Fade by Lisa McMann

lives depend on their shared breath, and urgently
    making love for the first time, with their eyes and bodies, like it"s the
    only chance they"ll ever have.
    ı
    In the evening, as they lie together in Cabel"s bed, she knows it"s time.
    Before she reads the green notebook, before what happens, happens, she
    needs to say what she feels. Because he is the only one who matters.
    She practices in her mind.
    Forms the words with her mouth.
    Then tries them, softly, out loud.
    ı
    “I love you, Cabe.”
    ı
    He"s quiet, and she wonders if he"s sleeping.
    But then he buries his face in her neck.
    February 1, 2006
    Janie spends the school week swapping sexual innuendos with Mr.
    Durbin, trading confusing glances with Mr. Wang, and bantering spiteful
    barbs with Coach Crater.
    Cabel tracks down the whereabouts of last semester"s Chem. 2
    class.
    He"s working madly behind the scenes, not saying much about it. Controlling his feelings about the creep being near the woman he loves.
    Knowing if he says what he"s really thinking, the tension grows between
    them.
    “So,” he says carefully, “it"s you and six other students on this trip, plus
    Durbin. And who"s your female chaperone?”
    Janie glances up from her chemistry book. “Mrs. Pancake.”
    Cabel scribbles in his notebook.
    “Four girls. You have a room together?”
    “No, I thought I"d sleep in Durbin"s room,” Janie says.
    “Har, har.” Cabel scowls at Janie, and then tosses her chemistry

book
    aside and tackles her. He buries his fingers into her hair and kisses her.
    “You"re asking for trouble, Hannagan,” he growls.
    “And you would be…?” Janie asks. She giggles.
    “Trouble.”
    ON HER OWN
    February 5, 2006, 5:15 a.m.
    Janie, sprawled out on Cabel"s couch, finally finds Miss Stubin on Janie"s own terms.
    ı
    She"s on the bench. Miss Stubin is there, next to her. It"s dusk. Perpetual
    rain.
    “I"m going on an overnight trip with the teacher who we think is the
    sexual predator. Some of his former students are going too—they may
    be victims,” Janie says.
    “What season is it?” Miss Stubin asks.
    Janie looks at her, puzzled. “Winter. It"s February.”
    “Wear a bulky coat to disguise the shaking in case you get sucked into a
    nightmare. Drape it over you. You"re taking a school van?”
    “Yes.”
    “Grab the backseat. And if you get sucked into a dream that"s unimportant to the case, pull out of it. Don"t waste your strength. You
    can pull out of them now, can"t you?”
    “Most of the time—the regular dreams, anyway. Not always with nightmares.”
    “Keep working at that. It"s very important.”
    “I want to try pausing the dreams. Panning the scene. How did you do
    that?”
    “It"s all about focus, just as you focus to pull out of dreams, Janie. Just
    as you focus to help people change their dreams. Stare hard at the
    subject and talk to them with your mind. Tell them to stop. Focus on
    panning first—that comes most easily. Then pausing the scene. Who
    knows, perhaps you"ll be able to zoom and rewind someday—that really
    comes in handy when solving crimes. And keep studying the meanings
    of dreams too. You"ve read books on the subject, haven"t you?”
    “Yes.”
    “Your work will be easier the more you can interpret some of the strange
    aspects that naturally occur in dreams. This, too, will help you immensely. Study my notes, see how I"ve interpreted dreams over the
    years.”
    Janie nods, then blushes, remembering Miss Stubin can"t see her.
    “I will.
    Miss Stubin?”
    “Yes, Janie?”
    “About the green notebook…”
    “Ah, you"ve found it, then.”
    “Yes.”
    “Go on.”
    “Does Captain know about it? About what"s in it?”
    “No. Not the notebook.”
    “Does she know anything about how dream catching works?”
    “Some,” Miss Stubin says guardedly. “We talked a little over the years.
    She"s certainly someone you can talk to when you need to.”
    “Does anyone else understand this besides you and me?”
    Miss Stubin