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Authors: Robin Stevenson
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then.”
I nodded. “That makes sense.” I could hear Violet’s voice in my ear saying, Just tell her . “Um, I know I’m keeping an eye on the twins and that we’re handing out flyers and stuff…”
“That’s the plan,” Mom said.
“Yeah. I just wondered…maybe I could do that without wearing a costume.” I couldn’t look at her as I said it.
“Oh, Wolf…” She sounded disappointed.
“I just feel kind of funny about it.”
“You’ll be fine once we get started.”
“Yeah, I guess, maybe. But—”
“Look, just try it, okay? For today’s show.” Mom tilted her head to one side, her fingers touching the silver tree that hung around her neck. “You’ll look adorable, and the three of you will really help draw a crowd.”
The twins would look adorable, I thought. I would look ridiculous.
“Be brave,” Mom said. “We have to be warriors, Wolf. Imagine you are a warrior going into battle—”
“In a bee costume?”
“—and you have to face down your own fears. You have to be strong. You’re fighting for a cause, Wolf. You’re fighting for the future.”
I swallowed. “Okay.”
She hugged me and ruffled my hair. “That’s my boy.”
I was almost as tall as her now. Over her shoulder, I could see Violet looking at me. She shook her head but didn’t say a word. She didn’t have to: I could tell she thought I was pathetic.
Violet would make a good warrior, I thought. So would Saffron.
Whisper and me though? I didn’t think we were cut out to be warriors.
Nine
I STOOD IN front of the bathroom mirror, studying my reflection. Black leggings, way too tight. They looked like something Violet would wear. A short-sleeved black- and-yellow-striped top, which was supposed to be loose but which was, in fact, also too tight. I turned sideways, sucking my stomach in. Ugh. I had wire-and-mesh wings jutting from my shoulder blades. The costume looked stupid. No— I looked stupid. Bumblebee meets giant marshmallow.
I picked up the antennae headband from the counter. Mom had said she would put the antennae on a hood, instead of a headband like the twins had, but I guessed she’d forgotten. I held it in my hand. A black velvet-covered plastic headband. A girl’s headband. With antennae.
I couldn’t do it.
My heart was racing, and I felt like I might lose it or explode or something. Without letting myself think about what I was doing, I opened the cupboard under the sink and shoved the headband behind the extra shampoo bottles and toilet-paper rolls.
I never wanted to see it again.
In the living room, the twins were posing while Eva snapped pictures. “You guys look adorable,” she told them. Their costumes were basically the same as mine, except that they had gauzy yellow tutus flaring out from their skinny hips.
I cleared my throat. “Um, I’m ready to go.”
Eva turned to look at me. “Wolf! Um, did you want to…” She gestured at the twins, standing side by side with their arms in the air like they were flying. “Shall I take one of all three of you?”
“No, that’s okay,” I said, at exactly the same time as my mother said, “Yes, Eva, take one of them all for the website!”
Eva lifted her camera, but I held up a hand in front of my face. “I don’t really want to be on the website.”
“Oh come on,” Mom said.
“No. Not in this…” I gestured down at myself. “Not in this costume.”
“Why not?”
“I look stupid,” I said. I was glad Tess and Hazel were at school.
“You look fine,” Mom said. “Just get one shot of the three of them, Eva.”
“Jade…” Eva put the camera down on the coffee table.
“Or no, wait. I’ll put my costume on and we’ll do one of the four of us.” She headed for the back door. “It’s in the van. I’ll be right back.”
“What about Curtis?” Eva asked. “No costume for him?”
Mom paused in the doorway, looked back over her shoulder and made a face. “He’s more of a behind-the-scenes kind of
I nodded. “That makes sense.” I could hear Violet’s voice in my ear saying, Just tell her . “Um, I know I’m keeping an eye on the twins and that we’re handing out flyers and stuff…”
“That’s the plan,” Mom said.
“Yeah. I just wondered…maybe I could do that without wearing a costume.” I couldn’t look at her as I said it.
“Oh, Wolf…” She sounded disappointed.
“I just feel kind of funny about it.”
“You’ll be fine once we get started.”
“Yeah, I guess, maybe. But—”
“Look, just try it, okay? For today’s show.” Mom tilted her head to one side, her fingers touching the silver tree that hung around her neck. “You’ll look adorable, and the three of you will really help draw a crowd.”
The twins would look adorable, I thought. I would look ridiculous.
“Be brave,” Mom said. “We have to be warriors, Wolf. Imagine you are a warrior going into battle—”
“In a bee costume?”
“—and you have to face down your own fears. You have to be strong. You’re fighting for a cause, Wolf. You’re fighting for the future.”
I swallowed. “Okay.”
She hugged me and ruffled my hair. “That’s my boy.”
I was almost as tall as her now. Over her shoulder, I could see Violet looking at me. She shook her head but didn’t say a word. She didn’t have to: I could tell she thought I was pathetic.
Violet would make a good warrior, I thought. So would Saffron.
Whisper and me though? I didn’t think we were cut out to be warriors.
Nine
I STOOD IN front of the bathroom mirror, studying my reflection. Black leggings, way too tight. They looked like something Violet would wear. A short-sleeved black- and-yellow-striped top, which was supposed to be loose but which was, in fact, also too tight. I turned sideways, sucking my stomach in. Ugh. I had wire-and-mesh wings jutting from my shoulder blades. The costume looked stupid. No— I looked stupid. Bumblebee meets giant marshmallow.
I picked up the antennae headband from the counter. Mom had said she would put the antennae on a hood, instead of a headband like the twins had, but I guessed she’d forgotten. I held it in my hand. A black velvet-covered plastic headband. A girl’s headband. With antennae.
I couldn’t do it.
My heart was racing, and I felt like I might lose it or explode or something. Without letting myself think about what I was doing, I opened the cupboard under the sink and shoved the headband behind the extra shampoo bottles and toilet-paper rolls.
I never wanted to see it again.
In the living room, the twins were posing while Eva snapped pictures. “You guys look adorable,” she told them. Their costumes were basically the same as mine, except that they had gauzy yellow tutus flaring out from their skinny hips.
I cleared my throat. “Um, I’m ready to go.”
Eva turned to look at me. “Wolf! Um, did you want to…” She gestured at the twins, standing side by side with their arms in the air like they were flying. “Shall I take one of all three of you?”
“No, that’s okay,” I said, at exactly the same time as my mother said, “Yes, Eva, take one of them all for the website!”
Eva lifted her camera, but I held up a hand in front of my face. “I don’t really want to be on the website.”
“Oh come on,” Mom said.
“No. Not in this…” I gestured down at myself. “Not in this costume.”
“Why not?”
“I look stupid,” I said. I was glad Tess and Hazel were at school.
“You look fine,” Mom said. “Just get one shot of the three of them, Eva.”
“Jade…” Eva put the camera down on the coffee table.
“Or no, wait. I’ll put my costume on and we’ll do one of the four of us.” She headed for the back door. “It’s in the van. I’ll be right back.”
“What about Curtis?” Eva asked. “No costume for him?”
Mom paused in the doorway, looked back over her shoulder and made a face. “He’s more of a behind-the-scenes kind of
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