new book about dark matter last night It’s fascinating Did you know Not the book This Gracie thrust the flyer onto his desk Walter turned it over in his hand and shrugged The woman at the bookstore stuck it in my bag I’ve been using it as a bookmark Are you going Where To see Gertrude Winters Walter blinked I don’t read fiction It’s kind of a waste of time don’t you think I read science books and Gertrude Winters is not a waste of time For a moment Gracie had let herself hope that she’d have someone besides Mom to talk to about Gertrude Winters and the glimmers She’s brilliant She’s Gracie’s cheeks burned The classroom was fading replaced by the sharp snap of flames The tang of smoke
seared the back of her throat Not now She gripped the edge of her desk so tightly her knuckles turned white willing the vision away The glimmers were worse when her temper flared and she counted silently to ten which was what Mom told her to do when she was angry You can have it Walter held the flyer out to her if you like this Winters person so much Gracie shoved the flyer into her folder Are you sure you’re not sick Walter said It’s just Gracie paused Do you ever feel funny like you remember things that didn’t really happen Walter It’s shrugged likely neurons misfiring in the brain and triggering the sensation of memory That’s how déjà vu works Not déjà vu More like
Or it could be a sign of mental illness Walter continued Or a vivid dream Or rang Never mind The bell and disappointed Gracie gathered her books and hurried leaving Walter mid sentence to lunch You got this from Walter Gracie sat at the kitchen table later that night Her mother stood at the counter clutching the flyer one hip cocked honey colored curls tumbling around her shoulders Her face wore the pinched splotchy look that meant she was angry Don’t worry Gracie pulled a thread from the tablecloth I didn’t tell him anything But why did he have it He said it came in a book he bought Who cares why he had it I think we should go see her Mom crumpled the flyer Absolutely not
I’m not saying we have to talk to her Gracie stared at the flyer wrinkled in Mom’s fist Mom had set her mouth in a hard line and Gracie could feel her hopes slipping away It’s the perfect opportunity to see her in person She won’t know who we are if we sit in the audience and listen She might recognize us Mom stuffed the flyer into the trashcan and thumped a jar of pickled eggs onto the counter She wrote words it’s not like she has our photographs And what if Cassandra’s watching her huh Just watching and waiting to see if we try to contact Gertrude Winters What if Cassandra was able to find us I don’t want to have anything to do with Gertrude Winters I don’t understand why you’re so fascinated with her Mom slammed pots around as she got the water boiling for potatoes Mom always
