Iva Honeysuckle Discovers the World by Candice Ransom Page B

stay.”
    â€œThanks.” Heaven lay on her side, facing Iva, and huffed in her ear, “Yesterday was fun, wasn’t it?”
    â€œDigging garbage in the hot sun is your idea of fun?”
    â€œYeah.”
    Iva giggled. It had been kind of fun, in a weird way. Even more weird, she and Heaven had actually gotten along.
    â€œYou know, you do interesting stuff,” Heaven said. “Like that treasure map. You figured out the clues and looked for it all by yourself. And you almost found it!”
    â€œThe gold could be anywhere. If it’s there at all,” Iva said glumly.
    â€œI bet you’ll find it.” Iva knew Heaven was tuning up for an all-night gab fest. “I could help you look. We could—”
    â€œI want to go to sleep now.” If she didn’t cut her off, Heaven would jabber until daybreak.
    â€œOkay. G’night.” And, miracle of miracles, her cousin shut up.
    Heaven conked out almost instantly. Iva worried the tent would collapse under the force of her snoring.
    Rolling over, Iva gazed up at the sky. Katydids wheek-wheeked in the treetops. A thin moon seemed to curve around the first stars.
    She wondered if all the stars had been discovered yet. She wondered about that friend business. Miz Compton could be right. If Iva wanted a friend, maybe she’d have to be one first.
    Heaven mumbled something. Great, Iva thought. She talks in her sleep.
    A white streak arced across the sky. Iva traced the path of the falling star, fascinated. It seemed certain where it was going. The star appeared to drop behind Heaven’s head.

    Was that a sign? Was the friend she’d been looking for really her mouth-breathing, troublesome double-first cousin?
    The tent flap fluttered as Heaven snored.
    Maybe, Iva thought. Maybe the grand plan might work after all.