The woman tugged on her shorts and thrust her hand toward Mrs. Tully. “I’m Luanne,” she said.
Mrs. Tully set her mouth in a hard line and said, “Mrs. Jeeter seems more appropriate. I mean, under the circumstances.”
“Well, okay, but it’s Miss Jeeter.”
Rose stood behind her mother, feeling shy, as usual. She wasn’t very good at meeting new people, especially in front of her mother, who would always give her a nudge and tell her what to say. “For heaven’s sake, Rose,” she’d scold, “introduce yourself.”
“Well, okay then, Miss Jeeter,” Mrs. Tully said. “I hope your bus ride wasn’t too bad.” She gave her hair a pat and added, “I imagine those buses can be pretty horrid.”
Miss Jeeter shrugged and said, “It’s not like I haven’t put in my time on a bus. But avoid the seats in the back, where the bathrooms are, if you know what I mean.” She winked at Mrs. Tully, who cleared her throat and shifted her purse from one arm to the other.
And then, much to Rose’s surprise, Miss Jeeter’s wild-haired daughter came hopping over on one foot and said, “I’m Mavis. You be my best friend, okay?”
Rose looked around the bus station to see if there were any other kids there. Was this girl talking to her? Best friend? In all her ten years, she had never really had a best friend. Well, maybe one. Ida Scoggins. She had lived next door to the Tullys in Magnolia Estates when they first moved there. She had taught Rose how to make origami frogs and let Rose walk her dog named Frenchie, who wore a sweater and once bit Monroe Tucker, the gardener. She always made Rose laugh by doing the hula in the sprinkler or putting chopsticks in her nose. Then one day Ida had painted Rose’s fingernails bright red. The name of the color was Va-Va-Voom, and Rose had loved it. But Mrs. Tully called Ida’s mother, and after that, Ida didn’t seem to want to play much anymore. And then the Scoggins moved to North Carolina, and that was the end of that.
And now it seemed like the other girls in Magnolia Estates only wanted to shop at the mall with Amanda Simm and weren’t interested in playing cards with Mr. Duffy. So when Mavis Jeeter said, “You be my best friend, okay?” Rose felt a little wave of happiness work its way from her toes to the top of her head.
“Okay,” she said, feeling her cheeks burn.
“Shall we go?” Mrs. Tully motioned toward the Jeeters’ beat-up bags before heading for the door to the parking lot.
Miss Jeeter snatched up a duct-taped suitcase and followed her.
“Help me carry this,” Mavis said to Rose, picking up one end of an overstuffed duffel bag.
Rose took the other end, and the girls hurried out to the parking lot.
Rose could hardly believe how good this day had turned out. Just yesterday she had spent the afternoon sitting alone on the porch between Pete and Larry, and now here she was carrying a duffel bag with her new best friend.