Read Online Enchanted Ivy by Sarah Beth Durst - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Sarah Beth Durst
Tags: United States, Fiction, General, People & Places, Action & Adventure, Family, Juvenile Fiction, Magic, Fantasy & Magic, Performing Arts, Education, Adventure and Adventurers, School & Education, Adventure stories, Multigenerational, Body; Mind & Spirit, Dance, Locks and Keys, Magick Studies, Universities and colleges, College stories, Higher, Princeton (N.J.), Princeton University
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waved at the ceiling. "What are you doing?"
"Since we're here for a few days, I thought I'd make it feel more ..." Mom trailed off, finally noticing the expression on Lily's face. "Oh. I didn't think." Mom looked down at the Sharpie in her hand. Blue and black ink covered her fingers. "I'm so sorry, Lily. I know how important this weekend is to you. I didn't mean to add to your stress."
Of course she didn't. She never meant to. Sighing, Lily looked up at the ceiling with its thousands of tiny leaves. Buds poked between the branches. She thought she saw creatures, too: squirrels and birds, tiny winged men and wide-eyed elf girls. "It's beautiful," she said.
Mom sank down on the mattress and stared up at her leaf mural. "I just had to ... you know. It wasn't ... quite ... home."
Sitting down next to her, Lily rubbed her neck, feeling at least seventy years old. "We'll buy some white paint before
72
we leave. It's fine. Really, it could be worse." At least Mom hadn't gotten herself mauled by a monkey-thing and herded by unruly bookcases. Lily was in no position to judge. "We shouldn't have left you alone here until you settled in."
Mom patted her knee. "Don't be silly. You have your test."
Lily hesitated, unsure how to tell Mom that the test was insane. She was so used to shielding Mom from bad news. Lily flopped back onto the mattress. Springs poked into her back. "Ow."
"Seriously ow," Mom said, poking at the bed. "When you come here, you can bring your futon and a lot of pillows. We can make it look more like home, once it's your own room." She waved her hand at the ceiling.
"I still don't think they let you draw on the walls."
Mom winced. "I let you down."
"It's okay. Really." Funny thing was, staring up at the ceiling of swirling leaves did make Lily feel better. She felt calmer. "It's been a strange day. After you left Vineyard Club, I met this boy with orange and black tiger-striped hair...."
"Hmm."
"Not as nice as green hair," Lily said quickly. "Don't get any ideas."
"Nothing is as nice as green hair," Mom said solemnly. She leaned back on the mattress beside Lily. Their hair overlapped. "Is he cute?"
Lily sat up. "Mom!"
Mom laughed. "You're such an easy target. How can I resist?"
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"Ha. Very funny." Lily lay back down slowly this time so that the springs didn't stab her spine again. "Yes, actually, he's very cute. He's also a liar."
"I'm intrigued. Tell me more."
Lily launched into a description of the day, but she stopped when she reached the part about finding her father's book. She rarely mentioned Dad to Mom. There was usually no need--he wasn't part of their lives, and with Mom's memory ... it was best not to mention him.
Mom touched her shoulder, near the bite marks. "Did someone hurt you in the library?" she asked gently. "You can tell me, Lily. I'm your mother. You don't need to protect me."
Yes, I do, she thought, but she didn't say it out loud. She never said anything like that out loud. "I saw a book ...," Lily began.
Mom patted her reassuringly. "And it had no pictures?" Her voice dripped with false sympathy.
Lily laughed. Mom would get along well with Tye, she thought. Sobering, she said, "It did have pictures, as a matter of fact. Of trees. And kind of magicky tree spirits."
"And puppies and rainbows?" Mom asked. "Are you certain you were in a college library?"
"Dad wrote it," Lily said quietly.
Mom fell silent.
Lily told her about all the fake dissertations. "Dad's wasn't the only one. There were dozens, maybe even hundreds. Why would anyone take the time to write a several-hundred-page
74
joke? It doesn't make any sense." She propped herself up on one elbow so she could see Mom's face. Expressionless, her mom stared at the ceiling. "Mom? What is it?"
