October 19, 1987
Lulu was enjoying the cold, and quite a lot. Living in South Florida was basically living in Hell, except for the fact that Hell was probably a lot less humid. But the humidity had been sucked from the air. People were saying it might even snow ( which Lulu didn't believe, but wanted to.) Snow or not, the clean, cold air, poured down her throat when she breathed in. She let the wind whip her hair as she raised her arms above her head and let out a whoop. She was standing up through the open sunroof of her Jeep , which Lewis was driving. She could hear Rain begging him to play some Pink Floyd. All of the stars were out tonight, like people at a concert. What concert? Wouldn't Lulu like to know?
The Jeep stopped so abruptly that Lulu almost fell over. She sat down in the space she had occupied before standing up. "Lewis, why are we stopped?" She asked, kind of annoyed. He wouldn't answer, so she turned to Matthew, who was next to her. "What the hell?" She demanded. Matthew pointed out the window. There was a small figure standing in the middle of the strawberry field. "Lulu, isn't that your brother?" Matthew asked. "Let's go see," Lewis suggested. He cruised to the outermost part of the field. Lulu rolled her eyes. Her little brother had autism, so he liked to be in his room and listen to music and not go outside at night when it was 45 degrees.
But sure enough, as they got closer, Lulu recognized the boy's familiar Bugs Bunny jacket. Her stomach churned. Had somebody played a prank on him? She hated the thought of not being able to protect him from the ignorant bullies that surely walked the halls of his middle school. Lulu climbed over Matt to get out of the car, and raced into the field. "Max! What are you doing out here?" She had to push aside the stalks to get to him. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw her friends get out of the car. Rain and Matt were racing each other. Gabriel was acting like a referee.
"Max, I'm talking to you!" Lulu yelled, impatient by now. She grabbed his shoulder. He was tiny for his age, only 4'11. He finally turned around to face her. His brown eyes were like black holes in his startled face. "It came from outer space," he said. He lifted a shaky hand and pointed to the center of the field. Lulu felt her breath catch in her throat. She spun around.
They were inside of a circle, dig into the ground.
-----------------------------------------------------
November 21st, 1984
Max was on the news. Everyone at school asked Lulu if she'd seen the UFO, too. Every Newspaper in Muscogee Wharf wanted a piece of the action. Everyone but Lulu and Max's mother. "This is absolutely unacceptable," she'd said when Lulu and Max returned home that night. Max claimed that he had been teleported to the middle of the strawberry field, where he saw a giant flying saucer carve the crop circle in. He couldn't remember what he was doing prior to that. Their mom had flipped out. "It's not okay to lie like this, Maxwell," she said.
Since then, their parents were making poor Max see a physiatrist. Lulu hated that. Her little brother already felt so different. But she didn't need to worry about her mom yelling this week, because it was thanksgiving break, and her older sister was visiting. Their mom worshipped Daniella, and no wonder why- Daniella was perfect. She was gorgeous. She was funny. She dressed well. She was sweet. Lulu had never been able to measure up to her. Lulu made A/B honor roll? Daniella made A honor roll. Lulu won a medal? Daniella had won a medal, too, and had already won the medal Lulu was so proud of.
That's why Lulu was at Esmeralda Arellano's house today. Esmeralda's room wasn't painted, because she and her mom rented their small house, but it was covered in posters of The Ramones, The Sex Pistols, Blondie, The Cure, Pink Floyd, and Radiohead. Esmeralda sat cross legged on the floor. She was gorgeous- cinnamon skin, big brown eyes, silky black hair- and tall, at 5'9. Her hair was cut in a sleek but sloppy asymmetrical bob just above her shoulders, sticking out all over, like Joan Jett's. Lulu couldn't guess what Esmeralda's pants were made of ( probably leather.) She was part of the small but riotous punk rocker crowd at school. And she had the best pot in four towns.
Esmeralda sorted the Indica and Sativa into different bags. She stood up after she was done. "Here you go," she said. She held out her hand, and Lulu handed Esmeralda all her sleeping pills. Sometimes, Esmeralda would take trades rather than money. Pills made her money when she sold them anyway. "Do you know of any parties going on this weekend?" Lulu asked, as she dropped the bags of pot in her tangerine- colored tote.
"I mean, it's the weekend before thanksgiving. What are you gonna do, get wine drunk with your mom's PTA friends?" Esmeralda joked, checking on her schedule for her next "customer." Lulu had heard Lewis say that Esmeralda made as much as 1,000 dollars every weekend. Lulu could believe it. "Lance Griffith is throwing a party. His parents are gone until Tuesday. I'll be there. Everyone's going,"Esmeralda said. Lulu smiled, but she knew it looked a little sad. "Looks like I'm everyone," she said.
