CHAPTER TWO So what happened next asked Astrid’s best friend Quinn She sat on the edge of the bed listening raptly as Astrid told her about the two strangers who had walked into Mick’s Diner I was totally freaked out at first Astrid said She paced and gestured wildly as she told the story She loved an audience especially when she had a good tale to tell I thought maybe they were aliens or something I mean the way they just appeared like that after my dad said that thing about adventure on the other side of the door It was all so crazy Astrid also tended to be a bit dramatic Luckily Quinn was used to it
She went on What are the chances It was like they were just waiting outside for us to say something like that so they could barge in and I don’t know attack us or something Perhaps Astrid was more than a bit dramatic Quinn knew this and waited impatiently for her friend to finish the story But obviously they weren’t aliens and didn’t attack anyone she said prompting Astrid along So who were they The boy’s name is Jace and he’s twelve like Rowan He looks older though because he’s really tall Or maybe he’s normal height it’s hard to tell because Rowan is such a shrimp Even though Rowan was fourteen months older than Astrid a fact he never let her forget the two were the same height Their mom reassured Rowan that he would eventually have a growth spurt and be tall like his dad but Astrid still loved to tease him
Who was the pretty girl with him Quinn asked Turns out she’s his mom Astrid said She must be one of those people who look really young for their age Her name is Evie and she seems really nice She asked us to call her by her first name You’ll get to know her She’s going to be working at the diner What Quinn’s eyes widened She slapped her hands on the bed almost causing her to fall to the floor Did your parents know they were coming Is that how your dad did the whole adventure-on-the other-side-of-the-door thing No that’s one of the weird things Astrid said They just moved here out of the blue Evie didn’t even have a job lined up That is weird Quinn agreed My mom just started talking to her and you
know how my mom can be Astrid motioned with her hand as if she were making a puppet talk She can talk to anyone and five minutes later she’s got their his or her life story As soon as she found out Evie didn’t have a job she offered her one They’d been looking for help anyway so it all worked out Wow Quinn said Quinn’s family had lived in town for four generations Her father was the town doctor just like her grandfather great-grandfather and great-great-grandfather had been That’s the way it was with most families in Somerville Quinn was letting the surprise arrival of new residents in Somerville sink in when she remembered something Astrid had said So what’s the other weird thing she asked Huh Astrid asked She had just sat down exhausted after telling her story Quinn reminded her You said One of the
