and gave Amber a big hug.
 
“Me made dolls.” Amber held up her creation, a handful of cut up paper.
 
“You made paper dolls? Wow! I remember making them when I was little. My grandma taught me.”
 
“Her teacher’s like a grandma,” I said. Then I saw what she’d used to make her dolls. My homework. I grabbed the paper out of her hands to see if I could repair the damage. Amber screamed. I threw the paper back at her and ran to my room to cry.
 
Mom followed me and sat down on the edge of my bed. “Kara, I’m so sorry. Amber doesn’t know any better. I’ll do the dishes tonight while you do your assignment again.”
 
“I can’t. Miss Pidge had all the questions written out on that paper.”
 
“Can you call one of your friends for the information?”
 
“Friends?” I shouted, punching my pillow. “I don’t have any friends. I don’t have time for friends. Meredith and I have to work on a project together and I don’t even have time for that.”
 
“She could come home with you after school.”
 
“No way! Nobody’s going to know about Amber.” I hadn’t meant to say that, but there’s no way I could take it back. “It’s not fair that Amber’s retarded. It’s not fair that I had to change school when I had good teachers and lots of friends—even though some bullies called me a retard because of Amber. You didn’t know that, did you?”
 
“Life’s not always fair. Kara, you’re not a retard. God has a special purpose for Amber and I want you to love her.”
 
I cried some more. When I could talk again I said, “And I don’t have the right kind of clothes. My jeans are too small and … You should see what the other girls wear. I’m an oddball in school.”
 
Mom looked me over. “You’re right. You’ve shot up during the summer. If your father ever gets around to sending a check, the first thing we’ll do is shop for new clothes for you. Right now money is pretty tight around here.”
 
I wiped my eyes with the back of my hand. All the fight had gone out of me. “I know, Mom. I’m sorry.”
 
“I’ll talk to your teacher about your homework. She’ll understand and give you another chance.”
 
I couldn’t let even Miss Pidge know about Amber. “I’ll take care of it,” I promised.
 
The next morning I knew I should explain to Miss Pidge about my homework, but I didn’t. In class I stared at my desk to avoid her eyes. Maybe she wouldn’t call on me and I’d get away without handing in my paper. But it didn’t work.
 
“Kara Lynne, would you read the answer to the first question.”
 
“I’m sorry, Miss Pidge, I don’t have it—I mean I forgot my homework.”
 
Miss Pidge was not the grandmotherly type like Amber’s teacher. She was more like an old maid, with her hair pulled back so tight her eyes were almost slanting.
 
“Your first week here and you haven’t done your homework?”
 
I blinked back the tears.
 
“Kara Lynne, I’d like to see you after school. You can do the lesson then.”
 
I felt a classroom full of eyes staring at me. To make matters worse, I reached in my pocket and felt something other than a tissue. I pulled out my homework, all cut up in Amber’s version of paper dolls. Someone behind me giggled. I heard a whisper, “She made paper dolls out of her homework.”
 
This was not a good start to a new school. If I were going to make paper dolls, I hope I could have done a better job than that. I wanted to disappear. I wanted to go home sick. I wanted to go back to my old school.
 
After class I marched directly to Miss Pidge’s desk. “I can’t stay after school, Miss Pidge.”
 
She looked up from whatever she was doing. “I’ll have to give you a zero.”
Could I call Mom and let her know I couldn’t pick up Amber? Mom’s job was important, and I didn’t want her to know. Anyway, I couldn’t let her explain to anybody about my sister.

“I’ll take the zero,” I said and ran out of the room.
 
Amber was all smiles and bubbly when I stopped for her. She ran to me for a hug. “Find doll, Kar-in?”
 
All my anger melted away. She’d been proud to give me the paper dolls that she had made. I wondered how it would feel to be trapped in a six-year old body with the mind of a two-year old. In the future I’d have to be careful to leave my homework where she couldn’t reach it.
 
At home I poured two glasses of milk and had just turned back to put the milk carton away when the doorbell rang. Mom had told us not to open the door to anyone when she’s not here. Before I could stop her, Amber had the door open.
 
There stood Meredith with a handful of books.
 
“Hi, Kara Lynne,” Meredith said. “I’ve come to get started on that English project.”
 
“Me made dolls,” Amber proudly boasted.
 
Meredith took Amber’s hand and they followed me to the kitchen. Meredith plunked the books down onto the table. Instead of just standing there, she picked up Amber and sat down to cuddle her. I heard a noise, and when I turned around, saw tears rolling down Meredith’s cheeks. I didn’t know what to do.
 
And neither did Meredith. “Kara Lynne, I didn’t know.”
 
 After I confessed why I hadn’t told anyone, she said, “No one blames you for her. God gave me a special sister like Amber, but in the spring she got pneumonia and God took her home.” She wiped her tears on the sleeve of her shirt.
 
I poured another glass of milk and offered Meredith a cookie. That gave me an idea. Anne of Green Gables had invited Diana to a tea party.
 
“Meredith, after we finish our research, let’s plan a tea party with foods that Anne might have served.”
 
Meredith giggled. “Except we’ll make sure of what we serve to drink. That’s a great idea, Kara. We’ll have it at my house and I’ll invite my friends. Bring Amber.”
 
I had a feeling my new school wouldn’t be so bad, after all. Tomorrow I’d explain about my homework to Miss Pidge, hoping she’d give me another chance to make up that homework assignment.