with what I typed. She used to be over at my house a lot, but now there was always an excuse and I gave up asking her. I wondered how much longer this intenseness with Nico would go on, because, frankly, I was over it.
On the upside, Nico and Finn were best friends, which took me into the one degree of separation territory. Whenever Poppy invited me out, Nico was usually around, which meant that Finn was sometimes there as well. Poppy promised she hadn’t told Nico about my crush on Finn and I made her promise that she never would.
Sometimes, when the four of us were together, the girl from The Woods would pop into my head, but mostly I didn’t think about her. I know that might sound selfish or harsh, but there was so much going on and I had other things to think about. And those rare times that I did think about her I felt guilty that my life was going on while hers had ended. No one likes to feel guilty.
Meanwhile, Poppy’s mum was kept busy on the case, though she never told Poppy what was going on. Poppy tried talking to me about the girl a couple of times, but I shut her down. I guess that was her way of processing things, going over every little detail, but it made me uncomfortable and it usually involved talk of her Power, which just annoyed me.
So there we were, waiting for the boys to meet us at the cinema, when Poppy started up her ramble about that day in The Woods and how obviously her Power had been tuned into the situation, when I snapped.
‘We’re not in Year 7 any more, Poppy. I mean, if your Power can’t actually help anyone, like that girl, then what’s the point?’
I felt bad as soon as the words left my mouth. Fighting with Poppy was like fighting a fluffy kitten, all soft and playful and vulnerable. And even while I was thinking that, I couldn’t stop the words from pouring out of my mouth.
‘Poppy, it was fun when we were younger, but enough now,’ I said. ‘The tooth fairy isn’t real. Nursery rhymes are for babies. Spookiness and ghosts are for little kids.’
Poppy peered into my face as if searching for something then she slowly shook her head.
‘What happened to you, Sarah?’ said Poppy. ‘Are you breaking our promise? Are you turning into just another boring adult?’
Then the boys arrived and she clung to Nico and gave him an extra-long kiss, which left me feeling awkward and excluded. The excitement about sitting next to Finn in the darkness of the cinema was stamped out. I just wanted to go home.
OF COURSE I apologised. Afterwards. But I meant what I said, we both knew that, so the distance between Poppy and me remained.
And I didn’t know how to cross it.
10
POPPY
She went to the baker
to buy him some bread
but when she came back
the poor dog was dead
LAST NIGHT I got up to let Hootie in. Hootie’s my dog. He scratches on the side door most nights and most nights I ignore him for a while. But in the end he wins and I have to open the door even though I know he’s not there. How could he be? Hootie died last September. It wasn’t anything radical, just old age. He’d been around ever since I could remember. He was supposed to be Mum’s dog, but Hootie always followed me around like my guardian angel. If he’d been allowed to come to school with me he would have.
Hootie used to sleep under my bed, even though it was strictly forbidden. Rules of the house. Carl’s rules. So every night Mum would put Hootie out and every night Hootie would scratch at the side door and I’d let him in. Some nights I wouldn’t even remember doing it.
I haven’t told anyone at school about the door scratching. About the whines and snuffling under my bed late at night. Sometimes, if it’s not too late, I go online and check who’s still awake. Sarah’s not usually powered up, unless she’s cramming for a test. My boyfriend, Nico, is always online which makes me doubt that he ever sleeps, but I don’t tell him about Hootie because I know what he’d do. Send me an
On the upside, Nico and Finn were best friends, which took me into the one degree of separation territory. Whenever Poppy invited me out, Nico was usually around, which meant that Finn was sometimes there as well. Poppy promised she hadn’t told Nico about my crush on Finn and I made her promise that she never would.
Sometimes, when the four of us were together, the girl from The Woods would pop into my head, but mostly I didn’t think about her. I know that might sound selfish or harsh, but there was so much going on and I had other things to think about. And those rare times that I did think about her I felt guilty that my life was going on while hers had ended. No one likes to feel guilty.
Meanwhile, Poppy’s mum was kept busy on the case, though she never told Poppy what was going on. Poppy tried talking to me about the girl a couple of times, but I shut her down. I guess that was her way of processing things, going over every little detail, but it made me uncomfortable and it usually involved talk of her Power, which just annoyed me.
So there we were, waiting for the boys to meet us at the cinema, when Poppy started up her ramble about that day in The Woods and how obviously her Power had been tuned into the situation, when I snapped.
‘We’re not in Year 7 any more, Poppy. I mean, if your Power can’t actually help anyone, like that girl, then what’s the point?’
I felt bad as soon as the words left my mouth. Fighting with Poppy was like fighting a fluffy kitten, all soft and playful and vulnerable. And even while I was thinking that, I couldn’t stop the words from pouring out of my mouth.
‘Poppy, it was fun when we were younger, but enough now,’ I said. ‘The tooth fairy isn’t real. Nursery rhymes are for babies. Spookiness and ghosts are for little kids.’
Poppy peered into my face as if searching for something then she slowly shook her head.
‘What happened to you, Sarah?’ said Poppy. ‘Are you breaking our promise? Are you turning into just another boring adult?’
Then the boys arrived and she clung to Nico and gave him an extra-long kiss, which left me feeling awkward and excluded. The excitement about sitting next to Finn in the darkness of the cinema was stamped out. I just wanted to go home.
OF COURSE I apologised. Afterwards. But I meant what I said, we both knew that, so the distance between Poppy and me remained.
And I didn’t know how to cross it.
10
POPPY
She went to the baker
to buy him some bread
but when she came back
the poor dog was dead
LAST NIGHT I got up to let Hootie in. Hootie’s my dog. He scratches on the side door most nights and most nights I ignore him for a while. But in the end he wins and I have to open the door even though I know he’s not there. How could he be? Hootie died last September. It wasn’t anything radical, just old age. He’d been around ever since I could remember. He was supposed to be Mum’s dog, but Hootie always followed me around like my guardian angel. If he’d been allowed to come to school with me he would have.
Hootie used to sleep under my bed, even though it was strictly forbidden. Rules of the house. Carl’s rules. So every night Mum would put Hootie out and every night Hootie would scratch at the side door and I’d let him in. Some nights I wouldn’t even remember doing it.
I haven’t told anyone at school about the door scratching. About the whines and snuffling under my bed late at night. Sometimes, if it’s not too late, I go online and check who’s still awake. Sarah’s not usually powered up, unless she’s cramming for a test. My boyfriend, Nico, is always online which makes me doubt that he ever sleeps, but I don’t tell him about Hootie because I know what he’d do. Send me an
Similar Books
