by Tia Mowry
Cassie and I were both in bed. I was reading a book, and she was lying on her side fiddling with the necklace from the package.
“Typical,” she muttered. “Ever since yesterday, it’s like Mom can’t get away from us fast enough.”
“Yeah.” I sighed. “It’s pretty obvious she doesn’t want to talk about what happened.”
“Understatement of the century,” Cassie said with a snort. “But she can’t avoid us forever.” She sat up, staring at me in the dim light seeping through the window from the streetlamps. “But listen—I’ve been meaning to tell you. I saw Gabe Campbell today after we were talking. You know, before lunch?”
“Yeah? So?” I was only half listening, distracted by thoughts of Mom. Why had she taken our letter and that dusty old book? And why did she shut us down every time we tried to ask about it? I kept telling myself she had to have a reason. The trouble was, I couldn’t for the life of me figure out what that reason might be.
“He was standing right outside the room,” Cassie went on. “And he gave me a super-intense look when I passed him.”
That got my attention. “I saw Gabe in the caf right after that, and he called me a superfreak.” I gulped, as a reason for that particular name occurred to me. “What if he heard us?”
“I don’t know. But it gives us even more reason to figure things out fast.” Cassie sounded grim. “And now that we know there’s someone out there who can help us, there’s no reason to bumble along like idiots.”
“You mean our grandmother?”
“Duh, of course.” She was playing with the necklace again. “We have to get that letter back. No matter what.”
“Okay.” I felt a little uneasy. It was too dark to see Cassie’s expression clearly, but she sounded pretty determined. “Maybe we should just try talking to Mom again. We could tell her about the visions and ask her to help.”
“What’s the point? She has to know we’re having visions. Otherwise, why did she freak out when she saw that letter?”
I sat up. “Wait. Maybe it’s not about the Sight at all, though. Maybe she just doesn’t want us to find out anything about our dad.”
“But why? It has to be connected.” She tapped the pendant against her chin. “She’s kept the truth about Dad’s family from us all these years. We need to find out why.”
I didn’t say anything. Lying back down, I couldn’t help wondering if my sister was right. It stressed me out to think that Mom would keep such an important secret from us. I was trying to assume she had a good reason, but . . .
“Anyway, we can’t talk to her tomorrow,” Cassie broke into my thoughts. “She’s working all day, remember?”
“Right.” Mom hadn’t talked much at dinner this evening, but she’d told us that much. “Remind me to check with her in the morning—I forgot to tell her I invited Liam and Bianca over to help with our party plans.”
“You did?” Cassie said. “Because I invited Megan and Lav. They’re coming right after lunch. Megan even managed to get out of helping her mom with some dumb dinner to come. I’m sure they’ll have lots of good ideas, so maybe you should call your friends and cancel.”
“Why?” I felt a flash of annoyance. “Your friends aren’t the only ones who can come up with something fun.”
“I beg to differ.” She let out a snort. “When I need to plan a nerd convention, I’ll totally call Liam. For a cool birthday party? Not so much.”
I frowned. “Whatever, Cassie,” I said with a flash of irritation. Every time I thought maybe Cass and I were connecting for a change, she had to go and say something obnoxious. Something that reminded me just how different we’d become. “They’re coming, okay? You and your cool friends will just have to deal.”
“Whatever yourself,” she retorted. Flopping back onto her bed, she pulled the sheet up to her chin. “Now be quiet so I can go to sleep.”
6
CASSIE
“GEEZ, I THOUGHT she’d never leave,” I muttered, flipping back the curtain in the front window.
I watched as Mom’s car backed out of the driveway and tooled off down the road. Then I let the curtain fall.
Caitlyn was observing me from the sofa, where she’d spent the last few minutes flicking idly through the TV channels. “What are you going to do?” she asked, switching off the TV.
I glanced at her. We hadn’t talked much that morning. Caitlyn seemed a little cranky. Was she seriously holding a grudge because I’d pointed out that her friends were nerds? I was just being honest.
But I couldn’t focus on that. I had more important things to worry about, so I was doing my best to ignore her attitude.
