“What are you doing up here?” asked Willow. “Listening for radio signals from space?”
“Too much cloud cover.” Lucy glanced at the clipping from The ET Bee pinned to the corkboard above her desk. The headline read: “Do Aliens Use Bad Weather to Hide from Sight?” Lucy knew the answer: You bet they flippin’ do. She gathered up the newspaper and put it back together in no particular order. “I think I’m gonna hit the hay early tonight.”
“Your bedtime’s not for two hours,” said Willow.
“What can I say?” Lucy stretched her arms and yawned, fairly convincingly. “I’m bushed.”
“You’re not in your pyjamas.”
“I was … just about to change.” Keep it together, Lucita. Sneaking out is all in the details. She had googled it.
Willow kicked a pile of dirty clothes and hopped over to sit on the rumpled bed. “Did you hear there was another Bigfoot sighting?” She chewed the strings of her pink unicorn hoodie. “Dad says Sasquatches only eat boys, but Mom says they’re equal opportunity.”
Lucy snorted. “Please. Only babies and tourists believe in dumb stuff like Bigfoot.”
“You believe in fairies,” Willow sneered.
“I believe in transdimensional beings who’ve been MISTAKEN for fairies.”
“Whatever.” Willow rolled her eyes. “Errol ran off after dinner again. You’re not supposed to feed him people food.”
“Eating only dog food is boring, Will.” Lucy checked the clock. “Did you want something?”
“Mom and Dad wanna know if you’re gonna come make up songs with us,” said Willow.
Three nights in a row? “Thanks for the invite, but like I said, I’m bushed.”
“It’s only eight o’clock,” Willow complained. “What are you, five?” She picked up a toy Yoda from the bookshelf and started messing with its ears.
Lucy snatched the precious Jedi out of her hands. “OK, time to go.”
“I wasn’t gonna break your doll.”
“Figurine,” Lucy corrected. She scooted her sister out to the golden pine landing. “Tell Mom and Dad not to wake me up. It’s a school night.”
“Fine.” Willow stuck out her tongue and, mercifully, headed downstairs.
Lucy turned off all the lights and got into bed fully clothed. She stared impatiently into darkness until it was well past Willow’s nine o’clock bedtime. Nobody came upstairs to check on her. It’s time.
TO BE CONTINUED…
Copyright
First published in the UK in 2020 by Nosy Crow Ltd
The Crow’s Nest, 14 Baden Place,
Crosby Row, London SE1 1YW
Nosy Crow and associated logos are trademarks and/or registered trademarks of Nosy Crow Ltd
Text © Dashe Roberts, 2020
Cover and chapter opener illustrations copyright © Bill Bragg, 2020
The right of Dashe Roberts to be identified as the author of this work has been asserted.
All rights reserved
ISBN: 978 1 78800 817 4
eISBN: 978 1 78800 818 1
A CIP catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library
This book is sold subject to the condition that it shall not, by way of trade or otherwise, be lent, hired out or otherwise circulated in any form of binding or cover other than that in which it is published. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise) without the prior written permission of Nosy Crow Ltd.
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