broken wrist on an oversize velvet pillow.
“Melissa,” Spencer said, breathing hard. “I think there’s someone outside.”
Her sister turned around, her face pinched. “Huh?”
Tap…tap…tap…
“Listen!” Spencer pointed to the door. “Don’t you hear that?”
Melissa stood up, frowning. “I hear something .” She looked at Spencer worriedly. “Let’s go to the playroom. There’s a good view all around the house from there.”
The sisters checked and double-checked the locks before bolting up the stairs to the second-floor playroom. The room smelled closed-up and dusty, and looked as if a much-younger Melissa and Spencer had just run out for dinner and would be back at any second to resume playing. There was the Lego village that had taken them three weeks to complete. There was the make-your-own-jewelry kit, the beads and clasps still strewn all over the table. The indoor mini golf holes were still set up around the room, and the enormous chest of dolls was still open.
Melissa reached the window first. She pushed back the sailboat-printed curtain and peered into the front yard, which was landscaped with sea glass pebbles and tropical flowers. Her pink cast made a hollow sound as it tapped against the windowpane. “I don’t see anyone.”
“I already looked out front. Maybe they’re around the side.”
Suddenly, they heard it again. Tap…tap. It was growing louder. Spencer grabbed Melissa’s arm. They both peered out the window again.
Then a drainpipe at the bottom of the house rattled a bit, and finally something scuttled out. It was a seagull. The thing had somehow gotten stuck in the pipe; the tapping sounds had probably been caused by its wings and beak as it struggled to break free. The bird waddled away, shaking its feathers.
Spencer sank down on the antique FAO Schwarz rocking horse. At first, Melissa looked angry, but then the corners of her mouth wobbled. She snorted with laughter.
Spencer laughed as well. “Stupid bird.”
“Yeah.” Melissa let out a huge sigh. She looked around the room, first at the Legos and then at the six oversize My Little Pony mannequin heads set up on the far table. She pointed at them. “Remember how we used to do the ponies’ makeup?”
“Sure.” Mrs. Hastings would give them all of last season’s Chanel eye shadows and lipsticks, and they’d spend hours giving the ponies smoky eyes and plumped-up lips.
“You used to put eye shadow on their nostrils,” Melissa teased.
Spencer giggled, petting the blue-and-purple mane of a pink pony. “I wanted their noses to be as pretty as the rest of their faces.”
“And remember these?” Melissa walked to the oversize chest and peered inside. “I can’t believe we had so many dolls.”
Not only were there more than a hundred dolls, ranging from Barbies to German antiques that probably shouldn’t have been carelessly tossed into a toy chest, but also tons of coordinating outfits, shoes, purses, cars, horses, and lapdogs. Spencer pulled out a Barbie in a serious-looking blue blazer and pencil skirt. “Remember how we used to make them be CEOs? Mine was the CEO of a cotton-candy factory, and yours was the CEO of a makeup company.”
“We made this one president.” Melissa pulled out a doll whose dirty blond hair was cut bluntly to her chin, just like her own.
“And this one had lots of boyfriends.” Spencer held up a pretty doll with long, blond hair and a heart-shaped face.
The sisters sighed. Spencer felt a lump in her throat. Back in the day, they used to play for hours. Half the time they didn’t even want to go down to the beach, and when it was time for bed, Spencer always sobbed and begged her parents to let her sleep in Melissa’s bedroom. “I’m sorry about the Golden Orchid thing,” Spencer blurted out. “I wish it had never happened.”
Melissa picked up the pretty doll Spencer had been holding—the one with lots of boyfriends. “They’re going to want you to go to New
“Melissa,” Spencer said, breathing hard. “I think there’s someone outside.”
Her sister turned around, her face pinched. “Huh?”
Tap…tap…tap…
“Listen!” Spencer pointed to the door. “Don’t you hear that?”
Melissa stood up, frowning. “I hear something .” She looked at Spencer worriedly. “Let’s go to the playroom. There’s a good view all around the house from there.”
The sisters checked and double-checked the locks before bolting up the stairs to the second-floor playroom. The room smelled closed-up and dusty, and looked as if a much-younger Melissa and Spencer had just run out for dinner and would be back at any second to resume playing. There was the Lego village that had taken them three weeks to complete. There was the make-your-own-jewelry kit, the beads and clasps still strewn all over the table. The indoor mini golf holes were still set up around the room, and the enormous chest of dolls was still open.
Melissa reached the window first. She pushed back the sailboat-printed curtain and peered into the front yard, which was landscaped with sea glass pebbles and tropical flowers. Her pink cast made a hollow sound as it tapped against the windowpane. “I don’t see anyone.”
“I already looked out front. Maybe they’re around the side.”
Suddenly, they heard it again. Tap…tap. It was growing louder. Spencer grabbed Melissa’s arm. They both peered out the window again.
Then a drainpipe at the bottom of the house rattled a bit, and finally something scuttled out. It was a seagull. The thing had somehow gotten stuck in the pipe; the tapping sounds had probably been caused by its wings and beak as it struggled to break free. The bird waddled away, shaking its feathers.
Spencer sank down on the antique FAO Schwarz rocking horse. At first, Melissa looked angry, but then the corners of her mouth wobbled. She snorted with laughter.
Spencer laughed as well. “Stupid bird.”
“Yeah.” Melissa let out a huge sigh. She looked around the room, first at the Legos and then at the six oversize My Little Pony mannequin heads set up on the far table. She pointed at them. “Remember how we used to do the ponies’ makeup?”
“Sure.” Mrs. Hastings would give them all of last season’s Chanel eye shadows and lipsticks, and they’d spend hours giving the ponies smoky eyes and plumped-up lips.
“You used to put eye shadow on their nostrils,” Melissa teased.
Spencer giggled, petting the blue-and-purple mane of a pink pony. “I wanted their noses to be as pretty as the rest of their faces.”
“And remember these?” Melissa walked to the oversize chest and peered inside. “I can’t believe we had so many dolls.”
Not only were there more than a hundred dolls, ranging from Barbies to German antiques that probably shouldn’t have been carelessly tossed into a toy chest, but also tons of coordinating outfits, shoes, purses, cars, horses, and lapdogs. Spencer pulled out a Barbie in a serious-looking blue blazer and pencil skirt. “Remember how we used to make them be CEOs? Mine was the CEO of a cotton-candy factory, and yours was the CEO of a makeup company.”
“We made this one president.” Melissa pulled out a doll whose dirty blond hair was cut bluntly to her chin, just like her own.
“And this one had lots of boyfriends.” Spencer held up a pretty doll with long, blond hair and a heart-shaped face.
The sisters sighed. Spencer felt a lump in her throat. Back in the day, they used to play for hours. Half the time they didn’t even want to go down to the beach, and when it was time for bed, Spencer always sobbed and begged her parents to let her sleep in Melissa’s bedroom. “I’m sorry about the Golden Orchid thing,” Spencer blurted out. “I wish it had never happened.”
Melissa picked up the pretty doll Spencer had been holding—the one with lots of boyfriends. “They’re going to want you to go to New
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