Parallel Visions Read Online Free PDF Page B

down after a really bad attack. The folds have to be precise to work, and they take a lot of concentration. If you do it right, you get a beautiful figure out of paper. The flying pig is my favorite—impossible, just like me. I fold until I can ’ t keep my eyes open any more.
     

SIX
    I hold out my peak flow meter to Mom. “ See? Pretty good! It ’ s closer to green than to red. ”
    “ Uh huh, ” Mom says, pursing her lips.
    “ I ’ ll be fine. I promise. ” I clasp my hands together. “ Please, please let me go and be normal for once. ”
    Mom laughs. “ Okay, Kate. Go and be normal. But you feel an attack coming on, use your inhaler right away. Don ’ t wait. And please call me. ”
    “ Aye, aye, captain! ” I say, saluting. I kiss her and rush out the door before she can change her mind.

    Gil ’ s already in the school parking lot, leaning against the fence, his face tilted up toward the sun. The hazy morning light makes him look beautiful, almost ethereal. He pulls out his ear-buds and walks over to meet me. “ Hey. ”
    “ Hey. ” I say back. I can feel other students watching us, especially the girls. But even some of the boys playing basketball or sitting on the stairs smoking glance at us. I turn my back to the parking lot and watch the cars and bicyclists rush past.
    “ How ’ s your sister? ” I say.
    “ Still depressed. But she seemed relieved to talk about it. I told her about you and your visions—there ’ s no way I ’ d have known, otherwise. And she wants to meet you. ”
    “ Uh—” I don ’ t know what to say. I didn ’ t expect him to tell anyone. But I didn ’ t tell him it was a secret, either. And at least his family believes me.
    Gil holds up his hands. “ Before you say anything, I want you to know... ” His face reddens. “ My sister, Inez. She was—um, she was raped a few months ago. She got really depressed. Not showering, not eating, not doing anything, hardly. She hasn ’ t left the house at all since it happened. ”
    “ I ’ m so sorry to hear it, ” I say softly.
    Another student walks past, looking at us curiously. Gil takes my arm and leads me away from the fence. “ She won ’ t talk to anyone except Nana and me, and won ’ t even see a counselor. Her asking to see you—it ’ s the first time she ’ s shown an interest in anything or anybody since…the night it happened. ”
    “ Of course I ’ ll come see her. ” I push my hair out of my eyes. “ I don ’ t know how I can help, but I ’ ll come. I should be free around four for an hour or two. My sister and her husband are coming to dinner later. ” If she ’ s still alive, that is.
    “ Thank you, Kate, ” Gil says, pressing my hand between both of his like a prayer. “ I can ’ t tell you how grateful I am. My sister—I ’ d do anything for her. ”
    Behind us, boys hoot.
    Gil ’ s ears grow red and he lets go of my hand.
    “ I ’ d do anything for my sister, too, ” I say.
    A bus roars by, pumping out exhaust. I turn my head away, trying not to inhale any of it .
    “ Have you talked to her about her husband beating her? ” Gil asks after it ’ s quiet again.
    “ Yes, but she says nothing ’ s happening. I don ’ t know how to help her! ”
    “ You can ’ t force someone to get help, ” Gil says, his voice heavy. “ But you also can ’ t give up on someone you love. ”
    “ I know! ”
    Gil moves closer. He smells like mint and soap. “ Have you had any more visions of her? ”
    “ Two. ” I hesitate. I ’ m not sure how much to tell him. “ I saw her husband talking to a doctor about me. He said my visions are just hallucinations from a lack of oxygen. ”
    “ What? ” Gil frowns. “ You don ’ t believe him, do you? ”
    “ It did make me wonder if it ’ s my brain ’ s way of telling me none of my visions are real. ”
    Gil grabs my arm. “ But you saw Inez planning suicide when even Nana and I didn ’ t. Don ’ t let some jerkwad make you doubt