Whim Manor And the Boy Who Wasn't.

Harper Watson and the Girl Who Wasn't

When I got back, I just felt good. Justin had seen me as a girl, and then we'd hung out, the same as ever... or close to it anyway. I guess in the back of my mind I thought I'd have to trade one thing for the other. But having both at the same time; it was a relief.

And my peach and lavender, candy-painted nails had not stopped that from happening. I held them out, admiring them. The smooth crispness of their color. The way they were just fun. And my face too, with the makeup freckles, and a touch of gold eyeshadow, it looked fun too.

In the pit of my stomach, I knew this was going to have to end eventually, once I went back to school. But this summer it was looking like the only person I really needed to avoid was Victoria—

I checked my phone, 4:05. Nothing from Whim yet. Should I call her? Would she call me? I didn't know, and she wasn't exactly the check-in type.

Still, I needed to know... something, anything.

[So, how'd the bombing go?] I thumbed into my phone, then deleted it and sent a simple [?] instead.

No immediate reply, but that wasn't exactly out of the ordinary for Whim.

I went online and checked the local news... nothing there, and nothing in Bloomington either. Was that a good sign or a bad one?

I felt like I was holding my breath, waiting. So I took in a deep breath, puffed out my cheeks, and looked in the mirror. The reflection of the girl there, she looked like a goofball, and she smiled at me as I smiled at her. She didn't look out of place the way I had, not the creepy boy hanging out at a girl's school.

She raised an eyebrow at me conspiratorially.

And then as we, this girl and I, began to wander the halls of Galeton manor, I felt free as this new person. I mean I was still timid about it; I didn't want to run into anyone who would call me on it and break the illusion, but that didn't stop me either.

Suzi was in the library and gave me a casual wave as I wandered by. Just like she might give to any other girl.

The rain had let off, and I found Christie out back, playing croquet with some of the girls from team one. I didn't feel like playing, not with everything going on. I just wanted to walk past and not be noticed, to blend in. But Christie, and then all of them, waved as I walked up, and I stopped to watch.

After her turn, Christie started coming over—

My phone buzzed. My message [?] had a red 'undeliverable' below it. The kind of thing you'd see if you tried to message a phone that had suddenly stopped working. It was 4:45.

I felt dizzy. I felt ill.

It was possible, I realized as I stood there watching croquet, that I might never see Whim again. And it was my fault for not stopping her.

I had to find Ms. Windsor...

I ran back around to the front of the house and stopped dead.

Strolling up the front walk with the same-as-ever haughty sneer on her face was Victoria. She had on a long modern black dress, her hair was tied back in a serious manner, and strolling behind her, in a long black coat, was a tall, middle-aged man with a severe face, wearing a gentle smile that did not suit his face... Mr. Locke.

It hit me like a lightning bolt— the gift I had wrapped for Mr. Locke's niece... Victoria.

Her head suddenly cocking back, Victoria noticed me...

And I ducked back around to the side of the manor and texted Whim, [Victoria is back!]

No reply. Then a minute later, while I was walking in through the back door, a red 'undeliverable' blinked into existence under it.