Thea at Sixteen by Susan Beth Pfeffer

Sybil’s really the one you want to meet.”
    â€œWe’re the same age,” Gina said. “But Sybil’s a year ahead of me in school.”
    â€œI haven’t been sick,” Sybil said, looking as though she were about to be. “I guess you’ve had to miss a lot.”
    â€œIt’s okay,” Gina said. “My mother brings me homework to do. Thea’s been helping me with my spelling. She says you’re a wonderful speller, Sybil.”
    â€œYeah, I guess so,” Sybil said. “Thea, is there a water cooler around here?”
    â€œI’ll show you where it is,” Thea said. “Claire, can you entertain Gina while we’re gone?”
    â€œI’ll try,” Claire said. “I hear you read TV Dreamstars , Gina.” She found the copy by Gina’s bedside, and Thea left the two of them poring over it, comparing favorites.
    â€œI feel awful,” Sybil said.
    â€œYou’re acting like a baby,” Thea told her. “Why can’t you be more like Claire. I don’t believe I said that.”
    â€œIt’s easy for Claire,” Sybil declared. “She doesn’t care. She’s just playing a part.”
    â€œThen you play a part, too,” Thea said. “If Claire can pretend to be nice, then you can pretend to be human. You’re a lot closer to it than she is.”
    Sybil didn’t laugh. “Gina looks terrible,” she said instead. “I didn’t think she’d look so sick.”
    â€œI know,” Thea replied. “I never saw her look this bad.”
    â€œDo you think she’s going to die today?” Sybil asked. “While we’re with her?”
    â€œNo,” Thea said. “Gina isn’t going to die today. I promise.”
    â€œHow can you be so sure?” Sybil asked.
    â€œThey wouldn’t have let all of us visit if Gina was that sick,” Thea declared. “Look, just hang in there a few more minutes, until Kip arrives. Claire will check him out, and then she’ll want to leave, too. The two of you can go home then. All right?”
    â€œAll right,” Sybil said. “I really hate hospitals, Thea. Before today, I just thought I did, but now that I’ve been in one, I know how much I hate them.”
    â€œYou’ll be out of this one in half an hour,” Thea said. “And then you won’t have to come back until you have a baby.”
    â€œI’ll adopt,” Sybil replied. “I feel better now. Let’s go back.”
    Thea and Sybil walked back to Gina’s bed. Claire had made herself comfortable on it, and was telling Gina a story that Gina was obviously entranced with.
    â€œAnd then Nicky said, ‘That wasn’t mouse poison, that was caviar!’” Claire said, and Gina burst into giggles. “Honestly, Gina. I figured if I had to make a mistake, at least I did it the right way. Think what would have happened if Nicky had served all those business people mouse poison, thinking it was caviar. But Nicky didn’t see it that way at all.”
    â€œDid he punish you?” Gina asked.
    Claire tossed her hair away from her eyes. Thea was struck, as she often was, by Claire’s resemblance to Nicky. “Nicky never punishes me,” she said. “He always means to, but somehow he never gets around to it.”
    â€œDoes your mother punish you?” Sybil asked.
    â€œNot since I’ve been sick,” Gina replied. “It used to drive Dani crazy. I’d do something wrong, and Mom wouldn’t say anything about it. Dani says when she does something wrong, Mom really lets her have it.”
    â€œLife is so unfair,” Claire said. “Isn’t it, Gina?”
    Gina nodded. Thea thought about just how unfair life could be, and decided to change the topic.
    â€œSo, Gina,” she said. “Did you do much schoolwork this weekend?”
    â€œNo,” Gina said. “I haven’t