“I’ll tell you what I’m going to do.” Striding across the room, I yanked open the drawer in Mom’s desk, which was tucked into a corner of the living room. “I’m going to find that letter.”
“What?” Cait sat up straighter, looking alarmed. “Hold on. We’re not supposed to go in Mom’s desk.”
“Well, people aren’t supposed to steal other people’s mail either.” I shoved aside some pens and a pair of scissors, digging into the back of the drawer. “Isn’t that a federal offense or something? Mom could totally arrest herself for that.”
Caitlyn jumped to her feet and came a few steps forward. “So talk to her about it,” she said. “You can’t just rip the house apart looking for that letter!”
“Can’t I? Watch me.” There was no sign of our stuff in the desk, so I headed for the hall. “It’s got to be somewhere, right?”
“Cassie, stop.” Cait followed as I headed toward Mom’s bedroom. “Seriously. If Mom catches you, we’re both dead!”
“She had no right.” The more I thought about what Mom had done, the angrier I got. “That package was addressed to us. She shouldn’t have taken it away. Especially with no explanation.”
I shoved open the door. Mom’s bedroom was as neat as a pin. Twenty years in the army and lots of moves had taught her to travel light. The only pieces of furniture in there other than the bed were a small table with a single drawer and a bureau with a mirror.
Stepping over to the bedside table, I yanked open the drawer. Caitlyn grabbed my arm.
“Cassie, stop!” she pleaded, on the verge of tears. “This isn’t right. Mom’s going to notice everything’s messed up, and then she’ll never trust us again.”
That stopped me. Whirling around, I glared at my sister. “That’s fine,” I spat out. “Because I’ll never trust her again either!”
Cait’s eyes widened with horror. “Don’t say that.”
“Why not?” Hands on hips, I glared at her. Even a Goody-Two-shoes like Cait had to see what was going on by now. “Think about it, Cait. She knew what was happening to us all along and didn’t say a word.”
“We don’t know that for sure,” she said.
“Sure we do.” I returned my attention to the drawer. “It’s the only explanation for how she knew to grab that letter when she saw it.”
My sister was silent for a second, watching as I slammed the drawer shut and turned my attention to the bureau. “Maybe,” she said at last. “I mean, I’ve been trying to think of another reason, but I haven’t come up with one yet.”
“That’s because there isn’t one.” I opened the bottom bureau drawer and shoved aside a pile of shirts.
“Okay. But even if Mom knew about the Sight, she had no way of knowing we were actually having visions. Maybe she was waiting for us to say something. Maybe she assumed we’d tell her about something like that.”
“Are you serious?” I couldn’t believe she could be so dense. “Yeah, okay, maybe she didn’t know right away. But what about what happened at the football game last week? If she didn’t know before, she had to know then.”
“Oh. I forgot about that.” Caitlyn bit her lip. “Still . . .”
I didn’t bother to respond as I dug through more of Mom’s clothes. No matter how sunny-side up she could be, Caitlyn had to realize I was right. We’d both seen visio
ns involving Gabe’s uncle breaking into the police station to frame Mom, and because of them, we got to him before he did any serious damage. Oh, we hadn’t come right out and told her what we’d seen. But I’d never forget that long, searching look she’d given us when we’d urged her to go check on things at the precinct just in case.
“I still don’t think you should be doing this,” Caitlyn said after a moment. “Two wrongs don’t make a right.”
I rolled my eyes, not bothering to respond. “Where’d she put that stupid thing, anyway?” I muttered, slamming the top drawer shut.
I headed for the closet. It was just as tidy as the rest of the room. There were only a few places to search—a couple of shoe boxes and garment bags.
As I slid a hand into the pockets of Mom’s winter coat, I heard a noise and glanced back. Caitlyn was easing open the top drawer of the bureau.
“I already looked in there, genius,” I told her.
“Duh,” she said. “I was here. I watched you. I’m trying to neaten it up so Mom doesn’t figure out what you did.”
Despite my mood, I almost laughed. “You? Clean? Don’t worry, I’m not planning to leave any evidence. I’ll fix everything after I find the stuff.”
