Free Thea at Sixteen by Susan Beth Pfeffer Page B

hardly any pushing from her two older sisters. Claire, on the other hand, looked right at home. She cast appraising glances at every man she saw, and gave more careful looks to the male doctors. The men looked back at her. Thea wondered what Claire would be like if she weren’t so beautiful, and then realized she wouldn’t be Claire. Claire was her beauty. She was all magnificent exterior.
    â€œThis is Gina’s ward,” Thea whispered. “Come on. Let’s go over so you can meet her.”
    â€œThrillsville,” Claire muttered, but she led Sybil to the bed that Thea pointed them to.
    â€œGina, hi, how are you?” Thea asked.
    â€œI’m okay,” Gina said. Thea noticed how listless she looked, and how small in comparison to Sybil. This was the Gina who was dying, not the twelve-year-old Gina Thea was used to.
    â€œI brought you some visitors,” Thea declared. “Gina, I want you to meet two of my sisters, Claire and Sybil.”
    Gina pulled herself up in her bed, and Thea rearranged her pillows to give her some support. “Really?” Gina said. “They’re really Claire and Sybil?”
    â€œWhat do you think, that she’d hire ringers?” Claire asked. “Thea doesn’t have that kind of imagination. Hi, Gina. I’m Claire.”
    â€œAnd I’m Sybil,” Sybil said. She extended her hand for Gina to shake. Thea noticed it was shaking, and gave Sybil five extra points for bravery.
    â€œI can’t believe you’re really here,” Gina said. “Thea’s told me so much about you, and I’ve wanted to meet you, and now you’re actually here.”
    â€œWe wanted to meet you, too,” Claire said. “Thea hasn’t talked about anyone else since the two of you became friends.”
    Thea couldn’t believe what she was hearing. Claire was being nice. Where was the catch?
    â€œI like her so much,” Gina said. “You’re so lucky to have a sister like her.”
    â€œWe know,” Sybil said. At least Claire didn’t agree. Thea was starting to worry that Claire herself had hired the ringer. “Do you have any sisters, Gina?”
    Gina nodded. “One,” she said. “Her name is Dani.”
    â€œI know her,” Claire said. “We’re not in any of the same classes, but I’ve seen her around school. She’s very pretty.”
    â€œYou really know Dani?” Gina asked.
    â€œShe probably doesn’t know me,” Claire said. “I’m new to the school. We move around a lot. I don’t know if you know what that’s like, but when you go to a lot of different schools, it pays if you figure out fast who’s important and who isn’t. I guessed that Dani must be important because she’s so pretty and popular.”
    Thea balanced herself against the chair to keep from fainting.
    â€œYou have a big brother, too, don’t you?” Sybil asked. “Thea’s mentioned him to us.”
    â€œKip,” Gina said. “He’ll be here soon. He comes every day after work to visit.”
    â€œThat’s great,” Sybil said. “You must be happy to see him.”
    â€œI am,” Gina said. “Before Thea became my Friendly Visitor, Kip was the only visitor I had. Him and my mom. Dani would come, too, but she’s so busy with school and her friends. She means to come a lot, but then stuff happens, and she can’t.”
    â€œShe should come more often,” Claire said sharply. But then she smiled at Gina. “She could check out all the handsome doctors if she did.” She winked broadly.
    Gina laughed and was almost herself again. It hurt Thea to see how much worse Gina was than she’d been four days earlier. Gina really was going to die. Thea began to believe what Kip kept telling her.
    â€œI don’t know why I’m babbling this way,” Claire said. “I hear from Thea that