Waves of Light by Naomi Kinsman Page A

her to learn to do what she loved in her own way, not to please him or anyone else.
    Tears splashed onto the page as I read the story again. The words were scrawled and sometimes misspelled, as though they had tumbled out of Penny faster than she could think. Her story wasn’t perfect or smooth, but I could feel her there in every sentence. The same way I could feel myself in one of my drawings. I could see why she’d wanted me to read the story from her journal, to feel the speed at which her hand had scrawled the words across the page. A rush of energy, like when you’re lost and panicking and you finally see the way out. Or you at least have hope that you’ll find a way out, like the way I’d felt just now when I saw the spirit cub.
    I took Penny’s journal back to my room and sat in thewindow seat. Higgins jumped onto my lap and curled up. As I watched the trees and scratched Higgins’s ears, I wondered what, exactly, I should do now. I felt … different. Ideas floated into my mind — slowly, disjointed, forming a vague plan. I’d draw the cub for Frankie and email it to her. I’d try to stop lashing out at everyone. Maybe tomorrow I’d go see Vivian.
    “What do you say, Hig?” As I spoke, he looked up at me, ears cocked. “Time to draw?”
    He jumped off the seat, tail wagging.
    “Okay. Maybe a treat first.”
    As I followed Higgins downstairs, I planned my drawing and tried to block out the lingering worry about Annabelle, Andrew, and Sunday’s dinner.
    From: Sadie Douglas
To: Pippa Reynolds
Date: Friday, April 13, 6:22 PM
Subject: RE: Talk yet?
    Yes. Sorry I didn’t email last night. I did try to avoid him, you were right. But he caught up with me before I left rehearsal. I tried to ask him about Annabelle, and he said, “That’s what you think?” What does that mean? Why didn’t he answer the question? And he invited Dad and me to dinner on Sunday with his mom and Annabelle’s family. I didn’t go to rehearsal today. So Alice didn’t take it very well when you invited her to church, huh? I didn’t realize she had such strong feelings about religion, or church. I wish I could help.
    From: Sadie Douglas
To: Frankie Paulson
Date: Friday, April 13, 7:45 PM
Subject: For real
    You’re going to think I made up this drawing. But I really did see a spirit bear today, one of July’s cubs. For some reason, I think it’s a female bear. But I don’t know for sure. Seeing the bear was like watching a magical creature step out of the trees. Like something from a fairytale that you can’t quite believe.
    Thank you for your drawing. Of course Chase would have a lavender suit. Did he really wear it to the ballet? Did you like the ballet? Living in New York must be so fun. Do you start school next week?
    Okay, so here’s what I didn’t tell you before. Vivian’s house flooded. Maybe she already called your mom about this because she might not be able to make enough pieces for the gallery show since everything was ruined. At least she thinks all of her sculptures are gone. Dad and I are going to try to salvage some stuff next week.
    Some other bad things are happening here, too. Turns out, Annabelle is really pretty, and I’m almost positive that Andrew likes her. And Mom isn’t getting better, either.
    I didn’t want to tell you these things before because I didn’t want you to worry. So please don’t worry, okay?

Chapter 15

Waves
    S o what do you think of my drawing studio?” Vivian gestured at her cloth-draped living room.
    She had promised not to paint the walls, but no one said anything about hanging fabric. Still, the bright yellow, red, and aquamarine didn’t cheer me up. They were sad echoes of what she used to have.
    Vivian went to her canvas and picked up her still-wet paintbrush. “I’ve missed you, Sadie.”
    I watched as she rounded out the corners of a large red circle in the middle of her canvas. “How can you stand it — being out here all alone, not having your house, not