”He folded his arms. “Educate me.”“I win. That’s it. Either I win now or later.”“You seem very sure of yourself.” I laughed. He looked...like he considered me in the same zoological category as animals you routinely found run over on the road. “I don’t see what is funny.”I let the laughter carry into my voice. “You think this is somehow about Melissa and Lavi’s life at the school. No, no,” I waved my hands around, “this is a slander case, this is about the harm a school employee is doing to me. “Would you like to come and stay with me forawhile?” she cooed.“I didn’t have this particular pony in mind for that,”he said rather sheepishly, “but I suppose it’ll be allright.”“What’s wrong with this pony?” I asked, curious.“He’s not gelded, is what.” Seeing the confusion in ourfaces, he went on. “He’s not cut.”“Well, Mr. Cunningham,” Helen said almost withindignation in her tone,. ’ Don responded with a quick, ‘Love you, too. Bye,’ and hung up. Such calls were not really unusual and Barb had to admit that she made about as many as Don did. It just seemed that their life had become so busy that it was really hard to find time together anymore. A year ago it had been really different. Barb was twenty-two and a half while Don was seven months older. They had been going together since the fall of the previous year and living together since the last spring. Both had been. I started to pick up my equipment and heard a noise. Thinking it was Tracey come back I looked up just in time to see one of the teenage boys from earlier flick across the path in front of me, then another further up towards Tracey moving and skirting between the trees. I walked cautiously towards Tracey keeping my distance and she turned a corner to walk towards the sounds of traffic which led even deeper into the woods. The light was fading now and I caught sight of a shadow ahead of her.