Chapter 6
Rachel's house came into view after a few minutes of brisk walking along the chalk-covered cement sidewalk. I knew that Rachel had two younger sisters, Jordan and Sara. It looked like they'd been playing hopscotch. The lawn had some bicycles and jump ropes as well as some other miscellaneous toys lying in it, just like almost every other yard in suburbia.
I went up the front steps and knocked on the front door. A slight squabble seemed to arise within the house and two young girls' voices could be easily distinguished.
"I'll get it!"
"No, me! I'm older, I should be able to get it."
"But you always get the door," the first voice whined.
"Well, you can get it when you're older than me," the other girl answered smugly. The door opened and a girl who looked to be about 12 stood there.
"Hi," I said with a friendly smile. "I was wondering if Rachel was home."
The girl, I wasn't sure whether it was Jordan or Sara, eyed me critically. "She might be..."
"Can you go check?" I pressed.
She paused, seeming to think about this for a moment as though it was really a tough decision. That was enough for the younger sister who stepped in quickly and said, "Oh, I can get Rachel, even if Jordan won't, everybody knows she's just mean." With that she ran up the stairs to find Rachel as Jordan chased after her.
A few seconds later Rachel walked down the stairs unacompanied- no doubt Sara and Jordan were having it out upstairs.
As she saw who it was at the door, Rachel's cool demeanor failed and a black look came over her face. "What do *you* want?"
Illarim carefully regulated my facial expression to keep it cheerful despite her cras welcome. "I came to tell you that there's a new... activity planned for the Sharing. I thought you might be able to let Jake and the others know in case they were interested."
"What kind of activity?" she asked skeptically.
"I was hoping to tell you all at once, you know, so I wouldn't have to explain over again," Illarim had me say. We had come to the point of relying on the other as necessary and switching control without even really thinking about it.
Rachel frowned slightly, trying to determine whether or not I was telling the truth. "All right," she said finally. "I don't know where we could meet, Cassie's place is the only safe house there is but you don't know where she lives, so-"
"No, I know where she lives."
Skeptically, she asked, "Exatly how do you know?"
I decided it would probably not be the best time to tell her that I had become good friends with Cassie since the last time we'd met. Rachel would probably think I'd been trying to recruit her or something. I shrugged. "I've been there a couple times. I knew her before... You know."
She nodded and said curtly, "Yeah. I know."
"Yeah," I repeated.
"All right, so can you come to Cassie's tonight, like around 7? I can make sure they're all there."
I sighed. I'd miss most of Amy's visit that way. But it wasn't like there was any other option. "I'll be there."
"Good. So I'll see you then."
"Bye."
"Uh-huh," she said and closed the door without a true farewell.
Rachel's house came into view after a few minutes of brisk walking along the chalk-covered cement sidewalk. I knew that Rachel had two younger sisters, Jordan and Sara. It looked like they'd been playing hopscotch. The lawn had some bicycles and jump ropes as well as some other miscellaneous toys lying in it, just like almost every other yard in suburbia.
I went up the front steps and knocked on the front door. A slight squabble seemed to arise within the house and two young girls' voices could be easily distinguished.
"I'll get it!"
"No, me! I'm older, I should be able to get it."
"But you always get the door," the first voice whined.
"Well, you can get it when you're older than me," the other girl answered smugly. The door opened and a girl who looked to be about 12 stood there.
"Hi," I said with a friendly smile. "I was wondering if Rachel was home."
The girl, I wasn't sure whether it was Jordan or Sara, eyed me critically. "She might be..."
"Can you go check?" I pressed.
She paused, seeming to think about this for a moment as though it was really a tough decision. That was enough for the younger sister who stepped in quickly and said, "Oh, I can get Rachel, even if Jordan won't, everybody knows she's just mean." With that she ran up the stairs to find Rachel as Jordan chased after her.
A few seconds later Rachel walked down the stairs unacompanied- no doubt Sara and Jordan were having it out upstairs.
As she saw who it was at the door, Rachel's cool demeanor failed and a black look came over her face. "What do *you* want?"
Illarim carefully regulated my facial expression to keep it cheerful despite her cras welcome. "I came to tell you that there's a new... activity planned for the Sharing. I thought you might be able to let Jake and the others know in case they were interested."
"What kind of activity?" she asked skeptically.
"I was hoping to tell you all at once, you know, so I wouldn't have to explain over again," Illarim had me say. We had come to the point of relying on the other as necessary and switching control without even really thinking about it.
Rachel frowned slightly, trying to determine whether or not I was telling the truth. "All right," she said finally. "I don't know where we could meet, Cassie's place is the only safe house there is but you don't know where she lives, so-"
"No, I know where she lives."
Skeptically, she asked, "Exatly how do you know?"
I decided it would probably not be the best time to tell her that I had become good friends with Cassie since the last time we'd met. Rachel would probably think I'd been trying to recruit her or something. I shrugged. "I've been there a couple times. I knew her before... You know."
She nodded and said curtly, "Yeah. I know."
"Yeah," I repeated.
"All right, so can you come to Cassie's tonight, like around 7? I can make sure they're all there."
I sighed. I'd miss most of Amy's visit that way. But it wasn't like there was any other option. "I'll be there."
"Good. So I'll see you then."
"Bye."
"Uh-huh," she said and closed the door without a true farewell.