Head Spinners by Thalia Kalkipsakis Page B

window.
    At the door I squashed an ear to the crack, trying to hear what was going on. I couldn’t hear a thing.
    â€˜Now?’ I asked Jack. When he nodded, I pushed the door open.
    Walking through the entrance to the foyer was Erin. Her wings were folded shut. Behind her trailed a bunch of reporters, camera lenses pointed at her.
    It was almost eerie. They were all quiet . . . stunned by what they had seen, I guess. It was as if they were too shocked even to mob her. They just followed to see what she would do next.
    Together we ran for Erin. I picked her up in a hug. ‘Erin? Are you okay?’
    She smiled. ‘Those guards were about to catch me but I didn’t let them. I ran out onto the balcony and I did it, Brooke. I flew!’
    I couldn’t help laughing. I’d been worried about keeping her safe, and she was braver than I had been. ‘Yes, Erin,’ I smiled. ‘You did it.’
    Jack was beaming when I looked his way. ‘Come on, you two.’
    Together we turned to face the reporters. To one side I could see Dr Drew walking towards us with a phone to his ear.
    I looked at Jack.
    He nodded at me and winked, so I clenched my fists – all three of them – and raised my right arms in the air. Look at this.
    For a moment, the room stayed quiet. A camera flashed. Then another. And another. Suddenly, all was movement around us. Two reporters pushed closer. More seemed to come from nowhere.
    â€˜What’s your name?’
    â€˜Did you send the email?’
    Microphones and other gadgets were shoved in our faces. Jack crouched, said something to Erin, then lifted her onto his shoulders. I was glad she wasn’t being smothered. A woman in a white coat asked the reporters to stand back before saying something to Jack. I didn’t hear what she said but then Jack nodded and pointed to the back of his head. The woman rubbed her chin, nodding. I wanted to ask who she was – some kind of scientist maybe – but a familiar voice to one side made me turn.
    â€˜Brooke!’ Mum stood between two reporters,her mouth open and her forehead crinkled in confusion. She rushed forward as if ready to spring into action, to hide me away. As she came close, though, she must have realised that she couldn’t hide me now. She stopped and shook her head helplessly.
    â€˜Mum . . .’ I stepped towards her, holding my arms out, palms up. For a moment, I wasn’t sure what to say. ‘I’m sorry . . . I don’t—’ I shook my head. ‘It . . . it’s my arm.’ Flashes were still going off around us, but I barely noticed. All that mattered was Mum.
    For a while she stared at me. Her eyes slid down to my new arm. They lingered as if looking at it for the first time. Then she stepped closer and took my new hand in hers, cupping it gently and stroking my small wrist with the backs of her fingers.
    The feel of her touch ran up my arm and into my chest. It made me breathe in, tears in my eyes. This was the first time anyone had touched my arm like that.
    Like she was touching me.
    After a while Mum looked up and smiled, tears in her eyes too. ‘It reminds me of when you were a baby,’ she whispered.
    I threw my arms around her and squeezed. More flashes went off.
    When I pulled back to glance over at the others, Jack was still talking to the woman in the white coat. Erin grinned and waved at me from his shoulders.
    When I turned back to Mum she shook her head but still managed a smile. ‘I hope you’re sure about this, Brooke.’
    I nodded. Yes, I’m sure. More than anything I felt an enormous sense of relief. I wasn’t sure what to expect from here, but I was glad I didn’t have to hide my arm anymore.
    As I waved back at Erin I felt something on the back of my left arm, halfway between my elbow and my shoulder.
    The fingers of my right hand hovered over the spot . . .
    Omigosh!