Awake and Dreaming - Kit Pearson [50]
And there was no point in telling them, because they weren’t the same. They acted as if they had just met her yesterday. They already thought she was strange; they would think she was even stranger if she told them she’d once lived with them. They’d never believe her.
Had she lived with them? Of course she had! How else could she know them so well? But that magic time seemed more and more distant as the afternoon went on.
BEFORE DINNER Theo sat in the den with the others and watched TV. Ben still gave her insulted glances. Anna and Lisbeth still muttered to each other when their parents were out of the room.
“John!” Dan came to the door. “Why haven’t you taken out the garbage?”
“I forgot,” mumbled John.
“This is the third time you’ve forgotten this week! I’m tired of reminding you. There’ll be no allowance for you this Saturday.”
“No allowance!” cried John. “But I wanted to get some new tapes!”
“That’s too bad,” said Dan. “Maybe this will teach you to remember. Now get going on that garbage!” Theo had never heard his voice sound so harsh.
John stomped out of the room. He hadn’t spoken to Theo since his curt hello—as if she were only a friend of his sisters. She couldn’t believe he was the same John who had taught her so patiently how to ride a bike.
Only Bingo and Beardsley treated her the same. Beardsley rubbed against her legs, his throat rumbling, and Bingo followed Theo around all afternoon, as if he were overjoyed that she was back.
“Bingo sure seems to like you,” said Lisbeth.
“Just push him away if he’s a nuisance,” said Anna.
“It’s okay.” Theo buried her head in Bingo’s soft neck and sniffed up his yeasty smell. She was beginning to long for the day to end, so she could go back to Sharon’s and cry.
AT DINNER all the Kaldors’ bad moods came together in one noisy complaint.
“I don’t want to sit beside Theo!” said Ben.
“Behave yourself, Ben—what will Theo think of you?” Laura made him stay in his place, but he kicked at Theo’s foot all through the meal.
“Someone has been at my books again,” said Dan. “I found two lying on the floor in the den. I’ve told you again and again to put them back when you’ve finished with them.”
John glowered at his father. “Don’t look at me.”
“It was probably Lisbeth,” said Anna.
“It wasn’t!” squealed Lisbeth. “I can’t even read those thick books!”
“Okay, simmer down,” said Dan. “But it’s got to be someone in this family who keeps leaving them around—who else could it be?”
“Dan, for heaven’s sake stop fussing!” said Laura. “It’s probably you who left them there—you’ve just forgotten.”
“It’s not me!” Dan’s voice sounded just as aggrieved as Lisbeth’s. “All I ask is—”
“Dad, please change your mind about my allowance.”
“Mummy, Anna won’t pass me the pickles and I’ve asked her three times!”
“I don’t like this fish. Pirates don’t eat fish.”
“Shush!” Laura raised her hand. “Everyone shush!” She looked around at the sulky family and sighed. “I’m sorry, Theo, I don’t know what you must think of us. You’ve come on a bad day. We’re not always like this.”
You were never like this before, thought Theo miserably.
“Will you come again?” asked Anna, after Sharon arrived. “Can you come on Saturday for the whole day?”
Sharon turned around from admiring one of Laura’s paintings in the hall. “She’d love to, wouldn’t you, Theo?” Theo couldn’t answer.
“They’re so nice!” said Sharon on the way home. “Their house has such pretty things in it and Dan and Laura are so interesting. I think the kids will be good friends for you. I hope you don’t mind that I said you wanted to go back.”
Theo wondered if she minded. The Kaldors had been such a disappointment. Yet something in her still couldn’t resist them. At least, when she was there, she could re-live the other time.
“What’s the matter?” The light was red and Sharon turned to look at Theo. “You seem so sad. Didn’t you have a good time?”
Theo tried to sound more cheerful. “I’m okay. Just tired.”
“It