Out of the Blue by Sarah Ellis Read Free Book Online Page A

idea of blocks of contained color.” She pulled out some art books and showed them pictures of paintings like quilts and checkerboards. Megan liked them. They were very tidy.
    â€œTry to imagine this one huge,” said J. Evans, pointing to a picture of a single red square, “as big as that wall.” She turned to the front. “Oh, no, is it noon already? Time is a tyrant. Okay, here’s your thought for the week. Lines are just pretend. There aren’t any lines in nature, just edges, the edge of one color and the beginning of another. So next week we’re going to forget all about line and color and get out the clay. See you then. Remember to look around you.”
    It had begun to pour while they were in their class, and John phoned his dad to see if he could come and get them. They waited in the lobby and looked out the window. The blossoms lay soggy in the gutter.
    â€œOkay,” said John, “what’s this about a sister?”
    Megan’s stomach tensed up. For a whole morning she had forgotten about Natalie. “Half sister.”
    â€œWhatever. Mum told me a little bit. When do you get to see her? Is she really an astronomer?”
    â€œShe’s an astronomer student. And she’s coming for dinner a week from tomorrow.”
    â€œDo you think you’re going to like her?”
    â€œWhat’s to like? She’s a perfect stranger.”
    â€œBut she’s your sister. Okay, half sister. I mean, aren’t you curious? Like, bam! all of a sudden there are three kids in your family.”
    â€œShe’s not a kid. She’s twenty-four.”
    â€œYou know what I mean. Are you excited?”
    â€œI don’t need to be. Mum and Betsy are excited enough for our house.”
    John stood in the doorway and tried to push the frame apart. “This means I have another cousin. She won’t be my oldest cousin, though. That’s Murray the Mountie from Manitoba.”
    â€œShe’s only your half cousin.”
    â€œWhatever. Do you know what she drives?
    â€œI don’t even know if she has a car. I don’t really care.”
    John got a thoughtful look on his face. “You know, she’s not my half cousin. She’s my whole cousin.”
    â€œShe is not. She’s my half sister, so she’s your half cousin.”
    â€œNo, look.” John started to draw a diagram on the misty window. Across the top were Marie and Judy and Josh. Three little lines came down from Judy, one from Marie, and none from Josh. “Okay. Now, the reason we’re cousins is because your mum and my mum are sisters. It doesn’t matter who your dad is, or mine. Therefore, Natalie is just as much a cousin to me as you are.”
    Megan reached up with her jacket sleeve and wiped out her family. John was right. Right and totally wrong. Add him to the list of those who didn’t get it. Oh good, there was Uncle Howie. “Look, there’s your dad. He’s stopped in the bus zone. Hurry!” They pulled their jackets up over their heads and ran out into the teeming rain.

Chapter Eight
    MUM EMERGED FROM HER Natalie daze long enough to remember about Megan’s ear piercing. She made an appointment for Thursday after school. All week long Megan obeyed J. Evans’s instructions and looked around her, at ears. At first she just surveyed pierced and nonpierced. But then she started noticing the variety of ears. By Wednesday everyone’s ears were starting to look extremely strange. It was like saying a word over and over again until it sounds like nonsense. After five days of observation all ears looked like tide pool creatures glued to the sides of people’s heads.
    Erin was very happy to go with Megan. “Any chance they’ll give you a general anesthetic?” she asked hopefully.
    â€œErin! This is ear piercing, not surgery.”
    â€œI know,” said Erin sadly. “I’ll never get to see surgery. It’s