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Show • I x i - Peppermint Monda; and her eyebrows too painted. I didn't like the way she rounded her mouth when she talked about interest. I didn't like the way she acted when I simply wanted to know how much money I had in the bank. She was probably against kids withdrawing their money for anything less than college. She had probably never been asked to a prom either. I thought about the make-believe dress all of the way home. I was going to try and sketch it after supper, but Russ changed all that. When I got home, Jake was with him. That was perfectly normal, so I didn't pay much attention to the pair. Ma told me they had made a special trip to Springfield to see a doctor. Russ was a lot worse. His pounds were dropping off of him daily. The doctors were very concerned. Ma told me all of this while she folded clothes. She was upset, and she had every right to be. Three different times she put my underwear in Jason's pile. Luckily I moved it before it got to Jason's drawer. He would have had a fit. I took an apple from the pantry and went outside to watch Russ and Jake. I usually enjoyed apples, but this one was tasteless. If all of those fancy doctors were so concerned, why weren't any of them doing anything? Russ was dying. About the only happiness he had anymore, was in an old mountain man. It was pathetic. I threw my half-eaten apple down and watched it roll in the dirt. I sat on the bottom step and stretched my legs clear out straight. My toes would almost touch the dirty apple when I pointed them. I dug my fingers into my knees. Even through the heavy denim I could feel the sharp bones. I was skinny, I always had been. But even as skinny as I was, compared to Russ I was a fat lady. Russ and Jake were by the sad looking garden spot. I didn't know if |