Excerpt
andlt;Bandgt;Tues., Jan. 10thand#8212;Brooklynandlt;/Bandgt;andlt;BRandgt;Daddy was raisedandlt;BRandgt;in a house full of women.andlt;BRandgt;Women who did everything for him.andlt;BRandgt;Now Iand#8217;m leftandlt;BRandgt;to do those thingsandlt;BRandgt;others have done for himandlt;BRandgt;his whole life.andlt;BRandgt;Cook him dinner.andlt;BRandgt;Wash his boxers.andlt;BRandgt;Change his sheets.andlt;BRandgt;He needs me?andlt;BRandgt;I donand#8217;t think so.andlt;BRandgt;What he needsandlt;BRandgt;is a maid.andlt;BRandgt;Tonight he says,andlt;BRandgt;and#8220;Brooklyn, letand#8217;s get a dog.and#8221;andlt;BRandgt;I give him a look that says,andlt;BRandgt;andlt;Iandgt;Are you crazy?andlt;BRandgt;andlt;/Iandgt;and#8220;What?and#8221; he says.andlt;BRandgt;and#8220;Itand#8217;d be great.andlt;BRandgt;|You just donand#8217;t know itandlt;BRandgt;because youand#8217;ve never had one.and#8221;andlt;BRandgt;That was Momand#8217;s fault.andlt;BRandgt;Neat freaks and dogsandlt;BRandgt;donand#8217;t mix.andlt;BRandgt;And really,andlt;BRandgt;I donand#8217;t see howandlt;BRandgt;busy girls with enough to take care ofandlt;BRandgt;thank-you-very-muchandlt;BRandgt;would mix with a dog either.andlt;BRandgt;A maid,andlt;BRandgt;a cook,andlt;BRandgt;and a dog trainer?andlt;BRandgt;I donand#8217;t think so.andlt;BRandgt;andlt;Bandgt;Tues., Jan. 10thand#8212;Nicoandlt;/Bandgt;andlt;BRandgt;Ma makes a big dishandlt;BRandgt;of ravioli for Gabeand#8217;s familyandlt;BRandgt;along with some breadandlt;BRandgt;and her famous pineapple tiramisu.andlt;BRandgt;Tiramisu means and#8220;pick me upand#8221; in Italian.andlt;BRandgt;Ma always hopes it will do a little of that.andlt;BRandgt;She took them minestrone soup last week.andlt;BRandgt;When she doesnand#8217;t know what else to do, she cooks.andlt;BRandgt;Sheand#8217;s trying to teach me everything she knows.andlt;BRandgt;Iand#8217;m the closest thing to the daughter she never had, I guess.andlt;BRandgt;She leaves some ravioli for me and Pop.andlt;BRandgt;We eat in silence.andlt;BRandgt;Too bad thereand#8217;s no tiramisu.andlt;BRandgt;I think we could both use some of that too.andlt;BRandgt;andlt;Bandgt;Tues., Jan. 10thand#8212;Brooklynandlt;/Bandgt;andlt;BRandgt;I fall asleep hoping to dreamandlt;BRandgt;of Lucca.andlt;BRandgt;Instead Iand#8217;m standing in the hallway at school.andlt;BRandgt;In the dark.andlt;BRandgt;Alone.andlt;BRandgt;I turn aroundandlt;BRandgt;and around,andlt;BRandgt;wondering where everyone is.andlt;BRandgt;I want to turn on the lights,andlt;BRandgt;but where do you find the lightsandlt;BRandgt;for a school hallway?andlt;BRandgt;Thereand#8217;s the faint sound of footsteps.andlt;BRandgt;Someone is far away.andlt;BRandgt;But coming closer.andlt;BRandgt;I listen.andlt;BRandgt;They get louder.andlt;BRandgt;I open my mouth.andlt;BRandgt;I try to speak.andlt;BRandgt;Nothing comes out.andlt;BRandgt;I walk forward,andlt;BRandgt;my arms in front of me,andlt;BRandgt;trying to see my way.andlt;BRandgt;Thereand#8217;s a faint light ahead.andlt;BRandgt;I think itand#8217;s the light to the office.andlt;BRandgt;If I can just make it there,andlt;BRandgt;itand#8217;ll be okay.andlt;BRandgt;The steps are coming faster.andlt;BRandgt;My pace increases.andlt;BRandgt;Just get to the office.andlt;BRandgt;|Nothing can hurt you there.andlt;BRandgt;Theyand#8217;ll help you.andlt;BRandgt;The light gets brighter.andlt;BRandgt;I start to run.andlt;BRandgt;Faster and fasterandlt;BRandgt;I run,andlt;BRandgt;the beating of my heartandlt;BRandgt;almost as loudandlt;BRandgt;as the pounding of my steps.andlt;BRandgt;I reach the door and look behind me.andlt;BRandgt;I see someone.andlt;BRandgt;Someoneand#8217;s coming.andlt;BRandgt;Right behind me.andlt;BRandgt;I turn the doorknob.andlt;BRandgt;Locked tight.andlt;BRandgt;My fist pounds on the window.andlt;BRandgt;I pound and poundandlt;BRandgt;and open my mouth to scream.andlt;BRandgt;Then, heand#8217;s there.andlt;BRandgt;In front of me.andlt;BRandgt;Gray skin with eyesandlt;BRandgt;black as the darkest