-------------------------------------------------------
Lulu didn't go right home after Esmeralda's house. She drove to Evy and Rain's place, which was only a street away from her house. She hadn't called her mom ahead of time to let her know, but her mom would be totally busy with Daniella, who was arriving tonight. Evy and Rain lived in a beautiful Victorian house. It was painted baby blue and gold, with a pointy roof and dollhouse- style windows. Flowery vines had wrapped its way all around the porch. Lulu loved it. She preferred the shabby- chic, bohemian vibes in Simpson Way much more than the fussy and identical perfection of her house in Oribe Court.
The front door was open. Lulu stepped inside of the house. Evy and Rain's parents were archaeologists, so the house was decorated with all kinds of unusual artifacts. Ancient tribal vases, masks, swords, suits of armor. Evy and Rain's mom had passed away four years ago in a car accident, but one look at the house and you'd forget she was gone. Lulu ran up the winding ebony staircase, into Rain's room.
Evy and Rain were eleven months apart, but Evy had a late birthday, so they were in the same year at school, even though she was almost a year older. She and Rain were so different. Evy was at cheerleading practice. Rain was here in her bedroom listening to Joni Mitchell. They were both gorgeous and funny and had so much good about them, and their father had never compared them. Sure, Summer and Autumn had arguments, but there had never been a bitter rivalry between them. They were sisters in every sense of the word- the good, not just the bad.
"What's up?" Rain asked. She drew herself up gracefully on one elbow. Her long hair looked like a wavy curtain that framed her face. "Apparently not UFO's," said Lulu. Rain lit some incense up, and the scent of roses and cedar filled her room. "So Lance Griffith is throwing a party tomorrow night," Lulu said,flopping on Rain's bed . The bed was a mattress on a huge old porch swing, so it made her bed swing back and forth. "Will your mom be cool with you going? This week is all about Daniella,"Rain said. Lulu almost laughed out loud, but she sucked the air in so Rain wouldn't think she had started to cry.
"Exactly. It's all about Daniella." Lulu felt a stab of hatred for her sister, but pushed it down. She wanted to have a good time tomorrow night, and if she thought too much about Daniella she would be too upset to have fun. "Are you gonna be okay this week?" Rain asked. She flopped on the bed next to Lulu. The late afternoon sunshine was filtering in through the stained glass windows. Rain's blue- green eyes looked like jewels for a second. "I'm gonna be fine. My mom is gonna have an aneurysm, though, from stress," Lulu said. Rain shrugged. " Que sera," she said.
-------------------------------------------------------
"Do you go to Disney World a lot, since you live in Orlando?" Max asked Daniella. Lulu glanced at her mom, expecting her to ask Daniella a question, but she was busy staring in absolute wonder. Their father was busy with his chicken. "I mean, I'm busy studying, Max," Daniella said. She looked gorgeous. Her skin was perfect. Her dark hair was full of shining volume. Her petite nose ( courtesy of their father, who was a plastic surgeon) crinkled when she laughed. Her dark eyes drank in the world. Lulu hated her.
"Is there a very big Jewish community at UCF?" asked their mother. Daniella shrugged. "Big enough. I definitely feel like I belong there." Everyone at the table smiled. Daniella leaned forward. "So, what's this about UFO's?" She asked Max. He wasn't making eye contact with her ( eye contact was something the family constantly had to encourage for him.) Lulu noticed he was tearing his napkin into little shreds, his favorite nervous habit. "Max won't be answering that question. It's not good for us to encourage him when he's acting out," said their mother. She gave Max a look of such contempt it made Lulu flinch. "Sadie, let's not argue at the table," said their father. Their mother gave him a look that said the two of them would be arguing about this later (but not at the table.)
"We're so glad to have you back, Dani. I've got a big day planned for us tomorrow," said their mom. Lulu saw her chance to get her plans for tomorrow squared away. "Since we're on break, I was wondering if I could go to Evy and Rain's house tomorrow and maybe spend the night." Daniella gave her a dirty look, though Lulu wasn't sure why. "Sure. That way Dani and I get to spend some time together," said their mother. That was just what Lulu expected.
