The Year of the Beasts Read Online Free Page A

patience? Was it another thing that Lulu inherited that Tessa hadn’t?
    She started to study Lulu’s laissez-faire attitude. Perhaps she could learn something from Lulu, instead of succumbing to the passions that always burst out of her. The ones that made her turn the lights low and listen to moody music and made her scream at her parents for being so clueless when in fact she had never even given them a clue to begin with. The passions that got her in trouble up front and hurt her more in the long run. The ones that made her hair curl up even tighter.
    Tessa was glad to have her sister all to herself. But it troubled her that Lulu was ignoring Charlie. Tessa’s heart went out to Charlie. What must he be thinking? Could his feelings be hurt? Each text sounded a little bit more desperate. It was Saturday night and Lulu chose to climb into bed with Tessa. They watched movies, whispered about their stupid parents, and made plans for summer. And for a moment Tessa couldn’t tell if they were thirteen and fifteen years old or seven and nine.
    “I’m going to put straightener in my hair,” Tessa said.
    “Me, too.”
    “I’m going to learn how to ride a horse.”
    “Me, too.”
    “I’m going invent a new kind of cookie.”
    “Me, too.”
    “You can’t just do everything that I do,” Tessa said.
    But it had always been like that, Lulu always copying her, always acting like a second shadow. Lulu always looking to Tessa to lead the way.
    Lulu lay her head on the pillow, her features flattened by the light of the flat-screen T.V. The cell phone buzzed, a new text from Charlie had arrived. Lulu showed it to Tessa. Tessa felt a stab but didn’t say anything. Lulu put the phone back down.
    “Aren’t you going to write him back?” Tessa asked
    “Should I?” Lulu asked.
    Tessa shrugged. She didn’t know. She couldn’t lead the way this time. Being older had taught her nothing about boys except that they were infinitely mysterious. All she knew was that she would have written him back, or gone to the carnival, or made a firm date right away to be alone and kiss more. She wouldn’t have hung out with her sister all weekend. But she didn’t want to encourage Lulu toward Charlie.
    Celina came over to check on her friend and to try to change Lulu’s mind about going to the carnival Sunday before it closed. Celina didn’t want to go alone, and while there were other girls to hang out with, Tessa was her best friend. And Lulu was her best friend’s sister, so was a much better substitute than other girls she might have gone with. Besides, Lulu was Celina’s best chance at hanging out with Charlie and the boys. And Celina was interested in hanging out with boys.
    “It’s so boring without you, Tessa. Don’t you feel better?” Celina asked.
    “No.”
    “Well, can’t you lend me Lulu?”
    “No.”
    “But Lulu, aren’t you worried that Charlie will kiss another girl?” Celina asked.
    Tessa looked at Lulu. Lulu’s hands were twisting in the same way that she used to do when she heard a ghost story or stayed up late watching a scary movie.
    “Then I guess he doesn’t like me very much if he can’t wait until the next time he sees me to kiss me again,” Lulu said.
    “That is so mature,” Celina said. “You’re going to do OK in high school next year.”
    Then Lulu excused herself and went to her room. And that was that. When Tessa passed by the open door, she saw Lulu kneeling on the floor in front of her dollhouse. She was surrounded by paper towels. The sun was coming in through the window, making everything look golden. Lulu looked enormous, sitting there among the tiny chairs, tables, and beds. Tessa watched as Lulu cleaned off each item and placed it delicately back in the house. The furniture was now rearranged. And as Lulu placed each doll into its room, she whispered secrets into their tiny ears.
    Tessa felt sorry for her sister. She couldn’t be sure, but a thought struck Tessa. Maybe Lulu