Chances and Changes: My Journey with Molly

Linda ignores us at Morning Swim, too, and at lunch she twists herself into a pretzel so she doesn’t have to face us. After lunch is archery, and Linda doesn’t even clap when Molly hits a bullseye.

Later in our tent, we change our clothes for the evening inspection. I’ve just slipped my pin in my pocket when Molly mutters to herself, “Where is it?” I asked what she’s looking for, and Molly says it’s her gold pin. She says it’s from her Aunt Eleanor, and it means a lot to her. She knows she packed it in the box with the stationary, but now she can’t find it. I want to help her look, so I kneel beside her on the floor and look under the bed.

Molly looks up and asks Linda if she’s seen it. Linda thinks and then speaks slowly. She says she hasn’t seen it in a while. Then she turns to look hard at me with a challenging frown. She asks if I’ve seen it. I say that I haven’t. I’ve never even seen Molly’s pin. Linda questions my statement.

Suddenly, I understand. Linda saw me put my pin under the pillow yesterday. She must think my pin is Molly’s pin! I wish I could tell the truth. But I don’t want to show either Molly or Linda my pin, because if they touch it and rub it by mistake, I don’t know what would happen. Molly says she had her pin in her pocket last night. Maybe it fell out of her shorts at dinner. She says she’ll go look in the Dining Hall.

Molly leaves and Linda puts her hands on her hips. She says that she didn’t say anything to Molly because she’s giving me a chance to come clean. She knows that I have Molly’s pin. She asks me to hand it over.

I desperately say she doesn’t understand. Linda says she understands all right. She doesn’t trust me, and she isn’t surprised that I’m a thief. I stole her best friend away from her, and now I’ve stolen her pin, too.

I tell her that the pin that she saw is my pin. I found it in the woods a few days ago. But my explanation sounds lame, even to me.

Linda says that she knows what Molly’s pin looks like. If the pin that I put under my pillow isn’t Molly’s, then she will apologize. But if it is Molly’s, then I should give it back. She says that Molly and her are mad at each other right now, but they’ve been best friends for a long time, so Linda won’t let her get hurt. So she asks for me to show her the pin.

Oh no! I can’t let Linda even see the pin. She’ll want to hold it and inspect it closely to make sure it’s not Molly’s. If she rubs it, I don’t know what will happen. My pin could send Linda anywhere in space or time, or may even send her back to my home. I can’t take the risk. Suddenly, I long to go back home. No one there thinks I’m a liar or a thief. I slip my hand into my pocket and touch the pin. It’s a danger to Linda, but it could be my salvation. Should I go home now? Or should I stay and try to explain?