Mom picked up a marker, crossed the room, and began to draw vines on the white plaster around the window. Uh-oh, Lily thought. Clusters of grapes and leaves blossomed over the vines. The marker tip bent as she bore down on the
"Since we're here for a few days, I thought I'd make it feel more ..." Mom trailed off, finally noticing the expression on Lily's face. "Oh. I didn't think." Mom looked down at the Sharpie in her hand. Blue and black ink covered her fingers. "I'm so sorry, Lily. I know how important this weekend is to you. I didn't mean to add to your stress."
Of course she didn't. She never meant to. Sighing, Lily looked up at the ceiling with its thousands of tiny leaves. Buds poked between the branches. She thought she saw creatures, too: squirrels and birds, tiny winged men and wide-eyed elf girls. "It's beautiful," she said.
Mom sank down on the mattress and stared up at her leaf mural. "I just had to ... you know. It wasn't ... quite ... home."
Sitting down next to her, Lily rubbed her neck, feeling at least seventy years old. "We'll buy some white paint before
72
we leave. It's fine. Really, it could be worse." At least Mom hadn't gotten herself mauled by a monkey-thing and herded by unruly bookcases. Lily was in no position to judge. "We shouldn't have left you alone here until you settled in."
Mom patted her knee. "Don't be silly. You have your test."
Lily hesitated, unsure how to tell Mom that the test was insane. She was so used to shielding Mom from bad news. Lily flopped back onto the mattress. Springs poked into her back. "Ow."
"Seriously ow," Mom said, poking at the bed. "When you come here, you can bring your futon and a lot of pillows. We can make it look more like home, once it's your own room." She waved her hand at the ceiling.
"I still don't think they let you draw on the walls."
Mom winced. "I let you down."
"It's okay. Really." Funny thing was, staring up at the ceiling of swirling leaves did make Lily feel better. She felt calmer. "It's been a strange day. After you left Vineyard Club, I met this boy with orange and black tiger-striped hair...."
"Hmm."
"Not as nice as green hair," Lily said quickly. "Don't get any ideas."
"Nothing is as nice as green hair," Mom said solemnly. She leaned back on the mattress beside Lily. Their hair overlapped. "Is he cute?"
Lily sat up. "Mom!"
Mom laughed. "You're such an easy target. How can I resist?"
73
"Ha. Very funny." Lily lay back down slowly this time so that the springs didn't stab her spine again. "Yes, actually, he's very cute. He's also a liar."
"I'm intrigued. Tell me more."
Lily launched into a description of the day, but she stopped when she reached the part about finding her father's book. She rarely mentioned Dad to Mom. There was usually no need--he wasn't part of their lives, and with Mom's memory ... it was best not to mention him.
Mom touched her shoulder, near the bite marks. "Did someone hurt you in the library?" she asked gently. "You can tell me, Lily. I'm your mother. You don't need to protect me."
Yes, I do, she thought, but she didn't say it out loud. She never said anything like that out loud. "I saw a book ...," Lily began.
Mom patted her reassuringly. "And it had no pictures?" Her voice dripped with false sympathy.
Lily laughed. Mom would get along well with Tye, she thought. Sobering, she said, "It did have pictures, as a matter of fact. Of trees. And kind of magicky tree spirits."
"And puppies and rainbows?" Mom asked. "Are you certain you were in a college library?"
"Dad wrote it," Lily said quietly.
Mom fell silent.
Lily told her about all the fake dissertations. "Dad's wasn't the only one. There were dozens, maybe even hundreds. Why would anyone take the time to write a several-hundred-page
74
joke? It doesn't make any sense." She propped herself up on one elbow so she could see Mom's face. Expressionless, her mom stared at the ceiling. "Mom? What is it?"
Mom picked up a marker, crossed the room, and began to draw vines on the white plaster around the window. Uh-oh, Lily thought. Clusters of grapes and leaves blossomed over the vines. The marker tip bent as she bore down on the
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