Hare-iette was afraid, but she is not one to give up her money easily. She picked up her big hare foot and stomped it down on the girl's foot. At the same time, she bit the hand that was holding her arm. Hare teeth are big and strong. The girl howled and let go. She ran back to the steps, then turned and yelled, "You hurt me, I'm going to call the police!"
"And tell them what?" Hare-iette yelled back, "That I bit you because you were trying to rob me?"
The two girls glared at each other for a while. Finally Hare-iette said with a little smile, "I still have money for candy. Do you want to come with me and share it?"
The girl gave Hare-iette a final dirty look, went in the house and slammed the door. Hare-iette shrugged her shoulders and went on to the library.

We had another really nice day. Again Hare-iette asked if she could walk to the library. I didn't know at the time that she had something else in mind.

Hare-iette headed straight for Second St. As she passed the house where she had met the girl, she looked down the driveway at the side porch. The same girl was sitting on the same steps as last time. She looked at Hare-iette. She didn't say anything, but she didn't throw anything either. Hare-iette didn't speak either. She walked over to the steps and sat down.
Then she said, "Hi, Girl" After a short pause, the girl replied, "My name isn't Girl, it's Carla." Hare-iette smiled a little without looking at the girl and replied, "Hi, Carla."
The two sat quietly for a while.
"How come you aren't in school?" Hare-iette asked at last.
"I don't feel like it."
"Doesn't your Mom have a fit?"
"Nope, she doesn't know."

Hare-iette figured she had made a break through and wasn't going to push it any further. After a few minutes she got up and headed for the library.
"Bye, Carla."
"Bye, Freak."
Was it Hare-iette's imagination or did she hear a little smile in Carla's voice when she said "Freak"?

Over the next two weeks, Hare-iette stopped by to see Carla whenever it was a nice day. She learned that Carla and her mother lived in the upstairs apartment. Her mother worked two jobs and was rarely at home. Carla never admitted it, but Hare-iette could tell she was lonesome. Hare-iette also learned that Carla didn't go to school because the kids made fun of her, although she never said why. As time went by, Hare-iette saw the meanness fade from Carla's face and voice. She looked pretty now. It was obvious that she looked forward to Hare-iette's visits.

The girls would sit on the steps and talk about clothes and TV shows and games and all sorts of things. Carla said she didn't read much because they couldn't afford to buy books.

Hare-iette was amazed that Carla didn't know about the library. Carla was excited to know she could go to the library and read books for free. If she had a library card she could even bring them home. Of course, she couldn't get a library card without her mother's signature. If she told her mother about the library, her mother might find out Carla wasn't going to school. Hare-iette started using her own library card to check out books for Carla to read.

One day before Thanksgiving, Hare-iette asked Carla what she was doing for Thanksgiving. Carla said her mother was taking her to work with her at the restaurant. Carla would be able to make a little money cleaning up and doing odd jobs. When her mother finished her shift, the two of them would have a nice dinner in the back room of the restaurant.
"So you don't have a Dad either." Hare-iette said.
"I do too have a Dad!!" Carla screamed as she jumped to her feet. She clenched her fists, stamped her foot. Her face got very red. Hare-iette was afraid Carla was going to punch her.

All of a sudden Carla burst into tears. After a moment Hare-iette went to her, put her hand on Carla's shoulder and whispered, "What's wrong, Carla? Please tell me."

When Carla had recovered enough to speak, she said, "Yes, I have a Dad, a great Dad. But they sent him to prison for something he didn't do". She started sobbing again.
"I miss him so much, Hare-iette".

The whole story came out now. Carla's Dad had gone into a convenience store on Christmas Eve, two years ago. Before he bought the things her Mom had asked him to pick up, he went in the men's room. When he came out, he found the young man who had been tending the cash register, on the floor, unconscious. The register was open and all the money was gone. Her father rushed to help the young man. Just then the police burst in and arrested her father. Even tho they didn't find the money on him, he did go to prison. Unfortunately, the young man who was beaten up was still in a coma and couldn't tell who had really done it.

Now, Carla's mother had to work all the time to pay the rent and buy food. Carla was alone all the time. She had always liked school, but now the other kids made fun of her and said terrible things about her father.

That weekend was hard for Hare-iette. She felt bad for her new friend but she knew that this was grown up stuff. There was nothing a little hare could do, except be a good friend.

Or was there.........? The Christmas season could start a little early this year, couldn't it?