Home, Sweet Haunt by P.J. Night Page B

LL exclaimed. “You must have been so scared.”
    Nora thought back to that morning. Oddly, she didn’t recall feeling fear. Her parents were so mellow about it all. Her dad said they’d be fine, and she believed him. “We could hear the fire trucks outside. And the voices in the hall.” Memories flooded over Nora. “I never thought that we might die. Or if I thought it, I never let the idea stick.”
    No one asked any questions, so Nora went on. “Theworst part was the heat. And the smoke.” She shivered. “It was hard to breathe.”
    â€œ Now I have goose bumps.” LL rubbed her arms.
    Caitlin put her arm around Nora. “So the fire department broke down the door?”
    â€œYes,” Nora said. She was actually relieved to be telling her new friends about that day. “They used axes to knock it down, then burst in with water hoses.” She closed her eyes as she recalled the strong woman who had picked her up and carried her down the apartment stairs. Nora had rested her head against the woman’s shoulder. She’d smelled like rose water perfume. It was a million times better than the smoke, and Nora hadn’t wanted to be set down when they reached the sidewalk.
    â€œMy mom, Dad, me, and Lucas, we were all put in an ambulance and given oxygen.” Nora cupped her hand over her mouth to show them what it was like. She could hear them all inhale as if reliving the experience alongside her.
    â€œI should write this down for you,” Aleah said. “You might want to write a book someday.”
    â€œI don’t think I’ll ever forget the details of that night,” Nora told her, then added, “You can write thebook about me, if you want.” She considered the project and said, “I might draw the pictures for it.” After she took art classes, of course. If gymnastics wasn’t a perfect fit, art classes could be next on the list of things to try.
    Having spent so much time with Caitlin and her friends that night, Nora was now even more determined to find something she was really, really good at.
    â€œWhat happened next?” LL asked.
    Nora started to spill all about her parents and their financial cutbacks and school, but suddenly stopped herself. “Can I use your computer for a sec?” Nora asked Aleah.
    â€œSure,” Aleah said. She turned the laptop toward Nora.
    Nora stared down at the keyboard. How long had it been since her computer had fried in the fire? Two months, but it felt like forever since she’d typed. Nora ran her fingers across the keys. They made little clicky noises. It was all she could do to stay focused on what she wanted to show her friends instead of taking a few minutes extra to check her e-mail account. Though who would e-mail her? Not like Hallie and Lindsay were sending messages.
    She’d love to play a game. There were so many she’d liked before her parents let the Internet go.
    Nora used to like surfing around websites. Reading strange facts, movie reviews, the latest fashion, watching funny videos. She set her hands flat over Aleah’s keyboard and wondered what had happened on all her favorite TV shows.
    It was amazing how much she’d taken her computer and the Internet for granted when she’d had them, and how much she missed it now that she didn’t.
    Nora sighed.
    And focused.
    She typed information about the fire into the search bar.
    Only one video popped up.
    â€œHere.” Nora turned the screen so that everyone could see. And then she pressed play.
    The blond reporter, the one who had been the first to arrive on the scene, was standing on the sidewalk below Nora’s window, holding a microphone in her hand.
    Nora sat up straighter. She’d never actually seen the news report. This first part was what she’d seen through her window.
    A few minutes in, Mrs. Daugherty came out onto the sidewalk in her pink robe and