The Key to the Golden Firebird by Maureen Johnson Page A

her how she was doing.
    Today had reminded May, with shocking clarity, of what the first few weeks had been like last year. Constantly being watched. Constantly being asked if she was all right. Having conversations stop when she walked by. Facing that strange collage of forced smiles and concerned expressions at every single turn. Repeating the mantra “I’m fine” over and over again until it lost all meaning, and she had no idea what fine was anymore.
    So this was really a perfect time for Nell to be her normal rambling self and allow May to fade into the background. Unfortunately, she decided to act completely out of character and paused and took a good long look at May’s face.
    â€œYou look kind of weird, Ape,” she said. “Are you sick?”
    â€œNo,” May said, rattling a coffee mug full of tiny flags that sat by the cash register.
    â€œMaybe you’re a little toxic.”
    â€œToxic?”
    â€œFrom dairy. Your vessels could be clogged up.”
    â€œVessels?”
    â€œDairy is harsh on the digestive system. So is meat. Do you know that it takes seven years for a piece of meat to leave your system? It rots in your body. Maybe you should do a cleanse. You should get some psyllium husk….”
    â€œYeah…so you were about to say? About Pete?”
    â€œOh, right!” Nell smiled brightly and pulled herself up on the counter. “Pete collects movies, did you know that? We watched The Fearless Vampire Killers , which is just classic. We’re really alike.”
    May doubted this but made no objection.
    â€œAnd this you will not believe, Ape. He asked me to his prom. How hilarious is that? We didn’t even have a prom at my school—we had ‘The Collective Experience,’ which was like an all-night thing with music and poetry readings and then we all went swimming at like two in the morning. So now I have toget a prom dress and prom shoes and a manicure , and all that. Seriously, how funny is this?”
    â€œThat’s…funny.”
    â€œKnow what’s cool, Ape? Pete’s got freckles on his eyelids. So when he closes his eyes, you can barely tell where they are. It’s like they’re camouflaged.”
    May suddenly felt a throbbing along her left temple and a pressing need to get out of Presto immediately.
    â€œYou know, I really don’t feel well,” May said. “I think I have to go across the parking lot to get some aspirin from the drugstore. I’ll be right back.”
    Â 
    When she arrived home four hours later, May was less than thrilled to see Pete’s car sitting in her driveway, right behind the minivan. She looked at her watch. It was almost nine o’clock. He’d picked Palmer up over three hours before. It made no sense for him to still be here.
    She dismounted, wheeled the Brown Hornet into the garage, and slipped in quietly through the kitchen. The first strange part was the silence. No blaring TV. Then the faint laughter. May followed the sound until she reached the doorway to the living room. She paused for a moment and listened. Palmer and Pete were talking. And laughing. Her appearance stopped them both cold.
    â€œYou’re still here,” she said.
    â€œOh…yeah.” Pete glanced between Palmer and May. “We were just talking.”
    â€œWhere’s Brooks?” May said, looking up and around the room as if her sister might be clinging to the ceiling like a spider. “I have to kill her.”
    â€œShe’s sleeping,” Pete said. “She seemed kind of sick today.”
    â€œPete and I were talking,” Palmer said suddenly. She looked at May with a decidedly unfriendly expression.
    â€œOkay, then…,” May said. “I’m starving. I’m going to make something to eat. Anybody want some dinner?”
    â€œWe ate,” Palmer said.
    â€œWe?”
    â€œPete and I.”
    â€œYou went out?” May asked.