"Gertrude, come on up from there. I don't like you spending so much time down there."
"Mother," called the voice pevishly from the bottom of the stairs. "I've asked you to call me Gidget."
"I don't like calling you that. You know that. That's the name 'That Man' called you."
"That man," said Gidget as she ascended the stairs, "was my father."
"I know damned well that man was your father but..."
"I will not have you dirty my memory of him again!" Gidget interrupted. "He was the only person who ever showed my any kindness!"
"Kindness? Was it kindness to steal off the in the middle of the night and leave us all alone, to live like beggers?"
"Maybe if you weren't such an unholy bitch to hi.."

The sudden slap brought about a stillness to the room. Gidget started to raise her hand to feel the hotness of her cheek, but she let it drop back to its place. Mother had slapped her before, and she would certainly try to do it again in the future.

"Gertr..., I mean, Gidget. I don't want to hurt you, but you just bring this out in me. I don't like to talk about 'That Man', yet all you do is spend time down in his workshop. I just wish you'd go outside and make some friends. It isn't healthy for you to be all alone without friends."
"Friends, Mother? Let's talk about 'Friends'. How about when my 'Friends' cut off my braids in First Grade. Instead, let's talk about my 'Friends' who stood by and let bullies take my lunch money for two whole years. No, how about when we had Fourth Grade science fair and my 'Friends' sabotaged my project so that it exploded when I turned it on."
"Gidget, those were just childish pranks."
"How about when I won the chance to go to Science Camp. How about when my new friends there slipped me a sleeping pill and then I woke up in my bunk in the middle of the boys' cabin area just wearing my underwear? Was that just a prank too, Mother?" Gidget stormed back down the stairs.

"Gidget, come back here and talk with me," demanded Mother.
"Don't worry, Mother. I'm doing what you told me. Don't worry about me. I'm making friends, I'm making them real good. And when I'm done, Mother, then I'll go outside with them."