August (The Year of The Change Book 2) (27 page)

"Sylv!" It was Tam.

Huh? Time to wake up, already? I hated the week before school starts. Sue makes us go to bed by nine and wake up by seven. She says it's to get us ready for the school schedule, but I think it's just another way for her to torture us.

"Sylv, are you in here?"

"Of course, I'm in here. Can't you see me in bed?"

Uh-oh. My eyes popped open to total darkness. Where was I?

"Sylvia?!"

I groped in the darkness. "I'm here, Tam!"

"Where?!"

I found a shoe. "In the closet!" Again.

Tam opened the door and peeked in. "Why are you in the closet?"

"That's a good question. I wish I had someone to answer it for you." I could sure use an answer, too, but my grandmother wasn't here.

"Were you sleepwalking in your room?"

I wanted to say no, but guilt wouldn’t let me lie to her. "I don't know Tam, probably." I crawled out of the closet and stood.

"That would explain all the walking and dancing last night."

"What?"

"Yeah, you were doing something up here for a long time. I fell asleep before you stopped."

I was incredulous. "I was that loud?"

"Nah, when it's quiet I can hear when you move around. But I think you were mostly dancing last night."

"Dancing? Huh."

"Mom said to tell you breakfast is almost done."

"Thanks, Tam, I'll be right down."

Tam left as I pulled a t-shirt out of my closet and scrounged for my jeans that I thought I’d tossed over the footboard of my bed. They were under the bed.

Dancing? I pulled at my memory and did remember something about a school dance. I danced with a bunch of guys and two of them fought, I think.

My stomach pulled me along. It liked the idea of getting up earlier, more time for it to consume everything in sight. I trudged downstairs.

Sue had a large tray of pancakes and bacon waiting when I walked in. I was so hungry, even the little white tray of cream cheese rolls in front of my plate looked yummy. I'd sunk to a new low. Poor Sue, the more food she made, the more I ate. My stomach was never satisfied until the last crumb had been devoured.

I was on my second stack when Sue sat at the table with her smoothie. That was unusual. She didn't normally sit with us unless Dad was there.

"Sylvia."

My mouth was full. "Um, hum?"

She didn't usually talk to me, either, so I cringed at what she might say. I couldn't think of anything offhand that I might’ve done wrong.

"Tam mentioned that she found you in your closet this morning."

I swallowed before I could choke. The little rat. I really didn’t want to have this discussion with Sue. I should’ve gotten up the guts to talk privately with Dad. This is what I get for procrastinating.

I hadn't spoken so Sue pushed. "Well, is that true?" She frowned which made me nervous.

"Yes."

The less I spoke around Sue, the better it always was for me.

"Has this happened before?"

It was best to be honest with her because she could always see right through me. "Yes."

"How many times?"

"Three."

Technically that was not a lie. I had only woken up in my closet three times. She didn't need to know this made a dozen times I'd found myself somewhere else that she didn’t know about.

Sue scrutinized my face then leaned back in her chair. "Sylvia, what aren't you telling me?"

I shrugged my shoulders and opened my mouth. Nothing came out. I really didn't want to tell her anything. She would just make a big deal out of it and I would be in trouble.

"How many times?"

"I've only woken up in my closet three times." That was the truth.

She frowned deeper. "Have you woken up in other places?"

"Well …" She caught me.

"How many times?"

"Uh …" I didn't want to do this, but Sue had a stare that could’ve saved China from the Huns.

"Including today?" I was stalling.

"Yes." She narrowed her eyes.

"Twelve."

"Twelve?! Why didn’t you tell us?"

"Well …"

"I can't believe you kept this to yourself!" She threw up her hands and rolled her eyes.

"Well …"

"How do you expect us to help you, if you don't tell us what's going on?"

"Well …"

"Your father is going to be furious when he hears about this!"

I changed my tactic. "But …"

"Do you think this is just some sort of game?"

The new tactic didn't work.

"No, but …"

"Just finish eating. I can't believe you've been lying to us."

"I haven't—“

"Acting like nothing is the matter, all the while holding out on vital information!"

I gave up on trying to explain. I just shoveled faster while Sue went on and on about what a bad person I was. When the food was gone, I cleared my plate and escaped to my room.

The morning started out badly and I could guarantee the evening wasn't going to get any better. By the time Sue got done telling Dad about my horrible behavior, he would be ready to send me to Juvenile Hall. Okay, it wouldn't be that bad, but close enough.

Around mid-morning, Tim brought me the cordless phone. I figured it had to be Destiny since there wasn't anyone else who ever called me. Well, except for Danny and Cory, but Sue had taken to hanging up on them. She wouldn't let them talk to me just to be spiteful, would she?

"It's for you. It's Emma."

"Emma?" I was relieved. "What does she want?"

"I dunno." He tossed the phone on the bed next to me and left.

"Hello?"

"Hello, Sylvia, did I disturb you?"

"No, I'm just reading."

"Good, I was wondering if you would like to have morning tea with me."

"You want me to come have tea with you?"

"Yes, of course, I enjoy your company."

"Wow, yeah, I'd like to have tea with you."

"I am so pleased. If you can come now I will put the kettle on."

"Okay, I'll be right over."

We said good-bye. Wow, tea with Emma. Destiny would probably be there, too. This should be fun. I put on my shoes and brushed my hair before I went over.

