Page 9 (1/2)

Here it co for your mother to recover from her cancer She even has a little altar set up in her room"

Tully looked at the floor, too ashamed to answer How could she explain why she'd lied? No ansould be good enough, not for a mother like Mrs Mularkey, who loved her kids At that, a wave of jealousy joined the shah her Maybe if Tully had had a mother who loved her she wouldn't find it so easy--so necessary--to lie in the first place And now she'd lose the one thing thatto your friends is okay?"

"No,at the floor that she was startled by a gentle touch on her chin that forced her to look up

"Are you going to be a good friend to Kate? Or the kind that leads her to trouble?"

"I'd never hurt Katie" Tully wanted to say ood person, but she was so close to tears she didn't dare move She stared into Mrs Mularkey's dark eyes and saw so

In the living rooed the channel Tully could see the screen through the rubble of theon the day's top story

"You do it, don't you?" Mrs Mularkey said quietly, as if she worried that Cloud rocery-shop, clean the house Who pays for everything?"

Tully sed hard No one had ever seen through her life so clearly before "My grandmother sends a check every week"

"My dad was a fall-down drunk and the whole town knew it," Mrs Mularkey said in a soft voice that matched the look in her eyes "He was ia, would have to go to the tavern and drag hi her and calling her na between the bull and the cowboy By the end of ured out why she ran with the fast crowd and drank too much"

"She didn't want people to look at her like she was pitiful"

Mrs Mularkey nodded "She hated that look What h, isn't other people That's what I learned Who your mom is and how she lives her life isn't a reflection of you You canfor you to be ashalanced through the open door to the living rooets to a place like that in her life kno to go after what she wants"

"How do I knohat I want?"

"You keep your eyes open and do the right thing Go to college And trust your friends"

"I do trust Kate"

"So you'll tell her the truth?"

"What if I just pro to tell her, Tully It should be you"

Tully took a deep breath and released it Though telling the truth went against every instinct she had, she had no choice, really She wanted Mrs Mularkey to be proud of her "Okay"

"Good So I'll see you for dinner toht Five o'clock It'll be your chance to start over"

The next night, Tully changed her clothes at least four tiht outfit By the time she was actually ready, she was so late that she had to run all the way across the street and up the hill

Kate's abardine bell-botto, she said, "I warn you, it's loud and crazy in here"

"I love loud and crazy," Tully said

"Then you'll fit right in" Mrs Mularkey put an are-walled living rooht red sofa, and black recliner A sold-framed photo of Jesus and another of Elvis were the only decorations on the walls, but dozens of family pictures cluttered the top of the console TV Tully couldn't help thinking of the TV in her house; its top was covered with overflowing ashtrays and earette packs, but no family photos

"Bud?" Mrs Mularkey said to the beefy, dark-hairedin the recliner "This is Tully Hart from next door"

Mr Mularkey smiled at her and put down his drink "Well, well So you're the one we've been hearin' about It's nice to have you here, Tully"

"It's nice to be here"

Mrs Mularkey patted her shoulder "Dinner's not till six Katie's upstairs in her rooirls have plenty to talk about"

Tully got the e and nodded, unable to rouse her voice Now that she was here, in this war shoulder to shoulder with the world'sunwelcoain," she proo" With a last s room

Mr Mularkey put an arm around his wife and drew her into the La-Z-Boy with hiether

Tully felt a longing so sharp and unexpected, she couldn'twould have been different for her if she'd had a family like this She didn't want to turn away fro the news?"

Mr Mularkey looked up "We never miss it"

Mrs Mularkey s the world She's one of the first wo to be a reporter," Tully said suddenly

"That's wonderful," Mr Mularkey said

"There you are," Kate said suddenly, co up beside her "Nice of everyone to tell me you were here," she said loudly

"I was just telling yourto be a news reporter," Tully said

Mrs Mularkey bea that had been rand dream, Katie?"

Kate looked confused for a h Tully's and pulled her away fro room and up the stairs In her small attic bedrooh a small stack of records By the ti's Tapestry--and put it on, Tully was at the , staring out at the lavender evening

The surge of adrenaline she'd gotten fro a quiet kind of sadness behind She knehat she had to do now, but the thought of it made her sick

Tell her the truth