Call Spirits in Your Past **Book Two**

Chapter 40 (Friday)

"Group meeting, everybody!" Tamy called from the corner.

Verspri glanced up from the pan of eggs steaming on a hot plate. Across from him, Razón stared intently at a second pan of eggs.

"Everybody's already here," Kessa grumbled, brushing her curly hair and glaring at the ends.

"I knew that," Tamy said. "I was announcing the group meeting part."

"Why do we need an official group meeting when every time we talk to each other it's a group meeting?" Razón asked. "Case in point. We're already having one."

Tamy hesitated, looking at Tara for support. Tara just shrugged. "What's this about, Tamy?" she asked.

"It's about this," Tamy lifted a hand from behind her back, holding up the bunny beanie.

Verspri stared. "Where'd you get that?"

"I was going through our clothes bags," she motioned behind her, "seeing if there was anything decent I could wear on my feet," she wiggled one foot, inside a blackened, once-gray sock. "Why, Verspri? Have you seen it before?"

"Of course he has," Tara said. "He was there when I found it."

Verspri shut his mouth. Tamy swung to face her twin. "When you found it? Were you ever planning on telling us about it?" she dangled the small hat in front of her.

Tara shrugged. "Are those eggs ready yet? I'm hungry."

"That's not an answer," Tamy said.

"Am I missing something?" Kessa interrupted, grimacing and dragging a brush over her scalp. "We find lots of clothes all over the place. What's the big deal over a little pink hat?"

Tamy tossed it to her, and it landed halfway on Kessa's lap. "That little pink hat is way too small to belong to anybody here. Unless there's a secret daycare none of us knew about. Also, it's pink. Notice anything else around here that isn't covered in ash?"

Kessa looked around. "Your face?"

Tamy glared.

"What? I'm serious. Your face is about the only thing here that's burnt-less," she sniffed. "Including those eggs."

Verspri stared at the hot plate in front of him. "What?" he flipped them over with his spatula. The bottom sides of the eggs had turned a mottled brown and black. He groaned.

"Told you," Kessa said.

"Hey!" Razón exclaimed. "Mine aren't burnt," he took the spatula from Verspri and stirred his still-runny eggs to prove it.

"Yet," Isaac muttered from the doorway to the hall, flicking his hand and sending puffs of wind at a feather haphazardly trying to land itself on the ground.

Verspri snatched the spatula back, scooping some eggs onto a plate. Segundo popped out and carried it over to Isaac, disturbing the feather.

"Why does he get them first?" Tara asked, getting to her feet.

"Because he was the most patient," Segundo replied haughtily, walking back to Verspri and taking a second plate. Tara's arm snapped across the room and snatched it away. "Hey!" Segundo and Verspri said at the same time.

Tara glared. "I'm hungry."

Segundo frowned. "See? Patience."

Tara rolled her eyes, scooping up some eggs with her tongue. Verspri would've been more grossed out, except that they didn't have any utensils--besides the spatula--and their hands were generally covered in dark soot.