Wishing Day by Lauren Myracle

Author:Lauren Myracle
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: HarperCollins
Published: 2016-03-07T05:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

Natasha had time to read the note exactly once before Darya burst in triumphantly, wiggling an Allen wrench in the air.

“Ah-ha!” Darya crowed. “Bet you forgot this trick, didn’t you?”

“Darya!” She clutched the note to her chest. “What are you doing? Get out!”

Darya sauntered to Natasha’s bed and dropped down beside her. She tossed the Allen wrench onto Natasha’s nightstand. “You don’t always trust me, you know.”

“Are you kidding me? Are you kidding me right now?” Natasha said. She kept the note pressed to her chest. She wanted to move it, to sit on it or hide it or put it in her pocket, but she didn’t want Darya to notice.

“You just broke into my room,” she said. “Why in the world should I trust you?”

Darya eyed the note. She lifted her gaze to Natasha’s.

Natasha shoved the note under her thigh. “Go. Away.”

Darya leaned back on her forearms. She straightened her legs and wiggled her toes, which were now covered by blue socks with penguins on them. “I borrowed another pair of your socks from the mudroom. They’re cute. Can I keep them?”

“Darya—” Natasha’s voice jumped in the way of almost crying. It surprised her.

It surprised Darya, too. She sat up straight and said, “What is it? What’s going on, for real?”

Natasha shook her head. Everything seemed too big. Too much. She refolded the note with sharp, angry movements and gave it to Darya. Why not?

Darya stared at Natasha for a long moment. Natasha didn’t trust herself to speak.

Darya placed the note between them on the bed. She didn’t open it. “Natasha, I’m not out to get you. But I’m your sister. Doesn’t that count for anything?”

Natasha shrugged. When they were younger, Darya had idolized Natasha. Natasha, in return, had been a really good big sister. She included Darya in stuff. She made her laugh. She watched out for her, and she never teased her, not in an unkind way.

They’d grown apart, though. Eventually Darya had wanted to be more than just Natasha’s adoring little sister; maybe that was what started it. She’d wanted to be her own person—the gall! Natasha had known her reaction was ridiculous, but she’d felt rejected. Darya had found her own circle of friends. Maybe she liked them more than she liked Natasha.

So Natasha had pulled away too, out of pride. At home, Natasha began paying more attention to Ava than Darya, and when Darya brought it up, she’d pretended not to understand.

“We can’t leave her out just because she’s littler,” she’d told Darya.

“I’m not saying we should!” Darya had said. “I just . . . I miss us. Don’t you?”

“I’m right here,” Natasha had replied coolly. “I haven’t gone anywhere.”

Darya’s face had crumpled, and Natasha had shrugged and turned away.

“Hey, Ava,” she’d called. “Want to play Slap Jack?”

Natasha had done that. For the first time in her life, she’d hurt Darya’s feelings on purpose.

The distance between Natasha and Darya had plenty of other causes. Both sisters allowed it to grow. But when Natasha looked at Darya now, she felt a great hole of regret.

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