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The ift I knoill turn hellish the second the sun breaks the horizon The only noise at this hour (other than a distant neighbor’s yapping dog) is the soft crunch of grass beneath my feet I trip on the first step of the back porch, nearly eating wood as I catch lass door into the dark house, the panting of a dog heats leefully “There, there, shh, you poor neglected thing,” I le light is on

I stop at the sight ofof coffee in one hand, a paperback curled in the other She reads with needle-eyed focus, her pencil-thin eyebrows pulled together pensively between a curtain of long, beautiful, flowing blonde hair I most definitely did not inherit Her oversized white sleep t-shirt hangs off a shoulder and co on underneath I guess there’s a reason or two she’s constantly mistaken for my older sister

I thought I’d get through ht you kicked the habit”

My words cause her to jump and drop her book “Goodness, Toby! Make a sound, will you?” she hisses, clutching at her chest

I wince apologetically “It was the hair, huh?” I ask lightly, as if to blaht “I haven’t fixed it yet”

Her shock collapses into choked laughter “I swear You’re as quiet as—Hey, hey, that’s not yours” She recollects her book froets ahold of it My mom abandons whatever it was she was about to coe “There’s a little milk left in the carton if you want to pour yourself some cereal, sweetie”

“I just ht” I coood it’s got you up this early?”

“Oh, the butt crack of dawn is the only ti you’d have the least bit of interest in,” le dragon or sielding princess”

I sainst the counter “Well,villains lately”

“With sexy eyes and a dark, brooding demeanor? Yes, I know you so well,” she teases Then she frowns suddenly “Why do you look so nervous? Are there auditions after school today? You have that look in your eye, like you’re expecting certain doom”

That ht be a perfectly accurate depiction of how I suspect ht be like “No Auditions are Friday And I’ my brow

“Toby …”