The next day, Rose moped.
She rearranged her china horses.
She counted her dresses to see if Mavis had been right.
Yep. Seventeen.
Then she went into Grace’s room and wandered around, touching her things and looking at her scrapbook filled with movie ticket stubs and dance recital programs and a lock of hair from a boyfriend.
She went downstairs and stepped on every single square of the marble tile in the foyer.
She sat on the velvet couch in the living room and listened to her mother explaining to Miss Jeeter what to do about the white water ring on the mahogany dining room table. When her mother said something like “That’s what coasters are for,” Miss Jeeter said something back in a snappy voice.
When Monroe Tucker started the hedge clippers out in the yard, Rose went on the porch and sat between Pete and Larry and watched him trim the boxwoods along the driveway.
But after a very short while, Rose got tired of moping. She thought about getting her skateboard out of the garage and riding it around Magnolia Estates. Wouldn’t that surprise everyone?
But, no, that didn’t sound like much fun, so Rose decided to visit Mr. Duffy.
Imagine her surprise when she got to the gatehouse and there was Mavis, playing checkers with Mr. Duffy.
In fact, she was so surprised that all she said was, “Oh.”
Mr. Duffy said, “Hey, there,” and Mavis lifted a limp hand in a half-hearted wave.
“You’re playing checkers,” Rose said.
Mr. Duffy nodded. “That we are.”
“I thought you didn’t like playing checkers anymore,” Rose said, trying very hard not to sound like a baby, even though she was pretty sure she did.
Mr. Duffy chuckled. “Well, ole Mavis here is one stubborn mule. I had about as much chance as a grasshopper in a chicken house trying to say no to her.”
“Oh,” Rose said again. She was pretty sure Mavis was trying not to smile. She saw the corners of her mouth twitching.
Then suddenly Mavis jumped Mr. Duffy’s checkers with three loud slaps on the board and hollered, “Boom! Boom! Boom! King me!”
She jumped off her stool and did a little jig of a dance, pumping her fist and saying, “That’s what I’m talking about.”
Mr. Duffy laughed.
Hard.
Then he took a handkerchief out of his pocket and wiped his eyes.
Jealousy bubbled up inside Rose, making her stomach hurt and her face burn. Then the bubbling jealousy worked its way down to her feet, making her run out the gatehouse door and all the way home.