-----------------------------------------------------
"Has anyone seen my lace wrap?" Rain called from the bathroom, where she was straightening her wavy dark auburn hair. She was playing Fleetwood Mac on the tape deck, and their song "Monday Morning," floated through the room. Lulu loved Fleetwood Mac, but never said so because it didn't fit her very well. "Your lace wrap is in the study," said Effie, who was laying down on Rain's bed, poring over a textbook. Every time she flipped a page, it made the bed swing a little.
" I'll get it on the way out, then," Rain said. She clipped the last orange juice can in ( she never used hot rollers because they were bad for the environment.) Lulu looked up from where she was doing her eyeshadow. Rain looked gorgeous. She had a figure that Lulu envied- sizable bust and round backside, but she was petite and slight shouldered. The crushed velvet, silver- blue romper she was wearing brought out all of the colors in her eyes, and made her creamy skin look glowy.
"Maybe wear your romper without the wrap," suggested Evy . "You're right. My fringe vest would go way better with it," said Rain, and she hurried over to her closet. "I mean don't wear anything over it. You look gorgeous already," Evy said. "I'll freeze to death," Rain said, picking out a black denim jacket that she'd embroidered with patches of planets.
"How's Daniella doing?" asked Evy.She and Rain both had a way of knowing when somebody was hurting and knowing when and where to help them talk about it. It was one of Lulu's favorite things about both of them. "She and my mom are going shopping tomorrow. She has a new boyfriend named Royce. She's in the top 30 of her class. She's on the Dean's list. She's got an internship in the mayors office," said Lulu thickly as she swiped on some eyeliner. "She's just able to do everything, you know? She graduated with a 4.0 and she was in seven clubs and here I am with a 3.2 in average classes," said Lulu. She felt like her voice was bitter. She didn't care.
"There's nothing wrong with you, Lu. Somebody else's success is not your failure," said Rain.Then why do I feel so ashamed? Lulu thought but didn't say. "I know how annoying it is right now, but in a few days Daniella will be back at college and you can go on living your life without being compared to somebody else in everything you do," said Evy. She tied her hair up into a topknot and wrote something down. Lulu pitied her-Evy was in AP calculus.
"You're right," said Lulu, although she didn't really believe it herself. "Evy, are you sure you don't want to come to Lance's party?" Rain asked. She unclipped her hair from the rollers, and let each newly straightened piece fall down. "I'm failing my calculus class. I have to study," said Evy. "An eighty three isn't failing," said Lulu. "It's not a ninety five or higher, so it's failing," said Evy, which made Rain laugh.
-----------------------------------------------------
Rain was usually a designated driver at these kinds of parties. She took a sip of punch and hoped it wasn't spiked. She couldn't find Lulu (Lulu had disappeared when some boys brought slushees and put some fruity vodka in with the slushies.) Rain wasn't having the best time. She usually only came to parties to meet new people, but Esmeralda had set up shop, so not many people were talking. The dry, almost sweet smell of smoke made Rain feel dizzy. She opened the screen doors and stepped outside. She was surprised to find that nobody else was out here.
Lance had a huge pool. Since it was so cold this winter, nobody had used it in a while, but the lights were on. The backyard was bathed in neon purple from the pool lights. "Hey," said somebody behind her. Rain turned around. It was Lance. His hair was messed up, like someone had been running their hand through it- and someone probably had, because he'd been making out with his girlfriend of the week, Priscilla , just a few minutes earlier. "Oh. Hi," said Rain shyly. Lance had left the door open, and Rain could hear the music from the house:
When I'm with you, baby, I go out of my head
And I just can't get enough
And I just can't get enough...
"Why are you here if you're not gonna do some kind of illegal substance?" Lance teased. He looked like a movie star- like a more tanned version of James Dean (Lance was Italian and had olive skin, liquid brown eyes, and black hair.) Like a rebel without a cause. "Do I look like a stoner?" Rain asked jokingly. Lance took a glance at her silver velvet romper, her embroidered jacket, her knee high, black suede boots, and her artsy earrings. "Kind of," he said.
"You're gonna freeze to death out here. It's twenty eight degrees,"he informed her. "Any chance to die is an opportunity I'm not about to pass up," Rain joked. Lance draped his jacket around her anyway.Rain noticed that it smelled like his cologne- like sandalwood and amber. "Come back to the party. It just doesn't seem like you're having fun to me," said Lance.Rain remembered Evy's advice. Stupid girls are always trying to be some asshole's arm candy. You're not a stupid girl. "I'm just here to drive Lulu home when she gets too drunk to do it herself," Rain admitted.
