Page 55 of Releasing 10
“Okay then.” Grinning, I began to reel off the names of every book I could remember, while this strange little girl accepted my challenge by responding with the names of the main characters in every book. And I meanevery single book. From there, she stunned me with her ability to not only count but add and subtract in her head, without a copybook to work out the sums. She could spell every single word I threw at her, even the difficult ones I planned to catch her out with. Except the only thing that caught me out wassurprisewhen she spelled every word without breaking a sweat.
“How do you know all this?” I asked, attention glued to this girl and everything that came out of her mouth because I had never felt more impressed by another person in my life. It wasn’t just her outfit that matched mine, but her brain did, too. “Claire doesn’t know a quarter of the things you do.”
She grinned victoriously. “Told you I’m smart.”
“Yeah.” I eyed her warily. “You don’t act like you’re in junior infants.”
She shrugged and tossed back, “You don’t act like you’re in first class.”
“That’s because I’m smarter than most seven-year-olds.”
“Yeah, and I’m smarter than most six-year-olds.”
“You’re six?” My brows rose in surprise. “When were you born?”
“June 9, 1988.”
“So I’m less than a year older than you?”
“Seven months and twenty-two days.” She smirked. “I counted.”
“Then how come you’re in junior infants? Shouldn’t you be in seniors?” I frowned. “Or first class like me.”
“Uh, yeah.” The light in her eyes quickly faded and she dropped her gaze to her lap. “I know.”
“Did you get held back or something?” I asked, even though I found it hard to believe. It wouldn’t make sense to make a girl as bright as her repeat a year of school.
“I used to go to a different school in the city,” she replied, voice small now. I followed her gaze to where she was clasping her hands together so tightly the skin was turning white. “But when I moved to Sacred Heart, they put me in juniors.” She chewed on her bottom lip. “I’m not slow,” she hurried to add, digging her fingernails into her hand. “I swear I’m not…”
“I know you’re not, okay?” I replied, reaching down to peel her hands apart. “And who cares if you’re the oldest in your class?” She didn’t seem to realize that she was scratching herself, but I noticed. “You’re younger than most of my class and still way smarter.”
Her head snapped up, and her blue eyes locked on mine. “I am?”
“Yeah.” I nodded, wanting to take the worry away for her. I could see it in her eyes, and I didn’t like it. “You are.”
When the fear in her eyes was replaced with hope and her small hand tightened around mine, I felt a tingling sensation surge through me. While my brain seemed confused by the tingling, my heart assured me that it was an important feeling.
Thatshewas important.
“My words used to get stuck,” she explained then, still holding my hand. “It was hard for me to get them out.”
“Like a stutter?” I asked, feeling doubtful. There was a boy in my class at school who had a really bad one. Lizzie didn’t seem to have any problem pronouncing her words.
“Nope, not a stutter. They just got stuck,” she replied, looking up at me with those pale blue eyes. “But I can get them out now.”
“Well, that’s good.” I smiled. “Because you have a nice voice.”
Her eyes lit up. “I do?”
Aw, crap.
She pulled her hand from mine then and clutched her stomach. “Uh-oh.”
“What?”
“It’s my belly,” she explained. “It keeps twisting around.”
I eyed her warily. “Like in a pukey way?”
