The Cost

In a quiet Midwestern town, the children of the Second Reader class trade the dim basement of their school for a sun‑lit attic, their eyes ever drawn to the enigmatic estate on Jefferson Street. Behind high brick walls and fragrant gardens stands a lone apricot tree, a forbidden treasure that fuels the imagination of eight‑year‑old Pauline Gardiner. Tall, daring, and more at home in boys’ games than in girlish chatter, she navigates the world with a mischievous sparkle in her hazel eyes, daring enough to join raft races and brave the pond’s muddy depths without a whimper.

Across the playground, John Dumont reigns as the school’s rough‑shod leader, a bully whose bravado masks a restless insecurity. His attempts to dominate Pauline—tying her hair, sabotaging her play, even causing a painful injury—ignite a tense rivalry that hints at deeper, unspoken motives. As their uneasy dance unfolds, listeners are drawn into a portrait of childhood bravery, fragile alliances, and the hidden costs of confronting one’s own weaknesses.