“Dinnertime!” Beth shouted from right outside the door.

Jessica jerked out of her reverie, blinking. “Thanks for scaring me.”

“No problem.” Footsteps scampered down the hall.

Jessica smiled. Spastically enthusiastic Beth she could deal with. Rolling off the bed and to her feet, she paused to stretch away the muscle kinks of too much studying, then opened her door.

The mouthwatering scent of Beth’s tomato sauce rolled toward her from the kitchen, and the house echoed with the sounds of her whole family in animated conversation. Just for tonight, she could pretend that everything was normal here in Bixby.

But as Jessica made her way down the hall, a stranger’s voice spoke up, gentle but certain of itself—and somehow vaguely familiar.

“No way,” she said softly. Beth was talking again now; she must have misheard.

But dread grew in Jessica as she reached the kitchen doorway and looked down at the empty table—for the first time since they’d arrived in Bixby, the dining table had been set.

Which meant that company was here.

She went through the kitchen and into the dining room until she found herself facing the four of them: Beth, Mom, Dad…

And Cassie Flinders.

“Hey, Jess!” Mom said. “Beth brought a friend home from school today.”

Jessica managed only a zombified, “Oh, yeah?”

“Cassie’s in marching band with me,” Beth said, an amused smile playing on her lips. She turned to the girl. “I told you about my sister Jessica.”

Cassie Flinders looked her up and down, as if comparing her with some mental checklist.

“Hi,” Jessica squeaked, her voice gone all tinny and her mind racing.

Hadn’t Rex and Melissa gone back out to Jenks and dealt with Cassie’s memories? Wasn’t this kid supposed to have only the vaguest recollections of her moments in the blue time?

“I think we’ve met,” Cassie finally said.

“Really?” Mom said, all smiles. “Where was that?”

“Yeah, where?” Jessica said, taking her seat in front of the empty plate, trying to keep her voice normal and her expression only mildly puzzled instead of totally flabbergasted. “I don’t think I remember.”

“I don’t remember either, exactly.” Cassie’s eyes were still scanning Jessica’s face, as if recording her features in great detail. “But I drew a picture of you.”

“You did what?”

Cassie shrugged. “Drew a picture, with a pencil. The other day when I was sick.”

“Yeah,” Beth said. “And it’s a really good one. She brought it in to show around. You can really tell it’s you, Jess. Cassie draws all the time.”

“But you two don’t remember meeting?” Mom asked.

“No, not at all,” Jessica said. “I mean, I’ve never even been to Jenks.”

“Jenks?” Beth said, smiling radiantly. “How did you know Cassie lived out there?”

“I don’t know…how I knew that,” Jessica said slowly. Now even Mom and Dad were looking at her funny. She realized that it would be better if the conversation moved along. “So, um, are you a majorette too?”

“No. I play clarinet.”