After another moment of hesitation, AJ rapidly tore at her muddy clothes and grabbed the frivolous dress trying to make the process as quick as possible. Wrestling with the skirt’s ruffles, she wretched the dress over her head and down her skinny frame, The dress somewhat smoothed, AJ snatched the tights off the bed thus began the next struggle. She began wildly hopping around on her right foot trying to get her left leg in the tight, wobbled, and almost fell on her face. Squinting with determination, she steadied herself against her dresser and with calculating tugs and the odd yank here and there managed to get the tights on. When the tights were in place, all that was left were the dreaded toe-pinching white shoes. Looking at them on the bed looking so innocent but knowing how they truly were, AJ made a quick decision. She knew she would be wearing them tomorrow to Sunday School, so there was no way she would wear them now. No matter how mad her momma would get there was no way AJ would wear the toe-pinchers twice in one weekend. Smiling now, she went to her closet and pulled out a hand-me-down pair of Jamie’s hiking boots. They were dustier and more weathered looking than the sneakers she had had on earlier. AJ laced the boots’ frayed laces, stood up, and looking in the mirror at herself thought her outfit was almost a better joke than Jamie’s hair.
In a swift motion, AJ turned away from the mirror and left her room. She was halfway down the steps when she heard her momma voice, a barely veiled screech, scolding Jaime. AJ took the rest of the steps in a run, almost tripping in her haste to get to Jamie. She jumped from off the last step and ran to the kitchen, barreling through the door. Expecting to find Jamie facing the wooden spoon and looking shame-faced, she was surprised to see him grinning as their momma lectured him.
Turning at the interruption, Nora Teller took in the sight of AJ. She gave her daughter a thorough look-over from the top of her still mussed head to the toes of the scuffed hiking boots. Nora shook her head looking at her children, loving them for being the exasperating rebels they were.