"Well, Lulu's upstairs with Jonathan. I think you've got some time to wait," said Lance.Rain sighed. The last time Lulu had gone into a bedroom with Jonathan, she'd emerged with feathers from the pillow in her hair. She wanted to have a good time... and if that meant getting so wasted she couldn't remember her own name , she'd do it. Rain loved Lulu, but sometimes Lulu was so self- absorbed it made her want to scream.
"Let's go back inside,"Rain suggested.
Lance held the door open for her, like a proper gentleman.
We slip and slide as we fall in love, and I just can't seem to get enough...
Ten minutes later, Rain had finished making out with Esmeralda Arellano ( on a dare, of course.) They were in the broom closet. "Is my lipstick messed up?" Esmeralda asked. Rain took a good look. "It's all off," she said, because it was. Esmeralda shrugged. "It looks better on you, anyway," she said, and pulled her closer again.
-------------------------------------------------------
It was one in the morning when Lulu stumbled home. She had been planning to go home with Rain , but Rain wasn't going home in time. Lulu waved at the nice boy who had dropped her off. His name was Dan. Or Dave? She couldn't remember, but he was very gentlemanly. He'd even given her some ginger ale to help her sober up! It hadnt helped, but the thought was nice.
Lulu snuck through the bathroom window.She wasn't too worried about her parents waking up. Her mom and dad both wore soundproof headphones to sleep. Max wouldn't care. She had to worry about Daniella snitching, though, because their bedrooms were next to each other.
Lulu tiptoed toward her bedroom, as quietly as she could. She had to pass Daniella's to get there, though. She heard what sounded like a muffled scream. Curious, she opened the door.
There were little grey men, about three feet tall, and they were carrying Daniella, who was unconscious. They weren't even touching her, though. She was floating. Lulu shook her head. She pinched herself. This had to be a dream. This had to be a nightmare, because this just couldn't be real. One of the Grey men saw Lulu. He had huge, black, slanted eyes. They didn't have any whites. They were like a wasp's eyes.
He pointed at her and the other Grey men looked up. And Lulu couldn't move. It felt like she was stapled to the floor. She tried screaming, but her mouth wouldn't open. Her heart thundered. This couldn't be real. This couldn't be real. The men tipped Lulu over. One of them touched her forehead, and then she was unconscious.
Lulu woke up strapped to a hospital cot. She tried to move, to scream, to do anything. But she couldn't. The Grey men had done something to her body. She was able to move her eyes, though. Daniella was nowhere in sight. Lulu knew she was in danger, but she wasn't panicky. It felt like she couldn't panic. She remembered getting her tonsils taken out when she was ten- the numbness of anesthesia. This felt the same way.
The room was stark and bare. The walls were white, and so was the floor. Two of the Grey men were working busily at a stretcher nearby. For a horrible moment, Lulu thought they were doing something to Daniella, but then she saw that the cart had medical supplies, not a person.
And then Lulu realized the medical supplies were for her. She tried to scream but she couldn't even open her mouth. This couldn't be real, it couldn't be, it couldn't be. This had to be a terrible dream. Wake up wake up wake up wake up.
The Grey men began to walk toward her. One of them had a device that looked like a probe in his hand. When he touched her, she fought the fatigue, but she eventually gave in to darkness. She could see what they were doing, but not feel any pain. He took a needle and injected it into her forehead. It didn't hurt. It felt kind of like having her ears pierced- a brief, painless pinch.
She heard something like a click as the needle was retracted. The grey men put it away and wiped the needle clean. "Goodbye, Talulah Morganstein," said the one wearing a surgical mask. And Lulu tried to fight the darkness, but it was oppressive. Eventually it knocked her out.
------------------------------------------------------
Lulu woke up in Rain's bedroom, with Rain sleeping next to her. She sat up immediately, which made the bed swing, and Rain turned drowsily. "Stop that," she slurred sleepily. The sunlight was pouring into the room, so it had to be morning. Lulu threw the blankets off of her, and ran to the clock, remembering that it had been one in the morning last night when she and Daniella were taken.
It was six fifteen in the morning.
"Lulu, what are you doing?" Rain asked. She sat up. Lulu had a horrible feeling in the pit of her stomach. She couldn't shake it. It felt like knowing something bad was happening but not being able to do anything about it. Had last night been real? What had happened? What was going to happen now? "How did I get here last night?" Lulu asked breathlessly. She felt like she was going to throw up.
"You were asleep in my bed when I got home. I just assumed Dave drove you here. Why?"Rain asked.
