She clenches her teeth. She kicks off the covers.

Sometimes she feels like she’s going to bust right out of her skin.

Sometimes she feels like she has fireworks going off in her brain.

She doesn’t believe God talks to her but she thinks he should.

Then, just as soon, the Dark eats her soul.

She taps the side of her head over and over. “Things get mixed up in here.”

She had been going somewhere to see someone, hadn’t she? Someone important? Someone she loved?

A million lights explode in her brain.

She grabs the hand of the nurse with cornflower-blue eyes. “Sis! I have to find Sis!”

The nurse winces and tries to take her hand away.

Jewel’s hands are strong from so many years of playing all four movements of Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony.

Something stings her arm.

Suffocating warmth flows through her veins. Why does she feel like her body is melting?

“Please,” she says one last time as her eyes close.

38

Anything for Jewel

We scuff through piles of leaves as we walk across the park after school. The sky is so blue it makes your eyes hurt. Except for pools of snow underneath the trees, it’s hard to remember there was such a big storm just the other day.

“It sure does feel empty in the park without Baby,” I say, “even though he’s just a little thing.”

“Good things come in small packages,” Fire says with a skip. She’s back to her old self, and that makes the world better.

“I know you’re worried about Baby, Piper,” Karina says, “but we need to focus on Jewel right now.”

We sit on the picnic table near the bathroom where Baby lived.

“Here’s what we know about her so far.” Karina holds up one finger after another as she ticks off the facts. “One: she used to teach piano. Two: she lived in Lexington, Kentucky. Three and maybe most important, she has a sister.”

“And Jewel was probably going to see her,” I interrupt.

“It’s also a fact Baby and Jewel need each other,” I say. “And it’s another fact that the shelter will put Baby up for adoption in ten days if we don’t figure something out.” My heart shivers like a cloud has covered up the sun.

Fire looks up. Her eyes widen. “Whoa,” she says.

There, walking across the park, are Ree and Ajax. Behind them are Linda and Duke.

“Those are some big dogs.” Fire scoots closer to Karina.

My heart lifts to see that tall woman with the long ropes of dreadlocks and her big ol’ silver dog. I haven’t seen them in days.

I wave like crazy. “Hey!” I call out. “It’s me, Piper!” Which I realize is kind of a stupid thing to say.