At Risk of Being a Fool Read Online Free PDF Page B

life.” “ Should violent television shows be restricted from daytime viewing hours? Explain your reasons.”
    Sorrel’s fingernails rattled on the table. She caught herself and studied the fingernail polish minutely. She couldn’t think, couldn’t concentrate. Whenever she let her mind go, the courthouse bomb jumped right up and punched in her in the face. She drew in a deep breath, and looked around. Brynna was staring at her, like usual. Let her look. Maybe she’d learn something.
    Tonio, now, that was different. He picked up a helluva lot, almost read her mind sometimes. She kept her distance from him these days. And Quinto. God, that was a laugh. Jeanie had no clue about him, treated him like he was some sweet little kid. But then, Jeanie’d look at a cockroach the same way.
    “Sorrel, time to get some work done. I marked an essay topic for you. Or would you rather choose a different one?”
    Essay questions, for God’s sake. She pulled the mirror from her purse and checked her eye shadow, peering at one eye and then the other. Her eye shadow exactly matched the purple nail polish. She shot a look towards Jeanie, who pretended to ignore her. Good, she’d gotten the point.
    A circle marked one topic. Sorrel read it over, muttering under her breath. Her leg swung back and forth, faster, and faster. With a solid thwack, she slammed the paper against the table. “This really bites. Jeanie? This is a bunch of crap. You know it, don’t you?”
    “Afraid you’re stuck with it. I don’t make up the essay questions. It’s just a practice one anyway.”
    “Yeah, well. But goddamnit—” Her voice shifted to a high-pitched singsong. “‘Write an essay describing an important event in your life, and how it changed your outlook on society.’ Huh. What the hell I’m gonna write about? Like how I got locked up? How’s about that SOB jumping me? Bet they’d love that.” Another incident came to mind, the one that might, just might, have resulted in a certain pipe bomb left at the courthouse. Panic surged, but she throttled it down.
    Dillon walked in, sat at his desk, and opened a book. Sorrel found herself staring at him. They’d been tight, Dillon and the “boyfriend.” She’d forgotten. Oh God, was that it? Was it him? She jumped involuntarily as Jeanie perched on the table next to her.
    “Try a happy time, maybe,” Jeanie said.
    “Uh huh. Sure thing, like when I was a crackhead? I was real happy then.”
    “Right, Sorrel. Forget it. Just sit there. I’ll go check on Rosalie.”
    “Okay, okay.” She had to work. She didn’t want Randy, her parole officer, on her case, too. “Just help me out here, okay?”
    “Before you went inside, when you were back home—remember something fun. Parties, Christmas with your family? Taking Tiffany to the zoo?”
    Sorrel leaned back in her chair, considering. It was kind of good, thinking about something else. “Well, there was this wedding we went to.”
    “Sounds good. Tell me first. Think it through.”
    “My cousin Angie, she married this flash guy, suit and collar kind of wuss, you know. This was before Tiffany, three, four years back. Mama, and Grandma and me, we got all dressed up. Tia Lupe, she’s all—” Her voice rose again, became fussy and affected. “‘Please, Sorrel, just for once, dump the makeup.’ Only she don’t say it that way, it’s more ‘unobtrusive coloring’ or something wacko like that. She talks kind of like you, Jeanie.
    “So we get all done up, fancy dresses. Man, we looked good, we really did. So, we got to the wedding, and that was okay, usual stuff. But the reception. What’s-his-name’s family, Angie’s guy? They’re all, noses in the air, looking down on us. This fuckin’ bitch starts talkin’ trash at us. Mama rolls right into her, nails, fists. You don’t take shit from nobody, Mama taught me that. They got no respect, you got to teach ‘em.
    “We was rolling all over the floor, nails flying, kicking,