But I didn’t find it. There was no sign of the package, the letter, or the dusty old book. Not in Mom’s closet; not anywhere in her bedroom. It wasn’t in any of the other closets in the house either. I even checked the cabinets in the bathroom.
Finally I stomped into the living room, glancing around for more hiding places. “Where could it be?” I exclaimed.
Caitlyn was still following me around. “Think about it, Cassie,” she said with a hint of sarcasm. “Mom took everything with her when she left for work the other day. Which means it’s probably at the police station. Are you planning to rip that apart next?”
I stared at her, my heart sinking. “You’re right,” I said. “It probably is at work. Or maybe in her car—I can try to check there later.”
She frowned. “Are you going to chill out now? Because my friends will be here soon, and I’d rather not have them see you acting like a maniac.”
Once again, she was right. Checking my watch, I realized that Megan and Lavender would be arriving in a few minutes. “I’m done,” I said. “At least for now. But that doesn’t mean I’m giving up.”
Cait didn’t respond. I shrugged, then headed back into Mom’s room to straighten up her drawers.
By the time I emerged, Liam and Bianca were there, lounging on the sofa, and Caitlyn was puttering around in the kitchen.
“Hi, Cassie,” Liam said. “Happy almost birthday.”
“Thanks,” I muttered, heading to the kitchen to grab a glass of water. Playing detective was thirsty work, especially during a heat wave in a house with inadequate AC.
“Want some lemonade?” Caitlyn asked. “I made it earlier.”
“No thanks.” I gulped down half my water. “So where are you and your friends planning to hang out? Because the girls will be here any second.”
“What do you mean? We’re planning to stay right where we are.” She glanced out through the archway into the living room.
“Then where are my friends and I supposed to go?” I demanded.
Before she could say anything, there was a knock on the door. I hurried over to answer.
“Hey, Cassie,” Megan said with a smile as she and Lavender stepped inside. “Cute house.”
“Thanks.” Megan seemed sincere, but I couldn’t miss the look of disdain on Lav’s face as she glanced around the small living room. I couldn’t help seeing it through her eyes. The dingy way-off-white carpet. The cloudy glass in the windows. The missing trim around one of the doorways. I’d already known the place was a dump. Somehow, though, all the work Mom made us do when we first moved in had disguised that a little. But only a little.
Finally Lavender’s gaze settled on Liam and Bianca. “What are they doing here?” she said.
“Sorry,” I murmured. “My sister invited them.”
“Does that mean they’ll be at your party?” Lavender sounded surprised.
“Sssh,” Megan hushed her. “It’s no big deal. The more the merrier.” She waved and smiled brightly at the pair. “Hi, guys! What’s up?”
Bianca just blinked, surprised that Megan was talking to her. No wonder. It was probably the first time ever.
“Come on over here,” I told my friends, leading the way toward the dining table. “Want some snacks or something?”
“No thanks.” Lavender settled herself in Mom’s chair. “We stopped at the store on the way over to drop off Amigo with my cousin.”
“Amigo?” Liam echoed curiously.
“My dog,” Lavender said, actually flashing him a brief smile. “He hates staying home alone, and he loves greeting all the customers. Everyone loves him, too—I swear the store sells, like, ten times as much stuff when he’s there.” She giggled, then glanced at me. “Anyway, while we were there we had some ice cream.”
Thanks for bringing some for me, I thought.
Lavender’s family had been in Aura almost as long as Megan’s. They owned the town’s general store and often gave free snacks to Lav and her friends when they stopped in.
A second later Caitlyn came in and passed out lemonade and cookies to Liam and Bianca. “Okay,” she said, sitting down cross-legged on the carpet in front of the sofa. “Let’s talk about this party.”
“Sure!” Liam replied eagerly. “I have lots of ideas. My favorite is a monster-movie theme. We’d dress up as our favorite monsters, and . . .”
“Monsters?” Lavender let out a loud snort. “Absolutely not.”
