Water Wishes by Mallory Loehr

Author:Mallory Loehr [Loehr, Mallory]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 978-0-307-56106-0
Publisher: Random House Children's Books
Published: 2011-11-16T00:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER SEVEN

No Joe

“Joe,” Polly repeated. “You know … Joe … my big brother?”

“Heavens,” said Mom, “I thought you outgrew your imaginary brother years ago, Polly!”

All the adults hid their smiles.

Polly felt her cheeks grow hot. She turned to Sam.

“The bottle,” he mouthed at her.

Polly’s face went from red to white.

Suddenly, their mother turned serious. She reached out and touched Polly’s arm. “Are you feeling all right?” she asked. “You haven’t seemed … yourself almost since we got here.”

“Um, uh, no,” Polly answered. “I mean, yes. I mean, can I please be excused?”

“Okay, Pol,” said their mom. “Why don’t you go lie down? Maybe we should take your temperature. You look really dreadful.”

“Me too,” said Sam. “I want to be excused, too.”

Sam and Polly got up shakily from the table and went downstairs.

“I know,” said Polly. “We’ll go check his room. I bet he’s asleep and they’re playing a joke on us.”

“Yeah,” said Sam hopefully.

Polly and Sam crept into Joe’s room. It was dark. But they could just make out a lump in the bed. Impatiently, Polly switched on the light. But instead of Joe, a teenage girl squinted at them from the bed.

“Natalie?” Polly’s voice came out in a squeak. “What are you doing here?”

Natalie was their favorite babysitter, but she hadn’t sat for them since Joe turned thirteen.

“What are you talking about?” Natalie mumbled sleepily. “I drove up here with you guys to help your folks and Sarah and Ned.” She rubbed her eyes. “What kind of game are you playing?”

“Nothing,” said Sam quickly. “No game.”

“No game,” repeated Polly, backing up and turning off the light. “Sorry.”

Their mom came down the stairs. “What are you two whispering about?” she asked. “And what are you doing out of bed?”

“I feel better,” said Polly.

“Me too,” said Sam.

“Well, okay,” said their mom. “But maybe you should stay inside until lunch. It’s looking a little stormy out. Why don’t you get a game from upstairs?”

“We will,” said Polly. “I just have to find something.”

“Me too,” said Sam.

Sam and Polly headed back into their room. They shut the door and looked at each other.

“What’s happening?” Polly asked Sam.

Sam shrugged miserably. “I don’t know,” he said.

“Shhh,” Polly hissed, her face still pale. “I’m thinking.”

Polly went to the closet where she’d stashed the bottle and pulled it out. She lifted it up, and they both stared at it.

“He’s really gone,” said Polly. “Totally.”

“I told you something was wrong,” said Sam. “We have to help him.”

Polly glared at him.

“When you turned into a mermaid you wanted to be in the ocean really badly,” Sam said. “Remember?”

“Of course I remember,” said Polly. “So?”

“So, maybe it has something to do with that,” said Sam. “Joe did get in the ocean. He must have. And now it won’t let him go. And we’re the only ones who even remember him, so we have to do something.”

He looked sideways at Polly to see if she agreed. He thought it would be great to save someone, even Joe, even though he’d stolen a wish.

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