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F.”
    “ What?” Carolina said, eyes wide and heart pounding.
    “ You heard me. I’m giving you a hundred percent.”
    “ But?” She couldn’t believe it. There were such things as miracles after all.
    “ Case closed, go home.”
    Carolina turned and walked quickly to the door, fighting back tears and a smile.
    “ Carolina,” Miss Sadler called.
    She turned.
    “ Enjoy yourself at Disneyland.”
    Carolina smiled, turned and ran down the hall and out the front door of the school, where she crashed into Arty.
    “ I’ve been waiting to carry your books,” he said, grinning wide.

Chapter Three
     
     
    “ We’re in trouble,” Arty said, as Brad and two other kids approached. His voice moved up an octave when he talked and Carolina could tell he was frightened. It wasn’t fair that Brad could bully nice kids like Arty just because he was bigger.
    Bullies were the lowest of the low, lower than the stuff that grows under you toes. She wished she was a boy, then she’d give Brad something to think about.
    “ Brad and the Shadows,” Carolina said. Ray Harpine scowled, making both his eyebrows and lips look thinner than they were. Steve Kerr scrunched up the left side of his face so much she couldn’t see the color of his left eye. Carolina knew Ray and Steve hated being called Brad’s shadows.
    “ Shit,” Arty said under his breath, and Carolina saw his lower lip start quivering. She shivered a little herself, but it was cold and she wasn’t wearing a sweater.
    “ Hey, did I hear you right, Farty Arty. Did you say shit?” Brad tucked his hands into his Levi pockets and thrust his pelvis forward. His thing was outlined by the Levi’s and she wondered how he’d like it if she gave him a swift kick where it would really hurt.
    “ Maybe there’s hope for the mama’s boy yet.” Steve put his hands in his pockets, imitating his leader. It wasn’t for nothing that Ray and Steve were called what they were. Carolina wondered if Steve even knew how to think for himself. Ray was smart and if Brad wasn’t around he could be kind of nice. He could make other friends if he wanted. She couldn’t understand why he hung around with Brad.
    Brad hawked a big one and let the lugey fly. Carolina watched the gob of snot as it sailed through the air, milky white and snotty green. A great clump of sticky, slimy nose shit, sliding upward, like a tiny comet. The wind caught it as it reached the top of its arc and headed back toward earth, changing its path, ever so slightly.
    It landed on Arty’s tennis shoes. What were the odds? It was impossible to tell if Brad had done it on purpose. There was a lot of room for doubt. Nobody could be that good.
    “ Good one, Brad,” Ray said.
    Brad beamed, but it rang false to Carolina. Brad had just spit. It was dumb luck that it landed on Arty’s shoe.
    “ Shit, Brad, why’d you have to go and do that?” Steve sounded like a jerk to Carolina. “Now, poor Arty’s nice white shoes got slimy snot all over ’em.”
    “ I’m sorry, Arty, I wasn’t lookin’ where I was aimin’.” Brad’s face was covered in a rare smile.
    “ It’s okay, Brad. I know you didn’t mean it.” Arty said. Carolina could tell he just wanted them to go away.
    She started to speak up, but held her tongue. Her father had always told her to mind her own business and not to get involved. He believed that nice guys always finished last and that do gooders were as bad as Bible thumpers, always sticking their noses where they didn’t belong. But it was hard, because she kind of liked Arty.
    “ Come on Carolina, let’s go.” Arty attempted to lead her around the three bullies.
    “ Not so fast.” Brad ran his hand through his hair. He wore it long on the sides and tapered into a ducktail in the back, like the bikers in the fifties movies. “I want to talk to your girlfriend about the test.”
    “ Are you mad because I flunked it?” Carolina said.
    “ Yeah, I am.”
    “ You’re not half as mad