She looked toward home. Mama had told her to go from her sight. Raven couldn’t go back or even be seen.
She walked toward Jackie’s house. When she got to the fence between Hooper and Taft land, she sat in the tall grass. She stayed on Hooper’s side, looking through the fence at the glowing windows of Jackie’s house.
She woke shaking with chills. She couldn’t stop her jaw from bouncing her teeth together. They rattled like a woodpecker drumming on wood.
Jackie’s house was dark. Only the front porch light was on. Raven imagined Jackie asleep in his bed with the fake stars shining over him. She imagined getting under his blanket and feeling how warm he was. She imagined him saying, “It’s okay, Raven. Everything will be okay.”
She slid through the fence rails. She was so cold, she could hardly think what to do. She only could go to Jackie.
The moon shined down on his little yellow house like it was a pretty drawing in a book. She walked quietly to the back door. It was locked. She went to the rooster statue where they hid the key and found it underneath. Her hand was shaking so much, she could hardly get the key in the lock.
The heat in the house felt good. Raven crept toward the stairs, trying not to creak the old wood floors. Ms. Taft slept in the big bedroom downstairs. Jackie and Huck were in the small rooms upstairs. Raven made it to the stairs without making any noise, but the steps squeaked a few times as she went up.
Jackie’s door was open, and a little light was on in the bathroom he shared with Huck. She went in Jackie’s room and softly closed the door behind her.
“Jackie,” she whispered, touching his arm.
“What?” he said in a sleepy voice.
“I’m cold,” she said.
He sat up and looked at her. “Raven?”
“Shh!”
“What are you doing here?”
“I asked my mother if I could go to school.”
“What happened?”
“She got mad. She said to get out of her sight.”
He stared at her, his face white in the moonlight.
“I’m so cold. Can I come under the blanket?”
“You’ve been outside all night?”
“Yes.”
“We need to tell my mom!”
“No! She’ll take me home! There will be a big fight!”
“Raven—”
“Please don’t tell her! I only want to get warm for a little while.”
He moved back in the bed and held up the covers. She took off her soaked socks and lay down with her back to him. He dropped the covers over her. It felt so good.
“You’re wet,” he said.
“From the creek and grass.”
“Are you shaking?”
“Yes.”
He put his arm around her. “Is that better?”
“Yes.”
They didn’t say anything for a long time. Her shaking stopped.
“Why aren’t your stars shining?” she asked.
“They absorb light and lose it after a while at night.”
“Why?”
“I don’t know.”
She was glad real stars didn’t lose their light.
“What will we say in the morning?” he asked.
“I’ll leave before your mom sees me.”
“We should tell her.”
“No.”
The soft whir of heat blowing into the room made her sleepy.
“I guess you finally got your sleepover,” he said.
“I wanted it to be fun,” she said, almost crying.
He pulled her in tighter. “Well, it’s nice . . . that you’re here.”
“Is it?”
“Yeah. I always wanted you to stay over.”
She would never be able to again. She would have to be like the stars on his ceiling, absorb the glowy feeling for as long as it lasted. After that, everything would go dark. Probably forever.
She fell asleep before she got to absorb enough of being with Jackie in his room at night. She woke to the smell of coffee and the sound of Ms. Taft clinking dishes downstairs. The sun was already making the sky gray.
She climbed out of the bed and looked down the stairs. She was trapped. Ms. Taft would see her if she tried to leave. She went back to Jackie’s room and closed the door, sitting on his beanbag chair, watching him sleep. She put on her socks, now mostly dry.
The stairs creaked. Ms. Taft was coming. Raven ran into the closet and closed the door.
She heard Ms. Taft in Huck’s room saying, “Time to get up, Huck. First day of school. You have a really great teacher this year.”
Huck made a sleepy, groaning sound. He acted like he didn’t want his mother to be his teacher, but Raven had figured out that he and Reece were glad about it. Raven would give anything to have lessons with Ms. Taft.
Next Ms. Taft came in Jackie’s room. “Time to get up, Jackie. First day of school, sweetheart.”
Jackie must have gotten out of bed fast because she said, “Wow, you’re bright eyed and bushy tailed this morning. Do you know what you’ll wear?”
“Yes,” he said.
When Raven heard the door close, she peeked out of the closet. Jackie stared at her with wide eyes.
“I forgot to get up,” she said. “Will your mom come upstairs again?”
“Not unless Huck doesn’t get out of bed.”
“Go wake him up.”
“He’s probably awake. He usually gets up faster than I do.”
The door opened too quickly for Raven to hide. “Who are you talking to?” Huck said, bursting in. He gaped at Raven.
“Shh! Close the door!” Jackie said.
Huck closed it behind him. “Why are you here?” he whispered.
“I was cold,” she said.
“Her mom made her leave her house last night,” Jackie said. “She was mad because Raven asked to go to school.”
“Oh my god,” Huck said. “Did she hit you or anything?”
Raven shook her head.
“Don’t tell Mom,” Jackie said.
“If she finds out, she’ll probably call the police,” Huck said.
“The police!” Jackie said.
“Yeah. It’s illegal to treat your kid like that.”
Raven’s stomach felt sick, and her legs were wobbly.
Huck saw how scared she was. “I won’t tell her,” he said. He looked out the door to make sure his mother was downstairs. “Stay up here while we have breakfast and leave after we go. Use the back door and make sure you lock it behind you. The key is under the rooster.”
“Can I get dressed in your room?” Jackie asked.
Huck smiled. “Yeah.”
Jackie got his clothes and
