With that habitual scowl on his face, whatever looks Kanutsson might have could not be seen. Instead his blue eyes narrowed down to wolfish staring. He kept one freckled, mitt-like hand draped over his dirty army surplus rucksack, and whenever he spoke to the other kids as their antics drew his attention, it was always a statement he made in criticism.
"...Is that right, Jones? I think you got it wrong." and, "Aw, come on. That ain't true..." His voice grated. Once Cheryl got used to him, she started sitting among the other kids and joining in the no-b.s. kind of commentary. Then Jim noticed her. He said,
"You're Cheryl Browne, yeah? That ain't no Swedish name. How come you got white hair?"
"Through the miracle of modern chemistry. What did you think?" she scoffed back.
"Oh, what'd you do, dip your head in Clorox?"
Cheryl didn't take offense this time because she knew if she did that, Kanutsson would win. And everybody was watching, so she had to come up with something good.
"Can't read too good, can you? The box said Clairol, not Clorox. Duuuuh."
Kanutson snorted.
"I got some sterilizing solution in the shed I could give to ya for free. I could even dip your head in it for ya."
"Do you hear that, folks? He wants to dip me."
That joke had the effect she was looking for. It shut him up.
The bus always stopped at the southwest end of pioneer park, and then the Goshen kids all fell out and headed for the water fountain and the swing set just to hang out for awhile before homework and dinner. For the first week or two, Cheryl had always gone home but for some reason, now that Kanutsson also stopped to hang out, she felt a sense of safety in numbers. She didn't want the nosy girls prying into her business and Kanutsson was so domineering, nobody could get to her herself.
Today Kanutsson was pushing the girls on the swings by pushing the bottoms of his feet against their upheld soles. He pushed them hard and they laughed as he made them swing rapidly back and forth. Cheryl went to the other side of the swings and pretended she was going to grab the girls by the hair, but instead she put her hands near where their heads were moving and she let their hair flow through her palms.
"This is weird shit," she said, but she kept doing it. Kanutsson gave Laura Woodsong one more hard foot-shove and then he stepped back.
"Aw, it don't mean nothing. None of us particularly wants to go home and get to work." Darlene Stump said,
"I know and the sooner we get home, the sooner the whole thing starts over. I like it here. We should always just come here after school or whenever. Our vacation spot."
"...Is that right, Jones? I think you got it wrong." and, "Aw, come on. That ain't true..." His voice grated. Once Cheryl got used to him, she started sitting among the other kids and joining in the no-b.s. kind of commentary. Then Jim noticed her. He said,
"You're Cheryl Browne, yeah? That ain't no Swedish name. How come you got white hair?"
"Through the miracle of modern chemistry. What did you think?" she scoffed back.
"Oh, what'd you do, dip your head in Clorox?"
Cheryl didn't take offense this time because she knew if she did that, Kanutsson would win. And everybody was watching, so she had to come up with something good.
"Can't read too good, can you? The box said Clairol, not Clorox. Duuuuh."
Kanutson snorted.
"I got some sterilizing solution in the shed I could give to ya for free. I could even dip your head in it for ya."
"Do you hear that, folks? He wants to dip me."
That joke had the effect she was looking for. It shut him up.
The bus always stopped at the southwest end of pioneer park, and then the Goshen kids all fell out and headed for the water fountain and the swing set just to hang out for awhile before homework and dinner. For the first week or two, Cheryl had always gone home but for some reason, now that Kanutsson also stopped to hang out, she felt a sense of safety in numbers. She didn't want the nosy girls prying into her business and Kanutsson was so domineering, nobody could get to her herself.
Today Kanutsson was pushing the girls on the swings by pushing the bottoms of his feet against their upheld soles. He pushed them hard and they laughed as he made them swing rapidly back and forth. Cheryl went to the other side of the swings and pretended she was going to grab the girls by the hair, but instead she put her hands near where their heads were moving and she let their hair flow through her palms.
"This is weird shit," she said, but she kept doing it. Kanutsson gave Laura Woodsong one more hard foot-shove and then he stepped back.
"Aw, it don't mean nothing. None of us particularly wants to go home and get to work." Darlene Stump said,
"I know and the sooner we get home, the sooner the whole thing starts over. I like it here. We should always just come here after school or whenever. Our vacation spot."