night,andlt;BRandgt;and lips blood red.andlt;BRandgt;He lunges for meandlt;BRandgt;and I scream his name.andlt;BRandgt;and#8220;Gabe!and#8221;andlt;BRandgt;When I wake upandlt;BRandgt;with my sheets soakedandlt;BRandgt;and sticking to me like bandages,andlt;BRandgt;I canand#8217;t stop shaking.andlt;BRandgt;Even though I know it was a dream,andlt;BRandgt;something about itandlt;BRandgt;was so much moreandlt;BRandgt;than a dream.andlt;BRandgt;A lot more.andlt;BRandgt;andlt;Iandgt;#281andlt;BRandgt;Dear Lucca,andlt;BRandgt;Iand#8217;ve read six comics. I still canand#8217;t go back to sleep.andlt;BRandgt;I had a horrible dream. I donand#8217;t even want to talkandlt;BRandgt;about it.andlt;BRandgt;Daddy told me after Mom moved out, I couldandlt;BRandgt;wake him up if I ever needed anything. But thenandlt;BRandgt;Iand#8217;d have to tell him about the dream. Heand#8217;d worryandlt;BRandgt;about me. Probably think this thing with Gabe isandlt;BRandgt;getting to me. And then who knows what heand#8217;d do.andlt;BRandgt;Anyway, what could he do for me, besides give meandlt;BRandgt;a hug and tell me to go back to sleep? He canand#8217;t doandlt;BRandgt;anything for me. Not really.andlt;BRandgt;So I guess Iand#8217;ll read about Tom Strong some more.andlt;BRandgt;andnbsp;recently read a review online about him whereandlt;BRandgt;someone said, and#8220;Tom Strong stands for goodness,andlt;BRandgt;purity of heart, tolerance, and family.and#8221; No wonderandlt;BRandgt;I like him so much.andlt;BRandgt;Love always,andlt;BRandgt;Brooklynandlt;BRandgt;andlt;/Iandgt;andlt;Bandgt;Wed., Jan. 11thand#8212;Nicoandlt;/Bandgt;andlt;BRandgt;Something happened last nightandlt;BRandgt;and I am freaking out.andlt;BRandgt;It was almost morning. I was asleep.andlt;BRandgt;I heard a noise.andlt;BRandgt;A scraping noise.andlt;BRandgt;I sat straight up and noticed the window was open, just slightly.andlt;BRandgt;The room was freezing.andlt;BRandgt;I ran to the window and closed it.andlt;BRandgt;I was about to turn on the light, when I felt something.andlt;BRandgt;Like someone was right there.andlt;BRandgt;I lunged for the baseball bat under my bed and started swinging.andlt;BRandgt;I made my way to the light and turned it on.andlt;BRandgt;No one was there.andlt;BRandgt;Nothing was there.andlt;BRandgt;And yet, it was like someone or something andlt;Iandgt;was andlt;/Iandgt;there.andlt;BRandgt;And then I heard a whisper.andlt;BRandgt;Not even a whisper.andlt;BRandgt;Something else.andlt;BRandgt;A silent message in my brain.andlt;BRandgt;andlt;Iandgt;Make sure Brooklyn is okay.andlt;BRandgt;andlt;/Iandgt;The curtains fluttered.andlt;BRandgt;A slight shadow emerged on the wall.andlt;BRandgt;And then, he was gone.andlt;BRandgt;The room warmed up.andlt;BRandgt;My goose bumps disappeared.andlt;BRandgt;And I ran out of my room.andlt;BRandgt;andlt;Bandgt;Wed., Jan. 11thand#8212;Brooklynandlt;/Bandgt;andlt;BRandgt;Kyra tells meandlt;BRandgt;I look tired.andlt;BRandgt;I tell her Iand#8217;m fine.andlt;BRandgt;Doing great, in fact.andlt;BRandgt;I donand#8217;t even tell herandlt;BRandgt;about the nightmare.andlt;BRandgt;Thatand#8217;s all it was.andlt;BRandgt;A stupid nightmare.andlt;BRandgt;Although, getting dressed this morning,andlt;BRandgt;I had this odd senseandlt;BRandgt;someone was watching me.andlt;BRandgt;But thatand#8217;s ridiculous.andlt;BRandgt;Gabe is dead.andlt;BRandgt;Dead people donand#8217;t watch people.andlt;BRandgt;Do they?andlt;BRandgt;andlt;Bandgt;Wed., Jan. 11thand#8212;Nicoandlt;/Bandgt;andlt;BRandgt;I look for Brooklynandlt;BRandgt;at schoolandlt;BRandgt;and see her at her lockerandlt;BRandgt;talking to Kyra.andlt;BRandgt;She doesnand#8217;t see meandlt;BRandgt;and I donand#8217;t stop to talk.andlt;BRandgt;Sheand#8217;s fine.andlt;BRandgt;Iand#8217;ve seen it for myself.andlt;BRandgt;Sheand#8217;s completely fine.andlt;BRandgt;Did I just imagine it?andlt;BRandgt;Whatever and#8220;itand#8221; was.andlt;BRandgt;I thought someone was there.andlt;BRandgt;I thought I heard the words.andlt;BRandgt;But now, I donand#8217;t know.