Free Bewitching by Alex Flinn Page A

dumb, even to me.
    I snuck downstairs and knocked on Lisette’s door. “You forgot these,” I said when she answered the door, red-eyed.
    She gestured that I should come in. “Your mom hates me.”
    “She’s just…” Just what? Selfish? What could I say that wouldn’t make her sound awful? Nothing. “She doesn’t like change.”
    “I was trying to be so perfect, but she didn’t even give me a chance.”
    I remembered Mother’s comment about Lisette saying “ma’am.” Trying to be perfect would explain that.
    “Maybe don’t try so hard. She’ll like you better once she gets to know the real you.” I knew she wouldn’t.
    “I hope so.” Lisette’s eyes darted to the garbage bag still on the floor. “God, I miss my mom.”
    I held out the armload of clothing and books. “I brought you some outfits. And some books too. I thought maybe if we read the same things, we could discuss them, and that would help you in English.”
    “Cool!” She took them from me. “The books look awesome! You’re so generous.”
    “No big deal. I already read them.”
    “Still.” She threw her arms around me. “Oh, Emma, I’m so glad you’re here at least.”
    I hugged her back, listening for the shower to go off upstairs. I could not believe this cool girl was going to be my sister.

4

    It was five-thirty when I heard the garage door open and, through the window, saw Daddy’s car pull in. I ran downstairs to greet him. I wanted to be there when he met Lisette.
    But, when I got there, she was already wrapped in his arms.
    “Oh, baby,” he said, “it’s been so long. Too long.”
    Lisette was crying. Again. “I always wanted—”
    “I know. I’m sorry. I’m sorry it had to be like this, but at least we’re together now.”
    I started to back away. It had been dumb of me, thinking I could horn in on their moment, their reunion. As I stepped back, I stumbled into the sunken living room and plunged headfirst into the sofa, my knee hitting the edge of the glass coffee table. I squeezed my teeth together to keep from shrieking. Lisette saw it all. She looked down.
    Finally, my father let go of her. “Let me take a look at you. Man, you’ve grown.”
    That was when I saw what she was wearing. My jeans, the ones I’d given her, and one of my shirts. The jeans fit all wrong, huge in the waist and hips but way too short, and the Hollister shirt had a big yellow stain on it. Now I remembered spilling Coke on it. The expensive clothes looked like they’d come from the Salvation Army.
    “But we need to get you some new clothes,” Dad said.
    “Oh.” Lisette gestured down at her outfit. “Emma gave me these. Wasn’t that sweet of her, to let me have her old clothes she doesn’t want anymore?” She whirled around, modeling the mess of an outfit. As she did, the pants dropped down, and she had to pull them up. She must have been a size zero. “They’re fine. I just need a belt, maybe. I have one though. You don’t have to buy me anything.”
    “Nah, I’ll take you shopping. Those things don’t even fit.”
    That was when he spotted me. “Hey, Em. Can you tell your mom to wait dinner? I’m going to take Lisette shopping.”
    “You don’t have to do that,” she protested again.
    “I’ve missed ten years of Christmases and birthdays. Now’s my chance to make them up.” He hugged her again. I limped out of the room.
    During dinner, Mother glowered at me. Daddy had called to tell us to go ahead and eat without them. He and Lisette were going to Swenson’s.
    After dinner, I went to my room and waited. Had Mother been right about Lisette, that she was trying to steal Daddy from me? It almost seemed that way. I hadn’t noticed the spot on the shirt, but now I wondered if Lisette had purposely chosen the worst thing I’d given her, just to make herself look more pathetic. Couldn’t she have worn her own pants if mine hadn’t fit? Did she just want to make me look bad?
    I didn’t go downstairs when