7:22 A.M.

A CHANGE OF MIND

“Good morning, Beth.”

“In what sense?”

“Sight, sound, smell, all the other senses. It’s sunny, and the birds are chirpy, and I’m letting you have this toast that I just put in for myself.”

Beth paused next to the table. “What’s wrong with it?”

“Nothing. You are my sister, and I’m making you toast.”

Beth plonked down at the kitchen table and looked at her big sister warily.

“Aren’t you kind of happy for someone who’s grounded?”

Jessica considered this for a moment, watching the elements inside the toaster warm to a red glow. The smell of toast came from the machine, drawing a deep breath from her.

“Toast is good,” she answered.

Beth snorted. “If you’re going to be all retarded, could you make me an omelette, too?”

“I’m not that happy, Beth.” The toaster popped. “Here you go.”

Jessica pulled the bread out with her fingertips and dropped it onto the waiting plate, twirled around, and placed it before her sister.

Beth inspected it carefully, then shrugged and started to butter it.

Jessica dropped another pair of slices into the toaster, humming to herself.

She still felt light, as if midnight gravity hadn’t completely faded with the blue time. Every step felt as if it would turn into a leap, carrying her across the room, out the window, into the air. All last night she had dreamed of flying. (Except for that hour when she had been flying.)

She and Jonathan had hung out on the big, crumbling Mobil Oil sign atop the highest office building in Bixby. It was a huge Pegasus, a flying horse. The unlit neon tubes that outlined its shape had shimmered with dark moonlight, the spread wings shining like those of some angel come to protect her from the darklings.

The steel framework that held the sign in place was rusty, but Jonathan was pretty sure it was clean. It was in the center of town, where darklings almost never went. He’d been going there for almost two years and had never seen so much as a slither.

For three nights in a row she had felt safe in the blue time. Safe and secure, weightless and…

The toaster popped again.

“Happy,” she said quietly.

“Yeah, you’re happy. Got it.” Beth was spreading jam onto her remaining piece of toast. “Omelette-level happiness yet?”

Jess smiled. “Pretty darn close.”

“Let me know. So, Jess?”

“Yeah?”

“This Jonathan guy you got busted with? You like him?”

Jessica looked closely at her little sister. Beth seemed genuinely interested. “Yeah, I do.”

“How long have you guys known each other?”

“That night we got busted was the first time we hung out.”

Beth smiled. “That’s what you told Mom. But how come the night before, when you came to visit me and make that Ms. Mature speech, you were all dressed?”

Jessica swallowed. “I was?”