The Secret Life of Sparrow Delaney by Suzanne Harper Page B

sad book, or she found an earthworm drowned in a puddle. Almost any reason will do. We’ve learned just to hand her a tissue and go on with our lives.
    â€œI don’t cry,” I said, barring the door more firmly with my body, “and I’m fine.”
    â€œWell, all right,” she said reluctantly. “But if I can help in any way, please, please, please let me know. Do you promise, Sparrow?”
    â€œYes, yes, all right, I promise,” I said. The door closed, finally, and I leaned against it, heaving a huge sigh of relief.
    My relief was short-lived. Seconds later I heard hooting laughter from the front lawn. I leaned out my window and saw five of my bras festooned on tree branches in the front yard. And not just any bras. Back in the spring I had snagged an unusually lucrative babysitting job (holding the Thompson twins at bay for five hours, a task so onerous that their mother had guiltily doubled my fee when she returned home). I could have used the money for many dull and worthy items. Instead I had splurged at a Victoria’s Secret sale.
    Now my flaming red bra waved from the treetops like the flag of a defiant army, and the leopard-pattern bra fluttered saucily from a lower branch.
    Lark and Linnet were dancing beneath the trees, their long blond hair flying as they jumped up, trying to grab the bras. They were laughing insanely, as if they had never seen underwear before. (To be fair, they had probably never seen it dangling from tree branches, but I wasn’t in the mood to be terribly fair at that moment.)
    I raced down the stairs two steps at a time and burst out the front door.
    â€œSparrow, are these yours?” Lark yelled, jumping in the air and trying to grab the super low-cut version in bright purple. “Ooh, you are a sexy lady!”
    â€œGive me that!” I snatched a sunny yellow bra from Linnet’s hands. “Stop laughing! Stop yelling! Just . . . stop!”
    Fortunately Wren and Dove, alerted by the noise, came out of the front door, instantly figured out what was happening, and sprang into action. Wren ran for a broom and used it to dislodge the bras that still dangled from a high branch; I grabbed each one as it fluttered gracefully to the ground. Dove gently but firmly made the twins hand over the bras they were waving in the air. Ten minutes later I had an armful of underwear and a bright red face.
    â€œThanks,” I muttered to my two good sisters.
    â€œThanks a lot ,” I snarled at my two bad sisters.
    Wren looked from me to the trees, then back to me. Even after all that running and jumping and waving of the broom handle, she looked neat and composed. Every glossy hair of her short brown bob had fallen back into place, her crisp white shirt was still tucked into her skirt, and there wasn’t a grass mark or smudge of dirt to be seen on her gleaming white sneakers. “How in the world,” she said, “did your bras end up in the trees ?”
    Ah. Good question. I opened my mouth, then closed it again when I realized that I had no good answer. And now all my other sisters were staring at me with bewilderment gradually dawning on their faces as well.
    I was saved by, of all people, Raven. She stomped out onto the porch, her black hair flying around her head like a thunderstorm. She had worked the late shift at the convenience store again and was clearly not happy about being awakened by all the commotion. In fact she looked like an ancient goddess, the kind that strikes people dead with lightning bolts just for fun.
    â€œ Dr. Snell ,” she hissed.
    Everybody’s face cleared.
    â€œOf course,” Lark said.
    â€œThis is just the kind of thing that stupid ghost would think was funny!” Linnet said.
    â€œI keep telling Mother we should hold an exorcism,” Wren said, automatically leaning down to pluck a weed.
    â€œI could get the whole thing organized in a few days.”
    â€œThat seems a bit