Dee thought. “I think I did,” she said slowly.

“What, Dee Dee?” Lulu almost vibrated with yearning.

“It was so weird. I was just standing here, minding my own business, and then I heard your voice saying right in my ear, ‘I am such a pain and my big sister Dee is the best.’”

“No! I never said that!”

“Weird,” said Dee. “That’s exactly what I heard.”

“That’s not right!” Lulu was on the verge of tears. “You have to do it properly, Dee Dee.”

Dee held her. She felt the shape of her sister, her small bones, her soft skin warmed by the sun. The nape of her exposed neck, soft dark hair as short as a boy’s. Lulu hated her head to get hot. This summer she had wanted to shave it off. Their mother had only narrowly won that battle.

Dee was sorry she had teased. “I’m just being silly,” she said. “Let’s try again.” Dee cupped her hands over her mouth. She felt her own warm breath fill her palms. “I like my new dungarees, that I bought in the sale,” she whispered. “But I can’t wear them until the fall, because it’s too hot for dungarees.” Dee imagined the words traveling to her sister’s ear. She tried to do it properly.

“You’re thinking of dancing school,” Lulu said. “You dream about it and you think Mom and Dad are mean.”

Dee lowered her hands. “No, I don’t,” she said slowly.

“I read your mind,” said Lulu. “Whisper me something else, Dee Dee.”

Dee lowered her lips into the warm cup of her palms.

“You’re thinking about Greg in homeroom,” Lulu says. “You want to French kiss with him.”

“I knew it,” Dee said with rising fury. “You’ve been reading my diary. You little snoop.” If Lulu told Mom and Dad about the Greg thing, they would be mad. They might even reconsider the conservatory. Dee was due to start at Pacific in September. But she had to prove she could behave herself. That meant no boys, good grades, keeping to curfew and looking after her little sister.

“Don’t, DeeDee,” Lulu said. “You’re not supposed to yell at me.” Her voice had gone up an octave and she sounded much younger. She knew that she had gone too far.

“That’s it. Back to Mom and Dad. I don’t know why I even try with you…”

“I don’t want to go back yet! I’m still thirsty, and I want to pet the kitty.”

“You’ve had a drink of water and there’s no kitty here,” Dee said. But for a moment she thought she saw a black tail like a question mark, disappearing behind a trash can. Black cats were supposed to be bad luck. Or was it good luck?

Lulu looked up at her sister with wide eyes. “Don’t be mean,” she said quietly.