so frightened and…” My voice trailed off. I suddenly remembered what happened to me after Sophie called. The whole world fading away … becoming a blur … and the overwhelming animal urge to howl.
Sophie’s blue eyes locked on mine. “So I spoiled your night?”
“No. No way,” I said. “It wasn’t a good plan. The others weren’t in the mood and … and I came home. We all went home.” I stood up. I started to pace back and forth between our two beds. “So you’ll keep my secret?”
“Of course,” she said.
“Change of subject,” I said. I had to ask her. I had to learn more. I couldn’t stop thinking about my strange wolf dreams … the weird feelings I kept having. I wondered if Sophie could help me.
She straightened her legs over the bed, stuck out her arms, and leaning forward, stretched her hands over her bare feet. Sophie runs track, and she’s also on the tennis team. She’s an athlete. Something I’m not. And she’s always stretching. Keeping loose. Testing her body.
I stopped pacing and stood over her. “Sophie, do you remember anything at all about when we flew to Prague when we were little and visited Great Aunt Marta?”
She stopped stretching. She narrowed her eyes at me. “That again?”
I nodded. “Yes. I know you told Mom you couldn’t remember anything. But—”
“Hmmmmmm.” Sophie scrunched her face up and shut her eyes. She does that when she’s thinking hard about something. “Well…” She opened her eyes. “All I remember is that Aunt Marta was nearly blind, and she liked you better than me—even though she had trouble telling us apart.”
Sophie smiled. “And I remember those weird little pies she made that tasted like sour meat and were totally gross.”
I crossed my arms in front of me. “So you do remember a little bit.”
“Well…”
“Do you remember anything about me being bitten by an animal? A dog or something that jumped out of the woods and attacked me?”
Sophie scrunched up her face again. “No. Not really. I don’t remember that. Was I there when it happened?”
“I don’t know,” I said. “I can’t remember it, either. But mom swears it happened.”
“Was Mom there?” Sophie asked.
“No. Aunt Marta told her about it. Mom was visiting someone in the next town when it happened. But wouldn’t I remember something as frightening as that?”
Sophie shrugged. “Emmy, are you coming to watch my track meet Monday after school? Mom and Dad can’t make it.”
“I’m really sorry. I can’t either,” I told her. “I have to pick up Eddie after his job. And then I’m having dinner at his house.”
“But you promised .” Sophie’s voice became shrill. She pounded the bedspread with both fists. “You promised you’d come, Emmy.”
“I wish I could,” I said. “Really. I—”
“How come I always come last?” Sophie demanded.
“Hey, I thought we had a truce,” I said. “I’m sorry. I really am.”
Sure, I felt guilty. I had promised to come. Sophie’s track meets were very important to her. It was the only thing she was into, except for hanging out at the library and reading and studying all the time.
But then Eddie needed me to pick him up. And invited me to dinner.
I knew I should support Sophie more. But what could I do? I had a busy life. I had a boyfriend. I mean, I had friends to see and my own stuff to do after school. And frankly, track meets are way boring. Waiting two hours to watch your sister run in a thirty-second race? Yawn.
So, I apologized to Sophie a dozen more times. But she wouldn’t remove her pouty face. She turned to the wall and pulled the covers up over her head.
I got undressed quickly, pulled on a wrinkled-up pair of pajamas I’d stuffed in a dresser drawer, turned off the light, and climbed into my bed across the room.
It took a while to get to sleep. I kept running the scenes of the evening over and over in my head, like one of those six-second Vines that just won’t
Sophie’s blue eyes locked on mine. “So I spoiled your night?”
“No. No way,” I said. “It wasn’t a good plan. The others weren’t in the mood and … and I came home. We all went home.” I stood up. I started to pace back and forth between our two beds. “So you’ll keep my secret?”
“Of course,” she said.
“Change of subject,” I said. I had to ask her. I had to learn more. I couldn’t stop thinking about my strange wolf dreams … the weird feelings I kept having. I wondered if Sophie could help me.
She straightened her legs over the bed, stuck out her arms, and leaning forward, stretched her hands over her bare feet. Sophie runs track, and she’s also on the tennis team. She’s an athlete. Something I’m not. And she’s always stretching. Keeping loose. Testing her body.
I stopped pacing and stood over her. “Sophie, do you remember anything at all about when we flew to Prague when we were little and visited Great Aunt Marta?”
She stopped stretching. She narrowed her eyes at me. “That again?”
I nodded. “Yes. I know you told Mom you couldn’t remember anything. But—”
“Hmmmmmm.” Sophie scrunched her face up and shut her eyes. She does that when she’s thinking hard about something. “Well…” She opened her eyes. “All I remember is that Aunt Marta was nearly blind, and she liked you better than me—even though she had trouble telling us apart.”
Sophie smiled. “And I remember those weird little pies she made that tasted like sour meat and were totally gross.”
I crossed my arms in front of me. “So you do remember a little bit.”
“Well…”
“Do you remember anything about me being bitten by an animal? A dog or something that jumped out of the woods and attacked me?”
Sophie scrunched up her face again. “No. Not really. I don’t remember that. Was I there when it happened?”
“I don’t know,” I said. “I can’t remember it, either. But mom swears it happened.”
“Was Mom there?” Sophie asked.
“No. Aunt Marta told her about it. Mom was visiting someone in the next town when it happened. But wouldn’t I remember something as frightening as that?”
Sophie shrugged. “Emmy, are you coming to watch my track meet Monday after school? Mom and Dad can’t make it.”
“I’m really sorry. I can’t either,” I told her. “I have to pick up Eddie after his job. And then I’m having dinner at his house.”
“But you promised .” Sophie’s voice became shrill. She pounded the bedspread with both fists. “You promised you’d come, Emmy.”
“I wish I could,” I said. “Really. I—”
“How come I always come last?” Sophie demanded.
“Hey, I thought we had a truce,” I said. “I’m sorry. I really am.”
Sure, I felt guilty. I had promised to come. Sophie’s track meets were very important to her. It was the only thing she was into, except for hanging out at the library and reading and studying all the time.
But then Eddie needed me to pick him up. And invited me to dinner.
I knew I should support Sophie more. But what could I do? I had a busy life. I had a boyfriend. I mean, I had friends to see and my own stuff to do after school. And frankly, track meets are way boring. Waiting two hours to watch your sister run in a thirty-second race? Yawn.
So, I apologized to Sophie a dozen more times. But she wouldn’t remove her pouty face. She turned to the wall and pulled the covers up over her head.
I got undressed quickly, pulled on a wrinkled-up pair of pajamas I’d stuffed in a dresser drawer, turned off the light, and climbed into my bed across the room.
It took a while to get to sleep. I kept running the scenes of the evening over and over in my head, like one of those six-second Vines that just won’t
Similar Books