Sue was still mad at me and didn't ask why I was going to the Peterson’s. She just huffed and went back to what she was reading. I wasn't sure how she would react, so I didn't tell her I was having tea with Emma.

That sounded so grown up,
having tea
.

Eddy let me in when I knocked, but didn't stick around to find out what I was doing. He and Tim were huddled in a corner of the living room, drawing in a notebook. They must be hatching another adventure. One I’m sure I didn't want to know about.

Quickly, I went up the stairs expecting to find Destiny in her room, but it was empty. She must be with her grandmother already. At the attic, I knocked gently, afraid to disturb Emma.

This had become a familiar place to me. Destiny and I always seemed to end up at Emma's door for one reason or another. I looked forward to the visits.

"Come in!"

The smelled of chamomile and cinnamon tickled my nose as I opened the door. Emma sure liked cinnamon.

"Hi, thanks for inviting me." I looked around. "Where's Destiny?"

She motioned for me to sit in the chair beside her at her beautifully set table. "She is with her mother shopping in Willows. I am afraid they will be gone all afternoon.”

"Oh." I sat down. "So, it's just you and me?"

"Yes, I hope that is acceptable." Her eyes widened just a touch.

I must’ve hurt her feelings. "Yes, oh yes, I'm sorry, it's just that Destiny’s always here, so I'm just a little surprised.”

Emma smiled. "I thought it would be nice, just the two of us." She poured tea in the cup in front of me. "So how do you like your new home?" She handed me a small plate with a large roll on it.

Mmm, it smelled so good. "Oh, it's not so bad now that it doesn't look like a zombie crypt anymore." I placed the small plate in front of me. My stomach wanted it NOW. I took a bite, anything to keep it quiet.

Emma served herself. "The house is so much better since you and your family moved in. It was becoming very depressed. It needed an active family to spruce it up and bring it back to life."

"Yeah, we're active alright." I shoved the rest of the roll in my mouth as I thought about my dancing last night.

"I heard you woke up in your closet this morning?"

"What? Did Sue tell you about that?"

Emma put her hand up to calm me. "No, of course not, I overheard Tim tell Eddy about it."

"Oh." I wondered how much Tim told Eddy. Does he tell him everything? Do the Petersons know all the sordid details of my weird life?

"I did hear from Sue about your sleepwalking through our neighborhood, though."

It figured Sue would blab that around.

"Sue was very worried you might hurt yourself, so she asked Cara and me if we knew what to do about it."

Emma sipped her tea. I chewed on another roll while I waited for her to go on. She didn't and I was too impatient to wait any longer.

"So," I tried to sound disinterested, "do you know anything about sleepwalking?" The question was too impatient and it was doubtful I pulled off the nonchalance.

Emma smiled and put her cup down. "I do know a little about sleepwalking." She took a sip and didn’t say any more.

"And what do you know?" Was she toying with me?

"I went through a short period of sleepwalking when I was about your age."

"How bad was it?"

"My father and brothers had to bring me back home a few times. But we lived on a farm and did not have to worry about getting hit by a car." She smiled. "It is scary, but it should not last long."

"Why do you say that?"

"Because, sleepwalking is a manifestation of subconscious concerns and fears.  Once it works those out, the sleepwalking will stop."

"I sure hope you're right." With all my subconscious and conscious concerns, it could take the rest of the year. I sighed deeply and Emma offered me another cinnamon roll.

"Have you woken in other places?" She poured more tea.

It was easier to talk to Emma about this, as she calmly nibbled on a roll and didn’t judge me.

"Yes, all over my room and the bathtub once. I've even ended up in Tam's bed and the couch. You know about my trip through the neighborhood … oh, and a few nights ago, Dad caught me before I got out the front door, again.”

"My, you have been quite active."

"Yeah, that's one way to put it." I shoved the rest of the roll in my mouth.

"Just think of all the fun stories you will have to tell your children and grandchildren." She put another roll on my plate.

I'll probably only tell my first son—if I get to have kids—and my granddaughter who will be cursed with this.

I swallowed. “So, do many people sleepwalk?"

"Oh, my, yes. I have not met a person yet that has not walked in their sleep at least once."

"Oh, so it's not unusual?" I picked up the roll.

"Yes, this is very common and it is nothing to be ashamed of."

"But I was out in the neighborhood in my pajamas!" What if all those guys remember?

"I did not say it would not be embarrassing, only that you need not be ashamed."

Talking to Emma was the next best thing to talking to my grandmother. I was so lucky to have her next door. Now, if only Dad would understand and not be angry with me. Sigh.

"What is the matter, Sylvia?"

"I hadn't told Dad and Sue about all the times I woke up somewhere else. Well, Sue found out this morning from Tam about the closet. I wasn't going to tell Sue, but man, she could make a mime talk."

Emma chuckled. "I am sure it is not as bad as you think." She placed another roll on my plate.

"Sue was still mad at me when I came over here. Dad will be just as mad." Sue would make sure of that.

"If he is mad, initially, I am sure he will see that with some precautions it will be nothing to worry about."

"I hope you're right."

Another roll slid down my gullet. Emma smiled and I felt less burdened by the sleepwalking.

"So, are you ready for school to start?"

I was grateful for the change of conversation, but this subject wasn't any easier to talk about. Emma asked me lots of questions and let me yammer on all I wanted to. I appreciated having someone to talk to about my fears and concerns. I just wished I could’ve talked to her about The Change.