Читать книгу The Night Flyer's Handbook 2-Book Bundle - Philippa Dowding - Страница 25

I put my wagon in the hut at the back of the house, and I take Cassie and me in for some lunch.

Now this is not like a big deal or anything, and I don’t want to make too much of it, but when I go to the bathroom, I get my period.

It isn’t the first time, but it’s still new enough that I’m surprised at first. Mom got me some pads the last time, so I know what to do. I get cleaned up and go and watch TV, eating tinned chicken soup. Cassie joins me on the couch and falls asleep snoring against my leg.

My head is spinning a little. I want to talk more to Mrs. Forest, but I also don’t want to go outside. It’s hot out there now, and I’m starting to feel a little headachy.

I want to ask Mrs. Forest a lot more questions: Do I have to fly every night? When am I going to get some sleep? Does anyone else in the neighbourhood fly around too? The police chief? The librarian? Any of my teachers? The thought of Mr. Marcus floating around at night along with me gives me the creeps.

Do I have any say in this at all?

I think about the giant handbook upstairs under my bed. I know I should go and start reading it, but I’m too comfortable curled up on the couch with Cassie to move. Truth is, I’m a little worried about that handbook. What if it tells me something I don’t want to know? It looks so out-of-date too, how can it really be about me? I put it off.

And honestly, I’m not exactly the world’s strongest reader, even with skinny books. The sheer size of that book just worries me.

My mom and the twins come home around two o’clock in the afternoon. I’m sort of dozing on the couch and jump up when they come in.

The Chrissies roar past me with huge ice cream cones dripping down their arms, without saying hello.

My mom comes in and kisses my head then looks worried. She runs her hand over my forehead like she did whenever I had a fever when I was little.

“Gwen, are you feeling okay?” she asks. “You’re pale as a ghost.” She hands me a huge cup of chocolate chip ice cream as she says this, which does a lot to improve my mood.

“I’m okay. I’m a little tired,” I say as I take the wooden spoon that comes with the ice cream and shovel a spoonful into my mouth. The ice cream is good and cool and sweet. I lower my voice. “I just got my period.” It’s kind of a new thing for me to say to my mom, and it still feels a little weird.

She nods and says, “Oh,” like it makes a lot of sense. “Well, come help me unload the groceries, then you can go out with Jez if you want,” she adds.

She hugs me and doesn’t say anything more. I want to say, “Mom, I need to tell you something else,” but I just don’t know how.

How do you tell your mother you can fly?

It’s probably going to come up, but I just don’t know how to start that conversation.

So I don’t.