Saturday, October 24

When Alex came home from soccer this afternoon, I went out to talk. After we had chatted for a bit, I said, “I want you to take me to school with you on Monday.”

“Why in the world do you want to go back?” she asked. “You told me you’re not supposed to be seen.”

“I’m going to break that rule,” I said. “I want to have a little chat with Destiny’s teacher.”

Alex’s smile was so big, it lit up my heart. “Thank you!”

Soon we arranged that I would ride in her backpack in the morning. (She gave me a spit swear she would clean it out first.) The point of this was to get me inside the building without me having to climb the walls in search of an open window. Then at the end of the day, she would walk past Destiny’s classroom and let me out nearby.

I should sleep now, but I am too excited about Monday to settle down. I wish Fergus were here so I could talk to him about this. I think what I have in mind qualifies both as a mischief and cleaning up a mess all at once, which counts as a double score. With luck, maybe even enough to cover the bad thing I am planning to do of letting myself be seen.

(When I think of the number of times I have broken the Great Oath since Sarah died, it fills me with fear and apprehension.)