When Ali pretended to arrive home an hour later, she found Digger at the kitchen table. She was surprised to see party invitations and envelopes, along with Gigi’s address book, in front of him.
“Weren’t those supposed to be mailed last week?”
Digger was sheepish. “I forgot. I’m almost finished, and then I’ll deliver them before supper. Most are for the neighbors since so many of Gigi’s friends are no longer alive.”
“I guess that’s what happens when you live to be one hundred,” said Ali. It must be sad when all your friends pass away. Not that Ali knew anything about friends. She leaned over his shoulder, surprised when she saw whose name he was writing on the envelope: Andrew Sloane.
“You’re dropping off an invitation for Andrew Sloane?”
“She wants me to invite all the Other Sloanes, so I am.”
A contrite Ali took a seat across the table. “I need to tell you something, and you’re not going to like it.”
Digger stopped writing. “What?”
“I went to see Andrew Sloane on Sunday afternoon.”
“Without asking permission.”
Ali nodded. “I know I should have asked you first, but I knew you’d say no.”
“I would have.”
“I had to go. Alfie was sure he’d agree to come if I asked him.”
“Let me guess. He said no.”
Just thinking of their conversation made Ali’s eyes well up. “He said more than no. He said our powers are unnatural. He said you and Gigi killed Teddy. And Alfie told me how it happened.”
Digger took a deep breath, then did something unexpected: he finished addressing the party invitation to Andrew Sloane.
“Wait—you’re still going to invite him?”
“Uh-huh.” Digger licked the envelope and picked up the last unaddressed party invitation. “Look. I’m not happy you went to see Uncle Andrew without talking to me first. And I’m not happy that he said those things to you. But if Gigi wants him here, he gets an invitation.”
“But what about the awful things he said?”
“He’s entitled to his opinion. As for Teddy’s death? I happen to agree with him, at least in terms of my involvement.”
“But it was an accident!”
Digger shook his head. “A car accident is an accident. Neither Teddy nor I knew anything about going through rapids, and Gigi shouldn’t have bought him a boat so we could try. It was sheer stupidity.”
Ali didn’t add that she’d also thought Digger had been stupid when Alfie had told her what had happened. “Is that why you left Saint John and never wanted to come back?”
Digger nodded, then picked up his pen and finished filling out the invitation. “I owed it to Uncle Andrew to leave town and never come back.”
“But if we’d never come back, I’d never have met Alfie!”
“Maybe that would have been for the best. All this talk about Alfie and her birthday party has given Gigi hope for a reconciliation that’s never going to happen.”
“Maybe Uncle Andrew will get the invitation and change his mind!”
“Don’t count on it.” He sealed the last envelope and stood up. “I’m off to make my deliveries. Do you mind keeping an eye on Gigi?”
“Okay.”
The phone rang as Ali headed upstairs to check on Gigi. The display read PRINCESS ELIZABETH SCHOOL. Great. When the voice message button began to light up, Ali picked up the receiver and entered the code.
“Hello, Mr. and Mrs. Sloane, this is Principal Birchwood. Ali didn’t attend her afternoon classes. I’m assuming she went home sick, but just wanted to make sure. Can you call or send me an email to let me know you got this message?”
Ali hit delete.
A few minutes later, Ali rapped on Gigi’s door. There was no response. Ali decided to let her be. She didn’t want to watch Gigi sleep. In her heart, she knew Digger and her mom were right; Gigi needed more help. At least she would have her birthday party, even if the Other Sloanes weren’t there, and Ali would do her best to make it the best party ever.
Her wish to be invisible came true at school the next morning. Emily didn’t acknowledge her when she walked past. She saw Murray and Cassie talking to Tom Power farther down the hallway and waved. Murray’s wave was half-hearted, and Cassie didn’t wave at all. What was going on? She waited for Tom to leave and then joined them.
“Hi, guys.”
Cassie and Murray exchanged a look she couldn’t decipher.
“Apparently, a cat was on the loose in school yesterday,” said Murray.
Ali did her best to sound nonchalant. “Oh yeah?”
Murray crossed his arms. “Spill it, Sloane. Why did you turn into a cat?”
“I didn’t—”
Cassie interrupted her. “Ali, we know it was you. Emily and Taylor said the cat was in the girls’ washroom.”
Before Ali could respond, Murray added, “Plus, you weren’t in last class. Did you turn into a cat so you could ditch school? Were you that mad that our presentation was better than yours? ’Cause it sure seemed like it to us. You didn’t smile or laugh at all. We didn’t do that to you.”
“Yours was great!” Ali hated how shrill she sounded.
Cassie shook her head. “I don’t believe you.”
It was embarrassing to tell them she’d changed because she’d didn’t want Emily and Taylor to know she’d overhead them talking about her and that she hadn’t smiled during their presentation because it hurt her feelings that they hadn’t picked her to participate. Not that they’d believe her, based on the angry looks they were sending her way.
ALI’S RULES WHEN YOU’RE CORNERED
She shrugged. “I don’t know what the big deal is. It was fun when I changed Saturday afternoon.”
“That was different!” said Murray. “You were testing your powers, not ditching school.”
“I wasn’t! I didn’t have time to change back before Ms. Ryder put me outside!”
Cassie rolled her eyes. “You expect us to believe you? First you say you didn’t turn into a cat, now you say you did, but you got put outside against your will. Which is the truth?”
It was like Ali was cornered by the Rottweiler again. She knew she should try to make them understand, but Cassie’s condescension smarted. “I don’t like being interrogated!” she said. “We’re supposed to be friends. Imagine how stupid I felt when you picked other people to play Jeopardy and not me.”
Cassie’s eyes widened. She started to say something, but Ali wasn’t done. “You think my abilities are cool when I do what you want me to do, but you never ask what it’s like to be me, what it’s like to go through this. I’m a person, not a freak! And by the way: I’m not going to the stupid Toastmaster event on Saturday. I’m quitting debate!” She stomped away, too angry to even look back.
She was almost to class when Ms. Ryder cornered her. “Ali, did your parents get my phone message last night about Saturday’s event?”
Ali pictured herself deleting that message, too. “Uh-huh. I think they’re going to call you later. They’re both really busy today. I’m still not sure I can go.”
Ms. Ryder looked her straight in the eye. “Did you go home sick yesterday?”
Ali nodded. “I was in the bathroom and all of a sudden I felt sick. I’m sorry I forgot to tell the secretary.”
“Don’t forget again, okay? We have those rules so we know our students are safe.”
“I won’t.”
For the rest of the day, Ali avoided everyone. It was just as well; her family would be moving soon. She couldn’t wait to leave Saint John. There was nothing here but fog, unhappy memories, and loneliness.