Bailey hurriedly scooted up to Logan and sat there not knowing what to do. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said anything!" She had to scream over Logan's crying. "Logan, I'm sorry!" Then all of her shyness and awkwardness left her at that split moment in time, and she lay down beside Logan on the bed and wrapped her arms around her, cuddling close, her fingers clenched around Logan's arms. Both girls needed someone to hold on to.

---

Hours passed as the two friends exchanged their views on life and the world and death. They had been in that same position the whole time, grasping each other: because if they let go, then their whole world would go spinning again and they'd lose their balance.

"I remember how my mom would laugh. She had these beautiful dimples, and her forehead would rise. She always smelled of soap and bread dough. She cooked a lot...I miss her so much." Bailey's chest rose and fell in sadness, and she turned her head towards Logan. "What about your mom?"

Logan lay staring at the ceiling, not returning the eye contact. She didn't like to look people in the eye; she never had been able to. "There's not much to say about my mother. She had was pregnant with Larken when I was three, then she got pregnant with my youngest sister, Lilly. Lilly is five right now…but Lilly's dad isn't my dad."

"What do you mean?"

"We think my mom had an affair. I mean, well she obviously did, because that's not my dad's daughter. She looks nothing like us. She's…you can't tell anyone any of this stuff okay? Gosh I can't even believe I'm getting into all this anyway."

"I promise."

"We think she's half black. But my mom won't admit to anything."

"So where are Lilly and Larken right now?" Bailey fluffed up her pillow as she asked.

"They 're with my aunt. Mom and dad wanted auntie to watch them while they were away on the business trip. I could stay here though because I'm old enough, and they needed someone to watch over the house. So coo-coo cachoo, here we are with the house all to ourselves."

As if on cue, the doorbell rang.

Logan sat up stiff as a board . Her eyes were large and round with small pupils. Bailey sat up as well and stared at her. "Aren't you going to answer that?"

Logan rolled off the bed and stood up slowly. "They're here to get me. We have to turn off all the lights in the house and lock the doors. We have to pretend no one is home." Logan was talking fast almost in a language Bailey couldn't understand. She was already out her door and standing at the bottom of the stairs that lead up to the second story.

"Logan wait! What's going on?"

Logan turned to her slowly. "It's the people from the loony asylum. They're back and this time I'm not letting them get me."