Last Desserts (Night Fall ™) by Megan Atwood

Author:Megan Atwood [Atwood, Megan]
Language: it
Format: mobi
Publisher: Lerner Books
Published: 2011-09-30T16:00:00+00:00

16

When Ella woke up, her mom stood above her, spatula in one hand. “Wakey wakey, lazy lassie!” said her mom.

Ella sat up and rubbed her sore, puffy eyes. She remembered now why her eyes hurt so much. After she’d sneaked back into the house, she’d cried herself to sleep. The look on Jasper’s face was burned into her memory; she’d devastated her best friend. Now her newly crazy mother stood over her, a manic look in her eyes. The smell of pancakes and sausage wafted through her bedroom door. Ella moved to get up.

Her mom smacked her leg with the spatula. A cold smile appeared on her face. “No, no dear. I’ll bring you breakfast. What would our neighbors think if they saw you through the window?”

She winked and smiled, then turned around on her heels. Ella heard a strange, metallic sliding noise outside her door, something that sounded suspiciously like a lock turning. Ella bounded up and tried to open the door.

Trapped. Her mom must have installed a lock outside her door while she slept. Ella put her back against the door and slid down. Cradling her legs, she put her head on her knees and cried some more. Her mother was lost. Everyone at school was ready to kill her. And now she’d driven Jasper away because she wasn’t strong enough to stand by him. Her quest to be normal seemed so stupid now; what was life without her best friend? Who would be the bees to her jujus?

The door banged, and Ella scrambled away from it. Her mother entered and set a tray down by Ella’s bed. The pancakes-and-sausage aroma filled the room. Ella’s stomach growled, but she eyed the food suspiciously.

Her sort-of mother said, “Breakfast, dear.” She popped around the other side of the door and came back in with two shopping bags. Putting one down, she opened the one in her hand and pulled out a pastel yellow cardigan, a long beige skirt, and a short-sleeved white blouse with ruffles. Then she pulled out yellow ballet flats.

“Some gifts for you, sweetie. We’ll have to buy you more, as I’ve gotten rid of all your other clothes.”

Ella gasped. “You what?”

“Well, they were just too inappropriate for such a young girl. In the other bag are some games to keep you occupied today and tonight. I’ll be here all day, but tonight at seven o’clock is a town hall meeting, and I’m afraid I’ll be leaving to attend. We’ll be discussing what to do with those who aren’t quite . . . fitting in, so it’s very important I go.”

Ella swallowed. “I have to stay in my room all day?”

Her sort-of mother patted her knee. “Just until you decide to wear these beautiful clothes.” She smoothed Ella’s hair. “And maybe put a little flip in this hair of yours.”

Ella’s eyes filled with tears again. With another pat on her knee, Ella’s sort-of mom breezed out of her room.

The metal sliding sound jolted Ella into action. She’d sneak over to Jasper’s.

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