Chapter Nine
When the phone rang, Richie hurried to grab it. He prayed it was Allen. Maybe they could get a few words in before his mother picked up the phone. Except for school, which wasn’t the same as sleepovers, he hadn’t seen Allen since the New Year’s Eve party and now the trees were beginning to bud. Their mothers had decided it was best to keep them apart. When he heard the voice, his heart sank. Holding his hand over the mouthpiece, he called downstairs. “Mother, it’s Mrs. Smythe.” He waited for her to pick up then, listened from the top of the stairs.
“Hi, Dahlia…Yes, I know about the Circle meeting. Betsy and I have invited Sisters Bonita and Felice. It’s been over six months, and they’d like to see how Richie and Allen are doing. They are also curious about Circle. Therefore,
