Fairest of All (Whatever After #1) (11 page)

w
ake up, kids!” I hear. “Time to get ready for school!”

I open my eyes. I’m in my own bed.

Yes! I’m home! I’m home! I’m home! My watch and alarm clock say 7:00
A.M
.

I can’t help wondering: Was it all a dream?

I run to my laundry basket. Snow’s skirt and top are crumpled in my hamper. Her sandals are by my dresser. It happened! It REALLY happened!

I look up and spot my jewelry box on top of my dresser. Aw, there’s Snow. Wait a sec, she’s wearing something new. She’s wearing … my lime-green pajamas?! Oh my goodness! We really did change her story!

I run into Jonah’s room. His clock might be green, but he’s fast asleep. I yank down his covers. “It happened! It REALLY happened.”

“Tired,” he croaks. He opens one eye. “Of course it happened. Why wouldn’t it have?”

I run downstairs. Mom and Dad are in the kitchen. They’re drinking coffee and rustling through the newspaper. I throw my arms around both of them. “I love you guys!” I just hope they won’t need their law books anytime soon. Or their computer chair.

My mom gives me a bowl of Lucky Charms. Yay! How I missed the marshmallow yumminess! Yay! No more gross porridge!

Jonah comes running into the kitchen, yelling, “Mom! Dad! Guess what? Abby and I swam with flying crocodiles!” He slides into his chair. “Cool, huh?”

I put down my spoonful of Lucky Charms and give him a look across the table. The mirror told us to keep it a secret. Not that I want to lie to my parents. But what if it puts them in danger? What if telling puts us
all
in danger? I’ll have to give him a talking-to later.

“That sounds very exciting, Jonah,” my dad says, giving me a wink. He obviously doesn’t believe him.

“Wow, Jonah,” Mom says. “You’re looking kind of grimy.” She looks at me, too. “So are you, honey. Didn’t you take a bath last night?”

He nods his head. “I did, but —”

“We were looking for something in the basement,” I say, jumping in. “It was very dusty.”

“Did you find it?” Mom asks.

“Oh. Um. No,” I say. “But we found other cool stuff instead.”

“It’s very cluttered down there,” my dad says. “We should give away some of the stuff.”

Cough, cough. “It’s, um, not that cluttered.” Not anymore.

“Well,” Mom says. “You’d both better take showers before school. Abby, you first. Hurry, ’kay?”

I down the rest of my cereal and then squeeze her tight. “I’m so happy to be here,” I say.

My parents smile at each other. “We’re so glad to hear you say that,” Dad says. “I know the move has been difficult for you — new things can be hard. Change can be hard.”

“I’ll be okay,” I say. Change
is
hard. But it’s not always bad. Take Snow, for instance. Her story is different now, but it’s still good.

And take Smithville. It’s still home, just a different home.

And freeze tag is still tag — just a different kind of tag.

Okay, fine. Freeze tag is still weird, but maybe it can be fun. I’ll have to give it another try.

My dad squeezes my shoulder. “What do you want for lunch, honey? Banana and peanut butter sandwich?”

Anything that isn’t stew. “Yes!” I say, nodding. “But slice the banana.”

“Of course!”

I’m all for trying new things, but mushed banana and peanut butter glop are gross no matter which way you smush it.

I head back upstairs to take a quick shower and brush my very dirty teeth. I can’t even remember the last time I used toothpaste. But on the way I hear a strange noise and I stop at the basement door.

“Aaaaaaabby …”

Was that my name? Should I go back downstairs and see what’s happening? Is it Snow? Is she trying to tell us something? Is it Gabrielle? Or is it Maryrose? Who is Maryrose? Where is Maryrose? Is she in our mirror?

I’m about to open the door when I see my mom coming down the hallway. “What are you doing?” she says. “Go get ready. I don’t want you to be late.”

I let go of the door handle.

Tonight, I decide. Tonight I will find out why the mirror in our basement took us into a fairy tale.

Hissssssssss.

Definitely tonight.

Thank you thank you thank you to: Laura Dail; Tamar Rydzinski; AnnMarie Anderson; Abby McAden; Debra Dorfman; Becky Shapiro; Jennifer Black; Lizette Serrano; Becky Amsel; David Levithan; Elissa Ambrose; Tori, Carly, and Carol Adams; E. Lockhart; Lauren Myracle; Avery Carmichael; Courtney Sheinmel; Tricia Ready; Emily Bender; Aviva Mlynowski; Louisa Weiss; Larry Mlynowski; Targia Clarke; Anojja Shah; Lauren Kisilevsky; Susan Finkelberg-Sohmer; Judy Batalion; John and Vickie Swidler; Shari and Heather Endleman; Leslie Margolis; Meg Cabot; and BOB.

Extra love and kisses to Chloe, and my husband, Todd.