A Perfect Storm Read Online Free PDF Page A

with big coastal storms. They know how to batten down the hatches. Local businesses are already boarding up, and the lines at the store are getting longer. Our house is close enough to the water that we should take it seriously. Get ready for power outages and that sort of thing.”
    I swallowed. I’d never been in a hurricane before. Was this what Lady Azura had been sensing? It must be. I was really impressed. But also worried. Weren’t hurricanes really serious?
    My dad saw my anxious face. He put his arm around me. “Don’t worry, kiddo,” he said. “Your wonderful father here has already installed the hardware for hurricane panels on all the windows. I’ll put up the actual panels tomorrow. We’ll be safe and sound if the storm does come.”
    Lily and I stayed up pretty late talking. She kept saying how lucky I was that I had a great-grandmother ascool as Lady Azura, who could not only talk to spirits, but also know stuff about the weather. It felt good to listen to Lily gush on and on about her. I loved knowing that two of my favorite people liked each other so much.
    It was past midnight before we finally unrolled Lily’s sleeping bag on the trundle bed. As soon as we were both comfy under our covers, I confessed to her that I had changed my mind about Mason. That I definitely like -liked him.
    â€œWell, this is obviously not news to me,” said Lily. “I’ve been able to tell for a while now . . . even if you didn’t realize it. Anyway, he likes you too.” She was lying on her stomach, the trundle perpendicular to my bed, and had her chin propped in her hands.
    â€œI’m not so sure,” I said. “He’s so . . . hot and cold with me.”
    â€œThat’s because he’s scared of you, Sar,” said Lily.
    â€œWhy would he be scared of me?”
    â€œHave you looked in the mirror? You’re totally gorgeous, for one thing.”
    I flushed and quickly changed the subject. If Mason was scared of me, it was because we shared a freakysecret together. Not because he was intimidated by my looks.
    â€œWhat about you? I couldn’t help but notice you were checking out Calvin yesterday afternoon.”
    Lily scrambled up to a sitting position. “Oh no! Was it that obvious? Was I acting like a total dork?”
    I laughed. “No. I just know you well enough to be able to tell when you’re smitten. Kind of like the way you knew I liked Mason before I did.”
    In the rosy glow of my bedside lamp, I saw a dreamy look appear on Lily’s face. “Well, he is pretty amazing-looking, isn’t he? And wouldn’t it be great if you went out with Mason and I went out with Calvin? We could double-date.”
    â€œYeah,” I said. My eyelids were growing heavy. “If only they didn’t live two towns away,” I said, reaching for the light.
    Lily sighed in the darkness. “Yeah. That does stink.”
    We were sound asleep in minutes.
    And then I had another dream.
    It was very much like the other one I’d had. In my dream, I found myself standing in the blue bedroom, wearing my nightshirt. The floorboards were coldbeneath my feet. Except it didn’t feel like nighttime in my dream. It felt like a late afternoon in the winter. Outside I could see that it was snowing. Snow had piled up on the windowsill.
    I looked over at the writing desk, knowing what I would see, and I was right. There I sat again, scribbling away in the little book, my long—way longer than real life—hair falling over my face and obscuring my features. But it was me all right.
    Even in my dream, it felt weird to address myself. I walked over to me. The other me didn’t look up.
    â€œHey, Sara,” I said. “What are we writing about?”
    The other me stopped writing. She looked up quickly, and then quickly looked back down. “I’m choosing to ignore you,” she said, staring