a bike rack, with a beat-up mountain bike chained to it. “There she is. Benny’s Benz,” he said proudly.
Anna laughed. “But how are we both going to ride?” she asked.
Benny considered this. “You’ll have to sit on the seat, and I’ll stand on the pedals.”
“Is this safe?” Anna asked, climbing onto the seat as Benny held it steady.
“Probably not,” said Benny. “You should wear this.” He handed her his bike helmet. Anna put it on and fastened the strap under her chin.
“That looks good on you,” Benny said approvingly, and Anna felt her face get warm.
The sky was starting to turn pink as they set out for Anna’s house. Anna tried to balance on the seat as gracefully as possible, but it wasn’t easy. She had to hold her feet out to the sides to keep them from getting tangled in the spokes. There was nowhere for her to put her hands except on Benny’s waist. Out of shyness, she held him there aslightly as possible as he pedaled them through the streets.
Despite how awkward it was, Anna thought it was the most romantic thing she’d ever done.
“There’s my house,” Benny said, nodding at a two-story white house. Anna craned her neck with particular interest as they passed it.
By the time they reached Anna’s street, the sun had begun to set. It had stopped raining hours before, and now the sky was aflame with red and orange clouds.
“You’d better drop me off here,” Anna said when they reached the corner. Benny braked, and she climbed off the bike. “Thanks for the ride.”
“No problem.” Benny stood there straddling the bike, looking as if he was waiting for something. They stared at each other for a moment.
In a movie, this is where we’d kiss,
Anna thought.
“Well, see you in school,” she said finally. She turned and started for home.
“Anna, wait!” said Benny.
Anna stopped and looked back, her heart starting to pound.
“I need my helmet,” Benny said.
“Oh! Duh.” Anna walked back to him, laughing as she undid the chin strap. She could feel herself blushing, and she hoped Benny couldn’t guess what had just been going through her head.
“See you tomorrow,” Benny said. Then he turned around on his bike and sped away.
Anna stood watching until the flashing light on the back of his bike disappeared around the corner. She had a funny, floating feeling in her chest.
Finally, she turned and walked slowly to her house. She knew she was going to get it from her mom.
But it was worth it,
Anna thought.
It was definitely worth it.
Chapter Nine
“Anna …”
Anna slowly opened her eyes. She could tell by the deep blackness of her room that it was very late at night. She glanced at the digital clock on her nightstand. The glowing green numbers read 1:46.
I dreamed someone was calling my name,
she thought sleepily.
She was just about to snuggle under the covers, when she heard it again, louder. Impatient.
“Anna!”
Anna jerked upright. Someone
was
calling her name. It sounded like it had come from outside.
Holding her breath, she tiptoed over to the window and pushed back the curtain. In the cherry treenext to the house, she saw a dark figure crouched among the branches.
Anna sucked in her breath. She was about to scream, when the figure moved and she caught a glimpse of one long braid. “Emma?” she whispered.
“Anna! Come out and play.”
Emma’s voice was light and crooning. Anna could see her silver eyes shining in the moonlight.
Anna undid the lock and slid open the window. Cold air rushed in against her face. “What are you doing?” she whispered. “I can’t come out. It’s nighttime.”
“Come play with me!”
Emma stood up on her branch.
“You haven’t played with me in such a long time —”
“Careful! Emma, what are you doing? You’ll —” Anna gasped as Emma slipped from the tree.
But she didn’t fall. She floated gently to the ground, as if she weighed no more than a feather.
How could Emma float?
“I must be
Anna laughed. “But how are we both going to ride?” she asked.
Benny considered this. “You’ll have to sit on the seat, and I’ll stand on the pedals.”
“Is this safe?” Anna asked, climbing onto the seat as Benny held it steady.
“Probably not,” said Benny. “You should wear this.” He handed her his bike helmet. Anna put it on and fastened the strap under her chin.
“That looks good on you,” Benny said approvingly, and Anna felt her face get warm.
The sky was starting to turn pink as they set out for Anna’s house. Anna tried to balance on the seat as gracefully as possible, but it wasn’t easy. She had to hold her feet out to the sides to keep them from getting tangled in the spokes. There was nowhere for her to put her hands except on Benny’s waist. Out of shyness, she held him there aslightly as possible as he pedaled them through the streets.
Despite how awkward it was, Anna thought it was the most romantic thing she’d ever done.
“There’s my house,” Benny said, nodding at a two-story white house. Anna craned her neck with particular interest as they passed it.
By the time they reached Anna’s street, the sun had begun to set. It had stopped raining hours before, and now the sky was aflame with red and orange clouds.
“You’d better drop me off here,” Anna said when they reached the corner. Benny braked, and she climbed off the bike. “Thanks for the ride.”
“No problem.” Benny stood there straddling the bike, looking as if he was waiting for something. They stared at each other for a moment.
In a movie, this is where we’d kiss,
Anna thought.
“Well, see you in school,” she said finally. She turned and started for home.
“Anna, wait!” said Benny.
Anna stopped and looked back, her heart starting to pound.
“I need my helmet,” Benny said.
“Oh! Duh.” Anna walked back to him, laughing as she undid the chin strap. She could feel herself blushing, and she hoped Benny couldn’t guess what had just been going through her head.
“See you tomorrow,” Benny said. Then he turned around on his bike and sped away.
Anna stood watching until the flashing light on the back of his bike disappeared around the corner. She had a funny, floating feeling in her chest.
Finally, she turned and walked slowly to her house. She knew she was going to get it from her mom.
But it was worth it,
Anna thought.
It was definitely worth it.
Chapter Nine
“Anna …”
Anna slowly opened her eyes. She could tell by the deep blackness of her room that it was very late at night. She glanced at the digital clock on her nightstand. The glowing green numbers read 1:46.
I dreamed someone was calling my name,
she thought sleepily.
She was just about to snuggle under the covers, when she heard it again, louder. Impatient.
“Anna!”
Anna jerked upright. Someone
was
calling her name. It sounded like it had come from outside.
Holding her breath, she tiptoed over to the window and pushed back the curtain. In the cherry treenext to the house, she saw a dark figure crouched among the branches.
Anna sucked in her breath. She was about to scream, when the figure moved and she caught a glimpse of one long braid. “Emma?” she whispered.
“Anna! Come out and play.”
Emma’s voice was light and crooning. Anna could see her silver eyes shining in the moonlight.
Anna undid the lock and slid open the window. Cold air rushed in against her face. “What are you doing?” she whispered. “I can’t come out. It’s nighttime.”
“Come play with me!”
Emma stood up on her branch.
“You haven’t played with me in such a long time —”
“Careful! Emma, what are you doing? You’ll —” Anna gasped as Emma slipped from the tree.
But she didn’t fall. She floated gently to the ground, as if she weighed no more than a feather.
How could Emma float?
“I must be
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