Free Before and Ever Since (9781101612286) by Sharla Lovelace Page A

on whatever I was doing. The usual.
    Her hair was redder, mine was blonder, and neither of us appeared to have an ounce of body fat. I remembered we were long and lanky, but I didn’t remember looking quite so awkward.
    Mini-me pulled her socks off as well and bounced to the window, right at me. I held my breath as she sat on the window box on her knees, opening the window and leaning out to suck in the fresh night air. Six inches closer and I could have touched her—me—her. I could see the brand-new burn on the inside of her right calf, the one that came from riding on the back of Uncle Tommy’s motorcycle and accidentally letting my leg fall against the hot engine. I pulled up my jeans leg above where my boot was and fingered the scar left there.
    â€œCan you hear me?” I asked her. She didn’t blink. “If you can,” I continued, “don’t cheat on the social studies test. Mrs. Cartwright is watching.”
    What the heck, it was worth a shot.
    â€œI’m telling you, it’s not that scary, you’re being a big baby,” mini-me said to Holly.
    â€œI’m not scared, it’s just stupid,” Holly said, keeping her arms crossed and jutting one hip out to look older. “Mom and Dad would board up that window forever if they knew you were climbing out of it every night.”
    â€œAnd I didn’t invite them in, now did I?”
    Holly huffed. “Well, I’m not going to go climb around on the roof in the dark,” she said, landing on the bed and crossing her legs. “That’s retarded.”
    Mini-me rolled her eyes and shook her head, turning back to the window. “You’re such a stump, Holly, I swear.”
    â€œOh, please,” Holly said with a laugh, twisting the ends of her hair around her fingers. “You just want to see if that crazy boy comes back.”
    I sucked in a breath at the same time mini-me whirled around. I remembered this.
    â€œI do not!”
    â€œBullshit,” Holly said. “You’ve been glued to that roof ever since that psycho showed up the other night.”
    â€œHe’s not a psycho,” mini-me said, her nose scrunching up in anger. “Don’t talk about him like that or I’ll tell Dad you’re cussing.”
    â€œAnd I’ll tell him you’re sneaking out at night.”
    Mini-me’s face got all sarcastic and it was so much like Cassidy’s that I laughed out loud. “Oh, sneaking out?” she said, pointing out the window. “A whole ten feet?”
    â€œYou know good and well they’d ground you for a month, Emmie, so don’t act all tough with me,” Holly said, still playing with her hair.
    â€œWhatever,” mini-me said, seeming to realize she’d lost her leverage. She sat flat on the window box with her arms around her knees. “And I’ve been going on the roof since the third grade, long before Ben ever came over, so shut up.”
    â€œWhy would anybody do that?” she asked. “Climb around on other people’s property, climb around on their roof? He’s gonna get shot one day doing things like that.”
    Mini-me gave her a look. “You may as well be a hundred and one years old, Holly. You sound like an old woman.”
    Holly shot her the finger, which mini-me promptly returned before turning back to the window. “Sorry I ever invited you. Go back to your crocheting, old lady.”
    â€œWhatever,” Holly shot back. “Go visit your freaky boyfriend.”
    â€œHe’s not my boyfriend, he’s my friend, and you’d better shut up or I’ll tell him you have the hots for his brother.”
    Holly’s face flushed pink, and she scooped her hair back. “I do not!”
    Mini-me laughed, and so did I as I remembered how she really did have a major crush on Bobby Landry, who never even gave her a second glance.
    â€œYeah, you do, I heard you and Katy Pritchard