“There you are. Where have you been?”

Jackie petted his finger on Baby’s back, and she asked for food. Raven gave him a peanut to feed her, and she flew away.

“Reece is over,” Jackie said. “He’s been asking about you, too.”

“Why?”

“He likes you.”

“Why?”

He shot a smile at her as they walked. “I don’t know. Everyone likes you. My mom says you have a powerful presence. I’m not sure what that means, but she likes you.”

Raven didn’t know what Ms. Taft meant, either, but the word powerful worried her. Possibly Ms. Taft saw some of her spirit side. Raven would have to make sure she acted like a regular girl around her. Maybe she should show her how many school lessons she knew.

They splashed through deeper water in silence. When they got to the alder trees, Raven asked, “Why did you say Reece’s mother drinks a lot? What does she drink?”

“She’s an alcoholic, Reece said.”

“What’s that?”

“A person who drinks too much beer and whiskey and things like that. She takes drugs, too.”

The only drugs Raven knew of were the white pills Mama gave her for fevers. “Why does that make Reece have to stay at your house?”

“Because his mom is wasted a lot of the time. She doesn’t take good care of him.”

“Wasted?”

“Drunk. High. Haven’t you ever seen people like that?”

“No.”

He was quiet for a little while. “I guess my mom doesn’t need to worry about your mom being like that.”

Raven didn’t understand any of what he was saying, but she wouldn’t ask more. Jackie’s house came into view. She had to act like a regular girl who knew all the things other children knew.

8

Huck threw a short pass to Raven. She caught the foam football and ran for the end zone. She was near the line, but when Reece leaped and tagged her, he lost his balance and fell on top of her. Chris had been close behind, and he fell on Reece and Raven. It hurt a little, but she liked feeling the weight of them. And their earth and sweat smell. And them asking if she was okay, and laughing, and saying how tough she was.

Ms. Taft jogged over from her garden. “Are you all right, Raven?”

“She’s fine!” Reece said, pulling Raven to her feet.

“It’s supposed to be touch football, Reece.”

“It was an accident.”

Ms. Taft gave him a look as she brushed grass and dirt off Raven.

“I’m okay,” Raven said. “I don’t care about being tackled.”

All the boys laughed or smiled. There were seven of them, the most that had ever been at the Taft house at one time. Jackie had invited two boys, and Huck had three friends over. It was a sleepover party, A Funeral for Summer, as Reece called it, because school started in a few days.

“Awesome catch,” Huck said. He held up his hand, and Raven slapped him five.

“Penalty for Rexes,” Jackie said. “Half the distance to the goal line.”

The Dacs, short for the Pterodactyls—named for Bird Girl—scored, but the T-Rex team still won the game.

They went inside for dinner. They made their own tacos and burritos from the many bowls of food Ms. Taft set out. At first Raven was surprised to see ground meat, but Jackie told her it was made from plants. Raven had gotten used to the vegan way of eating and even liked it.

The boys turned on a movie about people who could make magic with sticks called wands. The best part was sitting squished on the couch between Jackie and Chris, all the other boys close, joking and teasing, sometimes burping and farting. Raven could burp as loud as any of them when she drank a soda.

“Raven . . . ,” Ms. Taft said. “It’s getting dark.”

Raven had dreaded that moment all day. The party really was a funeral. The most wonderful of all summers had died. Her friends would go to school, and she wouldn’t get to see them whenever she wanted.

Even Ms. Taft wouldn’t be home now. She was a teacher who had to go to school all day. Jackie and Huck went to after-school care until she was done with her work. Jackie said they didn’t get home until dark in winter. That meant Raven wouldn’t see them at all on school days. Ms. Taft didn’t allow her to walk to or from her house in the dark. That was her one big rule.

When Raven got off the couch, one of the new boys said, “Aren’t you sleeping over?”

“No,” she said.

“Why not?” he asked.

Reece said, “Her carriage and horses turn into a pumpkin and mice if she doesn’t go before dark.” He’d said things like that since the day she ran away without her boots. When the sun sank below the trees, he’d say, “Better get going, Cinderella,” or “Your carriage is waiting, Cindy.”

“Actually, she’s a vampire, and it’s time for her to feed,” Huck said.

“I thought she was a werewolf?” Chris said.

They were making jokes so she wouldn’t have to explain to the new boys why she was leaving early. Raven loved them all so much. She didn’t want to go. She didn’t want school to start.

Jackie stood. “I’ll walk you to the fence.”