I saw Dorothy fall in the pig pen, so I went over and helped her out. "Thanks," she said. "Do you want to help me with the pigs?" She caught my less-than-enthusiastic look. After all, I lived on a farm too, so it wouldn't exactly be an "exciting new experience".

"I'll help you with your math after," she offered. Darn. She knew my weaknesses far too well. Being best friends from birth, or at least ever since she moved here five years ago, has that kind of effect.

"Deal."

After we finished feeding and hosing down the swine, we went over to my house. I got out some vegan cookies and soymilk. I was vegan, you see. Not an easy thing to be right next to the best pig farm in the state. Not to mention living on the second. I then reluctantly drew the torture sentence of a work sheet from my purple backpack. Dorothy looked it over for a moment, sizing up the challenge. She was the math wiz at school, from sixth grade right on through twelfth.

"Okay, if you were running from sixty-four flying monkeys and sixty-four angry, revenging witches chasing you in two perfect squares, how many rows of eight would there be?" she asked.

"Flying monkeys? Where do you get these crazy ideas?" I said.

"Let's just say it has something to do with these shoes."

I looked down. Her shoes were the coolest ruby red slippers. I was in the middle of asking her where she got them when Toto, her dog, ran up and jumped on her. He began the serious business of fulfilling his daily quota of doggie kisses. Over the noise I could hear her saying she wouldn't tell. But I really wanted a pair of those shoes. She had such bigger feet we couldn't even share. So I offered her a bargain.

"If I guess, will you tell me I'm right?" I said hopefully.

"Sure," she agreed.

"Nordstrom?" I guessed.

"Way off," she answered.

"Saks Fifth Avenue?"

"They didn't cost nearly that much," she said, with a mischievous lilt in her voice.

"Ah hah! A thrift store?" I was certain this time. What kind of store would sell shoes that flashy?

"Not even close."

I never did guess right. Oh well.