Cartomancy by Kristin Cook Page A

coffin for really real.” Astrid
slipped on her flip-flops. “ In this town? Hardly. Get your shoes
and come on.” She said halfway out her door. In the hallway Waverly
grabbed her by the arm and whispered with conviction. “What are you
doing? We can’t go outside!” Astrid continued down the stairs.
“We’ll just go look out the kitchen window and see who it is first,
I’m not going outside without knowing who it is.” The girls looked
out of the kitchen window, but couldn’t see anyone. Suddenly, one
of the motion sensor lights came on, and a person walked out of the
shadows.” Astrid and Waverly looked at each other and for the first
time ever, said nothing.
     

Chapter 20
     
    Asia Fisher was a girl that they both had
seen at school. They didn’t know much about her other than she used
to have a totally different name: Delilah Johnson. No one knew why,
but in the middle of the sixth grade her name suddenly changed. She
only went to school with them for half a day and she didn’t have to
get dressed for gym. Waverly had always been a little jealous of
that. “Umm..hey?” was all Astrid could say. The girl came a few
steps closer to them and held out her hand to shake. Waverly looked
at Astrid and shrugged her shoulders, but took the girls hand.
“Nice to finally meet you.” She said trying to sound reassuring.
“My name is Waverly, and this is Astrid.” She took a step back to
stand next to her friend, her feet wet from the night time grass.
“I know who you guys are; I came here because I have to tell you
something.” She handed Astrid a pamphlet with a cross on the front
that read “The Wages of Sin are death.” Both girls just stared at
the pamphlet. “I mean, thanks? I guess? Are you trying to save our
souls or something?” Astrid said just as short and direct as Asia
had been. “No, that isn’t my purpose on this Earth. I came here to
tell you that my mom’s church is going to start picketing your
house. She thinks that what you are doing is the work of the devil
himself. I just came to tell you that she’s making me picket too. I
don’t want to. You have always been real nice to me at school. But,
I can’t go against my mom and I don’t want you to be mad at me.” It
took Astrid a second to process all of this new information. “Well,
can’t you tell her that the devil isn’t in any way involved in what
we’re doing?” Astrid asked. Waverly put a palm to her forehead.
“Astrid, look at the pamphlet. They pretty much think everything is
the work of the devil. It’s unfair of us to ask her to go against
her own mom.” Astrid apologized, she knew Waverly was right.
“Listen Asia, thanks for coming here to warn us or whatever. We
really do appreciate it. We won’t be mad at you. Do you want us to
walk you home?” The girl shuffled back and forth and shook her head
no. “It’s no problem; we can just go grab our bikes real…” The
screen door opened and Astrid’s dad said “Time to come inside
girls, it’s getting pretty late.” Asia quickly took Astrid’s hand
in hers. “You guys will still be my friends, right?” Waverly looked
at Astrid and nodded her head yes. “Of course we will. It’s all
good. No worries.” And with that Asia turned and ran back into the
darkness. “Since when are we her friends? When were we nice to her
at school?” Waverly asked. “I’ve never even talked to her at
school. Have you?” Astrid couldn’t remember ever saying anything to
her. “I think I said “cute skirt” to her once, but that’s it. How
sad is it that she thinks we’re her friends?” Waverly crossed her
arms over her chest. “Well, aren’t we?” Astrid threw her hands in
the air. “Let me rephrase that. I’m just saying that it’s sad that
we’ve never even talked to her, and she thinks that we’ve been
nice.” I mean, how mean is everyone else? Astrid yawned. “Hop on
sleepyhead.” Waverly turned around and gave Astrid a piggyback ride
across the