Vanessa was just eleven years old. She was sure of that now, because the world was back to normal. In fact, she wasn’t absolutely sure that her adventures in Partequineus hadn’t simply taken place in her imagination.
Two weeks had passed, and Vanessa sat in Mr. Carson’s English class during reading period. She was just finishing the last chapter of The Abandoned. After her visit to that strange, bright land of her dreams, Paul Gallico’s fantasy about a boy who thought he was a cat no longer seemed so odd and extraordinary to her.
She looked up as she heard the classroom door open, and Mrs. Watkins, the principal, walked in.
“We have a new student joining us today,” Mrs. Watkins announced. “He just moved here to our town. I hope you’ll all make him feel welcome.”
She stepped aside so everyone could see the handsome boy who stood in the doorway. “His name is Alexander,” she said, “and he’s had a little accident. He’ll need your help to get around until the cast on his leg comes off.”
Vanessa grinned at the newcomer, at his crutches, and at his oh, so familiar face. Alexander grinned back at her. It was all real, she thought to herself. I can never tell anyone else what happened, but Alexander knows. And I just know we’ll be friends forever.