A Sea of Stars Read Online Free PDF Page B

up close to her.
    I long to say to her, “Cat, I’ve waited my whole life for you to arrive. I’ve dreamt about us being together for years. And I know things feel a bit confusing right now, but they will get better – they have to. I have so many ideas for us, so many plans.”
    But the words get twisted up with my feelings and somehow come out all wrong, so what I whisper into her ear is, “I saw you.”

T he next day, we pick Cat up from foster care and go for a walk along the cliff path. I love walking the cliff path – it’s my favourite, especially when it’s windy and the breeze streams right through my hair. I’m charging ahead with my arms stretched out wide like a bird when Cat runs to catch up to me.
    â€œYou didn’t say anything, did you?” she whispers. “About the garlic bread.”
    â€œI’m not a tell-tale, Cat,” I say. “But you could’ve just asked. The waitress would have put it in a takeaway box and no one would’ve minded. Youdidn’t have to sneak it.”
    She blushes and nibbles on a nail.
    â€œDon’t go near the edge,” she whispers, tugging my jacket. “It’s too dangerous. You might fall.”
    â€œIt’s not dangerous!” I laugh, moving closer to the bit where the tufty grass ends and the ground slips away. “It’s fun! I love it! Every time I go near the edge I feel like the sea is calling me down, daring me to jump off. It makes me so dizzy. Same with tall buildings like the Eiffel Tower and the Empire State Building. Come and stand next to me, Cat, and I’ll show you. I’ll hold you tight, I promise. I won’t let you fall.”
    â€œNo,” she says, tugging me more. “I don’t want to. Come back here.”
    I make my face go all ghosty. I wiggle my fingers in the air.
    â€œWoooooooo,” I whisper. “The mermaids are calling me down! Woooooooooo! Wooooooohoo ooooo!”
    â€œMaya!” shrieks Mum, catching up with us. “Come away from the edge. If the wind caught holdof you now you wouldn’t stand a chance. You’d be down on the rocks in no time.”
    Dad laughs. He grabs me and tickles me and pretends to throw me down on the rocks so the fish and the mermaids can eat me up for tea. I start giggling for England and then Dad turns into the tickle monster and plays the game from when I was small. He tries to pull Cat in too, to get her giggling, but she and Mum back away looking scared, so it’s just Dad and me shrieking with laughter and splitting our sides.
    â€œOver you go,” growls Dad in his tickle monster voice, holding me high in the air. “I’ll feed you to the sharks.”
    â€œStop it, you two! Please!” Mum shouts. “You’re scaring me to death!”
    Dad smiles and puts me down.
    â€œCalm down, lovely,” he says to Mum, folding her into a hug. “We’re just playing.”
    I move even closer to the edge. We were only playing! We weren’t doing anything wrong. We’re allowed! I move closer and closer to the edge, soclose that if the wind gets a teeny bit stronger I might actually fall. Then Cat, Cat, Cat puts her hands over her eyes and starts screaming. It’s a shrill, icy scream – a harsh, empty sound that rises up from a place deep inside her that’s never felt sunshine. And, if you were watching, you’d think she’d seen a ghost. Or a silver-tipped dagger heading for her heart. Or a horror film labelled ‘18’. Anyone listening might think a murderer was kidnapping her.
    We freeze for a second, shocked by the noise that’s ripping up the sky. Then Dad and Mum rush to her side.
    â€œIt’s OK, Cat,” Mum says, fussing around. “We’re here.”
    â€œYou’re safe,” says Dad. “Maya’s safe. It’s OK.”
    Their words are like special cream to soothe her, but they don’t help and