The First Last Day by Dorian Cirrone Read Free Book Online Page B

at my suitcase on the bed. For a minute I considered not packing. Then I realized Mom might get suspicious.
    She poked her head in on the way to bed. “See you in the morning,” she said, smiling.
    â€œUm, yeah,” I said. “See you in the morning.” But, of course, I saw her before that.
    Oddly, even though Kevin was as miserable as he’d been the previous times, my own sadness wasn’t as strong. Knowing this night was like chalk on a blackboard and would all be erased the next day was almost exhilarating, like I’d won some kind of time loop lottery.
    Just thinking about it made me too restless to sleep. Once everyone was quiet, I raced to the refrigerator and took out the cannoli G-Mags had given me earlier. Knowing that another one would take its place the next night, I took a huge bite.
    Sweet!

CHAPTER 18
    K evin picked up the same box of saltwater taffy that he’d shown me every day. I pretended I hadn’t seen it before. I’d gotten to be an expert at acting as if everything were brand-new. Seriously, I could have won an Academy Award.
    I’d considered telling Kevin what was going on, but I suspected he wouldn’t understand. He’d think I was either joking or losing my mind. Kevin believed in tricks. Illusions. Like Marty’s sleight of hand. But he didn’t believe in magic.
    He held the candy box in front of me. “Want some? My treat.”
    I was about to say I didn’t want to break a bracket on my braces. But instead, I answered, “Sure!” Why hadn’t I thought of it before? Even if I broke a bracket, it would be fixed the next morning.
    Once Kevin paid for the box, I surveyed the multicolored taffy. Reaching first for the green one, I changed my mind and went for the red. The spicy cinnamon was sweet and hot at the same time. Delicious. Several chews later, a wire snapped. Metal scraped the inside of my mouth, but I kept on chewing without saying a word. Kevin might have wondered why I took a chance—I’d been talking about that prize from the orthodontist all summer long. I swept my tongue along the inside of my cheek. The skin was ragged. Still, I grabbed another piece of taffy and popped it in my mouth. I could handle the sting till morning.
    â€¢Â Â â€¢Â Â â€¢
    After the usual nighttime ringing of the doorbell, I turned down the covers on the couch for Kevin. The look on his face made me want to tell him everything.That G-Mags would be fine in the morning. That, somehow, time had stopped—just like in that sci-fi movie we’d been watching every day. That we would never have to worry about sickness. Or dying.
    He looked so miserable as he pulled the blanket up to his chin. Instead of rushing off to my room, I sat on the floor and whispered, “It’ll be okay.”
    â€œThe paramedics said it looked serious,” Kevin said, his voice cracking.
    I drew my knees to my chest and hugged them. “But G-Mags is tough. Remember those stories she told us about how poor she was? How her family hardly had any food—and there was no medicine when she got sick? She’s a survivor.” I knew it wasn’t the same as surviving a stroke, but I wanted so much to make Kevin feel better.
    His eyes brightened and he gave a tiny smile. “She is tough, isn’t she?”
    â€œSure she is.”
    Seconds passed, and the brightness faded. “People can die from strokes,” he said. “Or become paralyzed for the rest of their lives.”
    â€œBut it doesn’t always happen. I’ve heard of peoplehaving strokes and being okay afterward. I’m sure G-Mags will be fine in the morning.”
    Kevin rolled sideways, away from me. “You can’t be sure.”
    I clasped my knees tighter. “But I am sure.”
    â€œHow?”
    â€œI don’t know. I just feel it.”
    After a few minutes of silence, I tiptoed to my bedroom. There was no use trying to