There was a knock on the door downstairs. "I'll get it!" shouted Lambert from downstairs. Lulu could smell pancakes cooking. He was probably making breakfast. A terrible thought seized her, and she sprinted down the stairs. She wouldn't let them take Lambert or Evy or Rain. She wouldn't let anything bad happen to them.
She slammed into Lambert's back, because he was standing in front of the stairs. He turned around. He looked scared and sorry and very perplexed. Behind him were two men in police uniforms. One of the officers had his hat in his hands. Lambert looked into Lulu's eyes. "These men need to talk to you, lovebug," he said in a serious voice she'd never heard him use before. "What's going on?" Lulu asked, but in some way she already knew. "Your sister is missing," said the officer.
-------------------------------------------------------
Lulu had barely had time to wash her face and brush her teeth before she left the Coville's house. Her hair was up in a messy bun and she was wearing one of Lambert's huge old college T-shirts as a dress. Without makeup, she felt naked, but at least if she cried she didn't have to worry about getting mascara on her cheeks.
The police were questioning Lulu's parents. It was just her and Max in the waiting room. He was busy with his Rubik's cube, so his silence gave Lulu what she needed to think about what she was going to tell the police. She couldn't just say she'd witnessed an alien abduction- last night was a terrible nightmare with a tragic coincidence. How else would she have woken up in rain's bed? And not remembering being driven home did make sense. She'd been very drunk. She would simply tell the police what she knew- which was nothing- and let them handle the case. This was Muscogee Wharf, for god's sake. Daniella couldn't have gone far.
The doors to the office opened. Her parents stepped out. Lulu had never seen her mother cry before, but right now her mom was crying like her heart was broken. She sobbed and Lulu's father swept her into a hug. He looked at Lulu and Max. "Go now," he said. Lulu took Max's hand and led him into the office.
There were two chairs. Lulu and Max each sat in one. Sheriff Carmichael was sitting very rigidly in his own chair. He looked at each of the children. Max was frantically working with his Rubik's Cube. Lulu snatched it out of his hand and put it beneath her chair. The officers wouldn't have any patience with Max, and she didn't want him to feel like he was being made fun of.
"Where were you two last night?" Asked the Sheriff. Lulu spoke first. "I was at Lance Borecca's party. I stayed there until about 12:30, and then I got somebody to drive me to my friend Rain Coville's house. I arrived there at 1:00. I fell asleep," Lulu said. Max stared at Lulu. His eyes were huge, and she could tell he was eager to say something but hadn't wanted to interrupt. The sheriff turned to Max. "Lulu went home last night! I saw! And she walked in and Dani was floating and the grey men were making her float! They saw Lulu and they took her into the white saucer with Dani but they dropped Lulu off at Rain's house after they were done implanting her. They took Dani for something else. I don't know what," said Max. Lulu sat back, shocked. She hadn't told Max about her dream.
A chill went up her spine as she realized last night's events were real. She was going to throw up or pass out or both. "What is he talking about?" asked the sheriff. "He makes up events in his head to explain real events sometimes," said Lulu, echoing the words of Max's physiatrist. Max stamped his foot. "I'm not making this up! Lulu is lying because she's scared! The grey men took Daniella!" He screamed. Lulu sensed one of his vicious tantrums coming on. "Is he having some kind of autistic episode?" the Sheriff asked Lulu. "Tell him the truth! It's the only way they can help us!" Max shrieked.
Their father opened the door and scooped Max up from his chair. "We can handle him," he told the sheriff. Lulu and the Sheriff watched silently as her father took Max, kicking and screaming, outside. "Do you want to ask me anything else?" Lulu asked the Sheriff. "No. that's all I needed to hear," he said.
-------------------------------------------------------
Rain and Evy sat on Evy's bed. Lewis, Matt, and Gabe all sat on the floor. "What can we do for her?" Gabe asked. Matt watched Evy bite her lip, nervously. She and Rain the same red hair (although Evy was strawberry blonde and Rain's was such a dark auburn it could be considered brown ) , but that was where the similarities ended. Evy was petite, but not curvy. She had a deep tan from cheering in the sun. Her eyes were dark brown. They had the same nervous habits, though. It was funny to Matt because little things always made a family similar.
"Let's ask her first," Lewis suggested. "How long will Lulu be staying with you?" Matt asked curiously. The Coville's house was three bedrooms. That was enough for Lambert, Evy, and Rain.There was a fourth bedroom, but it was used as Lambert's study for all of his archaeological stuff. Lambert had already set up an air mattress in the study for Lulu to have her own room. "Lulu will be staying here until her house isn't a crime scene anymore. She's supposed to be staying here for the week, but her mom is going crazy, so it could be longer," Rain explained. "What about Max?" Matt asked.
