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drive. The driver’s door creaked open and whumped shut. Squawk, then thump went the passenger’s side.
    The man opened up the house. Ferris Boyd opened the trailer. They carried their things inside, without a word between them.
    The birds were talking, though. They were everywhere, chirping and chattering like the Welcome Wagon on wings.
    It was almost dusk when they were done. The man went into the house, and a light came on in the back of it.
    Ferris Boyd reached into the trunk of the green Impala. She pulled out a backpack and an old basketball. She shuffled up the drive.
    As she got to the steps, there was a tiny rustle, a sound so small nobody’d notice.
    Ferris Boyd stopped. She tilted her right ear toward it.
    There was a crackle.
    Slowly, Ferris Boyd turned. Her eyes traveled along bushes and between trees, till she found the one who’d called her. It sat in the shadows at the edge of the woods. Its eyes glowed golden.
    Ferris Boyd blinked.
    The eyes blinked back. “Mahowrrrr?” it wondered.
    And Ferris Boyd answered, without saying a word.
    It flicked its tail twice, All right.
    The girl went into the house. In a minute she was on the stoop again. She set a bowl in the grass. She sat on the steps and waited.
    As the creature crept across the lawn, the girl stayed still. When it put its head in the bowl, she didn’t move.
    When it was finished, it walked past her, bumping her shins with its body. Ferris Boyd raised one hand, so her fingers brushed its back, and it purred.
    It ran across the lawn and stopped at the edge of the brush. The tail flicked twice, Good night.
    Ferris Boyd nodded.
    Then the black cat disappeared in the darkness.
    The pale, skinny girl slipped into the house. A light came on in the upstairs window.

Chapter 9
    A t dinner Delly was still thinking about her sur-present. But now there was no smiling. Now, instead of hoping for a puppy, or a magic wand to make Galveston disappear, she was wondering, Was the tingle just teasing me? And worse, Will anything good ever happen to me again?
    It felt bad, the kind of bad she’d need a fight to forget.
    Clarice was occupied with other things. It wasn’t that she forgot about the surpresent, but with Montana dogging her “Ma, I need money for my date,” and Tallahassee begging, “Can I stay at Fern Teeter’s, pleeeease?” there was no room to remember.
    â€œMa, we need more beans,” RB announced.
    While Clarice was up filling the bowl, Galveston quit chewing her potatoes to chew on Delly. “So,” she sniped at her. “Where’s that surpresent? Is it in the garage? Or does Verena have it locked up?”
    The other children held their breath. Dallas and Tallahassee got ready to squeeze.
    But Delly stared at her plate, like she hadn’t heard a word.
    The others sighed and went back to their food.
    And Delly was flying across the table. She was gone before Dallas and Tallahassee could touch her.
    She landed on Galveston’s chest and got her by the hair. She was yanking it left, then right, like it was the reins on a bucking bronco.
    Gal was making strange sounds—“Woo-oooooo”—and Delly was yelling, “That’s so funny, Gal. How come you’re not laughing now?”
    Clarice got to them first. “Let go!” she hollered as she pried off the tiny, terrible fingers.
    Galveston was clutching her scalp, screaming, “Am I bald? Did she bald me?”
    Dallas threw Delly over his shoulder and started up the stairs. “GAL-VUH-STUHHHN!” she howled.
    â€œYou stay in your room till I tell you!” Clarice shouted after her.
    â€œRowr rowr rowr,” Delly growled.
    â€œBut Ma,” Gal cried, “she has dishes.”
    In a flash, Clarice was in her face, fuming. “You’ll do dishes tonight. And you’ll do them every night for a week.”
    Gal thought about whining some more, but Clarice was too close. “Yes,