Free Falcon Quinn and the Black Mirror by Jennifer Finney Boylan Page B

space,” said Falcon. “The parlor.”
    The tiny boy went out into the hallway. The door to the girls’ room opened at this same moment, and Destynee and Merideath came out.
    â€œThis is Merideath and Destynee,” said Falcon. “They’re vampires. Supposedly.”
    â€œWe are so totally vampires,” said Merideath.
    â€œPlease don’t speak that way,” said Lincoln. “It’s demeaning. I know I’m not well. That’s why I’m here. To get better. That’s why all of us are here.”
    â€œActually,” said Falcon, “we’re here because we’re monsters. They’re vampires. And you—I think you’re some kind of, like, bear. Thing.”
    â€œA werebear?” said Lincoln. He shook his head. “This again.”
    â€œI’m serious,” said Falcon. “Last night you came into my room and tore it into little pieces. Busted up the chair, clawed the wall. You pinned me to the floor and breathed this kind of nasty mist on me. I think you knocked me out with it.”
    â€œListen,” said Lincoln Pugh. “My father tried to tell these same fairy tales to me. That I changed at night into some sort of creature. I would not listen to him, and I will not listen to you. We need to face the facts! We all have problems, with reality . That’s why we’re here. To accept reality!”
    And with that, Lincoln Pugh walked into the bathroom with his toothbrush and closed the door.
    Destynee and Merideath stared at Falcon.
    â€œHe is definitely some kind of werebear,” said Falcon.“You should have seen him last night. He trashed the room completely.”
    â€œHim?” said Merideath. “A werebear?”
    Destynee was staring at Falcon’s face. “Hey,” she said. “What’s the story with your eyes, anyway?”
    â€œYeah,” said Merideath. “Your eyes are weird.”
    â€œWhat do you mean?”
    â€œYour eyes are two different colors. They’re weird.”
    â€œThey’ve always been different colors. I was born this way, okay? It’s not my fault!”
    â€œJeez,” said Merideath. “Somebody got out of the wrong side of the casket today.”
    Megan came out of her room wearing a robe. She tried to get into the bathroom, but it was locked.
    â€œSorry, Megan,” said Merideath. “Falcon’s new roommate is in there.”
    â€œReally?” said Megan. “What’s he like?”
    Merideath rolled her eyes. “He’s a werenerd.”
    From outside came the roar of an engine. They all moved toward the window, expecting to see the school bus. Instead a beat-up van came lurching down the drive. One of its doors opened, and although the van hadn’t really stopped, a young man with rumpled blond hair either jumped or was pushed out. He landed on his feet, turned back toward the van, and yelled something after it as it roared away. Just before the van reached the gates,a duffel bag was thrown out of one of the windows and landed in the dirt. The boy again yelled something at the driver, who roared through the Academy’s gates, leaving the young man standing there in a cloud of dust. After a moment he walked over to the duffel, heaved one of its straps over his shoulder, and began to walk angrily toward the main stairs leading up to Castle Grisleigh.
    There was a buzzing sound from overhead, and they looked up to see Pearl flying down from the high shelf where she had slept. She hovered in front of Lincoln Pugh, who had just opened the bathroom door. “And good day to you, Señor Weird Glasses,” she said. “I am— ¡la Chupakabra! ”
    Lincoln took off his glasses and rubbed his eyes. “Not seeing this,” he said. “Not seeing this.”
    â€œThe famous goatsucker of Peru!”
    Lincoln put his glasses back on, but he did not appear to believe what he saw. “Impossible,”