“Oh.” Liam looked momentarily deflated. Then he brightened. “Okay, then how about an outer space theme? I did that for my ninth birthday, and it was really fun.”
Megan looked dismayed. “Um . . . ,” she began.
“No way,” Lavender said bluntly. “Look, Cassie. You need to have a real party—no stupid themes, no monsters or space aliens.” She glared at Liam, then glanced around the room. “But now that I’m here, this place is definitely way too small. Have you checked into the hotel option?”
“Hotel option?” Caitlyn echoed. “What are you talking about?”
“There’s a really nice hotel in Six Oaks,” Megan explained. “Lots of people throw parties in their ballroom.”
“Sounds nice,” Cait said. “But also expensive.”
“I’m sure it’s not that bad.” Lav shrugged. “Anyway, you only turn twelve once, right?”
“Didn’t you hear her?” Bianca spoke up. “She said it’s too expensive. And it’s their party, not yours.”
Lavender’s head whipped around to stare. That was probably the most I’d ever heard from Bianca.
“Excuse me?” Lavender exclaimed. “You don’t have to be rude!”
“Apparently I do,” Bianca shot back. “Because you’re not listening to anything anyone says.”
“Guys, guys,” Caitlyn said soothingly. “Let’s not fight, okay?”
Easy for her to say—her friend had started it! But going off on my sister wouldn’t help. Instead I touched the key necklace, which for some reason I found oddly comforting.
“Caitlyn’s right,” Megan spoke up. “Let’s just talk about the party, okay?”
“That’s what I was trying to do.” Lavender glared at Bianca. “Until she got all in my face.”
Liam blinked. “No, she didn’t,” he said. “She just said—”
“I heard what she said,” Lavender cut him off. “Unfortunately.”
Bianca didn’t respond. She wasn’t really looking at anyone.
“Sorry, Cait,” she said softly, standing up. “Could I use your bathroom?”
“Sure,” Cait said. “Down the hall, first door on the right.”
Bianca nodded and headed that way. As she passed me, her arm brushed mine.
I gasped as a vision hit me hard and fast. It was Bianca, of course. Her face was
so clear that it was impossible to miss how upset she looked as she rushed past a sign that read SIX OAKS HOSPITAL: ENTRANCE.
7
CAITLYN
I WATCHED BIANCA disappear down the hall, a little worried. What had that outburst been about? It seemed out of character for her to fight with anyone—even Lavender Adams at her most annoying.
Then again, I hadn’t known Bianca very long. I glanced at Liam. He didn’t look particularly worried, which made me relax a little.
I tensed up again as Cassie rushed over to me. “I need to talk to you in private,” she hissed. “Now.”
“Huh?” I blurted out.
She dragged me toward the back hallway. “We’ll be right back,” she called to the others.
“Yeah,” I added. “Right back.” I could only hope Lavender and Megan wouldn’t team up and kick Liam out of the house before I returned.
Cassie pulled me past our bedroom and out the door leading onto the tiny back deck. The sun was glaring down without a cloud to be seen, and I felt myself start to sweat instantly.
“What is it?” I demanded. “It’s boiling out here.”
She finally let go of my arm and turned to face me. “I just had a vision,” she said. “About Bianca.”
“What? When?”
“Just now, when she bumped into me on her way past.” She told me what she’d seen.
“The hospital?” I exclaimed. “Did it look like she was hurt?”
“No, just really freaked out.” Cassie shrugged. “Maybe like someone else was hurt. Or . . .” She gulped. “Maybe even worse. I mean, she looked really upset.”
“Wow.” I thought about that for a second. “Do you think we should—”
At that moment Lavender burst out onto the deck. “Would you two get back in here?” she complained. “Because Liam seems to actually think you’d consider having all your guests come dressed as cavemen.”
“We’ll deal with it,” Cassie told her.
Lavender nodded. Her hazel eyes swept the tiny backyard. So far Mom had focused most of her attention on the front of the house. All she’d done back here was mow the patchy grass and trim the overgrown hedges that divided it from the neighbors on either side. I’m sure Lavender thought it looked kind of shabby. Not that I cared what she thought.
