Page 11 (1/2)

11

9:28 AM

MARKS OF MIDNIGHT

Beth was in fine for at breakfast

"Moht"

"Sleepwalking?" Mo aroundme while I was asleep"

Jessica&039;s parents looked at her, raising their eyebrows

"I was not stalking you," Jessica said She dug her fork into the huevos rancheros - cheese and eggs - that Dad had o away She should have known that Beth wouldn&039;t keep quiet about her visit last night

When Jessica looked up, everyone was still staring at her She shrugged "I couldn&039;t sleep, so I went in to see if Beth ake"

"And to give a little speech," Beth said

Jessica felt her face flush Her little sister always instinctively found the route to maximum embarrassment She wanted every uncomfortable fact out in the open Every aard moment desperately needed her commentary

"A speech?" Dad asked He sat across the table in one of his sleeping T-shirts The shirt was eo of soht colors faded His hair was scruffy, and he hadn&039;t shaved for a couple of days

Mo up, already dressed for work in a two-piece suit, the collar of her blouse blindingly white in the sunlit kitchen She&039;d never dressed up thisto impress her new bosses Mom had never worked on Saturday before, either "Why couldn&039;t you sleep?"

Jessica realized that there was no way to tell the truth on that one Before she&039;d showered this , the soles of her feet had been almost black, a lot like the feet of someone who had walked a mile on asphalt barefoot Her hands still had faint red marks on the palms, and she had a bruise on the hand the slither had bitten

Of course, there was still the barest chance that it had all been a drea She would be checking that possibility in a couple of hours

"Jessica?"

"Oh, sorry I guess I&039; these weird dreams since we moved They wake me up"

"Me too," Dad said

"Yeah, Dad," Beth said, "but you don&039;t come into my room and make little speeches"

All three of the cruelly

Normally Jessica would haveto escape embarrassment But she had already fibbed about why she couldn&039;t sleep She decided to make aht that I&039;d tell Beth," she said haltingly, "that I knew h on her And that I was here for her"

"That is so lame," Beth said "Mom, tell Jessica not to be so lahtly on the back of her head "I think that was really sweet, Jessica"

Beth h noise and fled from the kitchen with her breakfast The sound of cartoons ca room

"That was very mature of you, Jess," Dad said

"I didn&039;t do it to be mature"

"I know, Jessica," Moht now Keep trying"

Jessica shrugged, still a little eo," Moet to try out the wind tunnel this afternoon"

"Good luck, Mom"

"Bye, sweethearts"

"Bye," Jessica and her father said together The moment the front door had closed, they took their breakfasts in front of the TV Beth scooted aside on the couch for Jessica but didn&039;t say a word

At the first break between cartoons, however, Beth picked up her empty plate to take it away, hesitated, and looked down at Jessica&039;s dish

"You done?"