"He's staying with her parents. He's been having a tantrum all day. He's talking about aliens," said Rain quietly. Matt felt his heart twitch. Lulu had lost her sister, but she had also lost her little brother in a way. She must have been so lonely and scared. There was the sound of a car door closing in the driveway. "She's here," said Gabe, who was closest to the window and could see.
Lambert opened the door and talked with the police officer who had dropped Lulu off. Matt heard Lulu run up the stairs and when she opened the door he tried not to gasp. She looked so different. She wasn't wearing a shred of makeup. It wasn't that she wasn't pretty without makeup. But it would be like if Rain started being negative, or Evy got a C on a test, or Lewis lost a playoff, or Gabe cared about what others thought. Lulu took a lot of pride in her appearance and style. For her not to wear any makeup meant she didn't care anymore.
"Hey, Lu," said Evy gently. "Hey," said Lulu softly. She dropped her bags on the floor. When she turned around, Matt knew it was because she was crying and didn't want them to see. "How have you been holding up?" Lewis asked. When Lulu turned around, she had her hands over her mouth and tears in her eyes, like she didn't want anybody to hear, like she was ashamed of her emotion. She sat on the bed in between Evy and Rain. The boys all sat up as well, surrounding her. When Rain aopened her arms, Lulu collapsed in them and this time, she cried out loud.
-----------------------------------------------------
Esmeralda was worried that the police would question everyone at the party and that someone would snitch.It happened to another dealer last year. The cops would have no understanding with a Cuban girl peddling drugs. And if Esmeralda was taken away, what would happen to her mom, Zoe? Her mom didn't know about any of this. Her mom needed Esmeralda as much as Esmeralda needed her mom. Zoe had Esmeralda when she was only sixteen and had crossed the sea without papers to escape Cuba. Zoe didn't know it, but Esmeralda had made about nine thousand dollars. She was planning on buying her mom a gorgeous mansion, somewhere where the rich kids lived- a house in Lance Borecca's neighborhood. It would have a pool with a cabana and a wet bar. It would have a wine cellar. It would have five bedrooms for when Zoe had family stay over. It would have a gorgeous kitchen. It would be what her mother deserved.
This morning, Esmeralda was so anxious that she couldn't even eat breakfast. Zoe had the news on and was watching intently. Most of the town had the day off today. "Did you see Lulu at the party?" Zoe asked. She was constantly terrified of girls disappearing the way they had in Cuba. She made Esmeralda carry pepper spray or a blade everywhere except for school. For Zoe, this was probably a nightmare come true.
"She was there, but I didn't get to talk to her," said Esmeralda, which wasn't a lie. "I heard she's staying at the Coville's house," said Zoe absently, twirling her ponytail around.
Thinking of the Coville family made Esmeralda think of Rain. After they made out, They had stayed in the closet and found an old box of cards to play Apples to Apples. They stayed for at least two hours, just talking and laughing. Who knew anybody related to Evy Coville could be so laid back? Anyway, Rain was gorgeous, and funny, and original, and sweet. Esmeralda hoped she wouldn't be ashamed of herself. Esmeralda hoped they could get together again, on a dare or otherwise.
"Mama, I left some of my books at school. I'm gonna need to go and get them or my homework won't get done," Esmeralda said. Zoe purses her lips but didn't say no. "Bring your mace," she said. But Esmeralda had already packed it.
----------------------------------------------------
After Lulu had taken a long, hot shower and brushed her teeth, she could think with a little more clarity. Evy and Rain were downstairs helping Lambert make dinner. Lulu suspected that Lambert was giving them a lecture on how to help a grieving friend. She didn't really care. She was just grateful for the time spent alone.
She'd been so convinced that everything last night had been a dream. But Max knew everything. Every last detail. And there was no way he could have known those things. Could crazy people share delusions? If they could be paranoid about the same things, could they dream up the same scenarios? Lulu had to believe that she was crazy. She had to. Because if she wasn't crazy, then that meant that Daniella had been abducted my aliens, and that last night's events were real. It would mean that there was no saving her sister.
She took a deep breath and told herself everything would be ok. But staring out the window of Evy's bedroom- the bedroom of someone she'd known since kindergarten- in the town she'd lived in her whole life- she no longer knew if she would.