Dia Reeves - Slice of Cherry

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

First and foremost, heres a special hello to Jeremy West, just like I promised. How does it feel to have your name immortalized on the printed page? Pretty groovy, huh?

Speaking of groovy, heres a big hug and thanks to my groovilicious work peeps Sylvia Nordeman and Allison Jenkins for keeping my secret so well (until we got busted; oh sad day!) and never making me feel awkward about being weird for a living.

Im so happy to be able to thank the Tenners this time around. Yay! Jackie Dolamore, Chelsea Campbell, the Berkinator, Steve the Breeze, to name a fewwhere would I be without my writer peeps to keep me sane? I shudder to think.

I also want to say howdy to my number one fanwhether she wants to be or notKay Fraser! And also her grandma Luisa Zorilla. People who love their grandmas are okay with me.

Big, big thanks to my agent, Jamie, who has no idea how cool I think she is, and a big hug to my editor, Emilia, for being so patient while I sweat blood all over this manuscript. Also thanks to Karen S. for her awesome copyediting skills and to the crackerjack team at Simon Pulse, whom Ive met and know for a fact are too cool for school. Especially Mara Anastas, whose children really do love her (ha ha, you thought I forgot).

Last but not least, thanks to my familyall nine billion of you. I love and fear you all in equal amounts. Peace.

The sisters stood on the platform in the center of the garden, which was ringed by eight gigantic faceless golden statues in varying poses facing the garden. Between each statue sat a large elevated plot of earth that was bricked in stone in the shape of a circle. The sun glinted off the statues so brightly, it made Fancys eyes water. She was so used to seeing this place through the lens of the kinetoscope that all the color had her head spinning. When Kit grabbed her and twirled her in a circle, that didnt help.

The platform was the centerpiece, surrounded by a green-scape dotted with fountains and flocks of pink flamingos that stared at the sisters as if to ask how they had gotten there. Animal topiaries lined the path that led from the platform and through the giant hedges that enclosed the garden.

Fancy pulled away from her gawping sister and looked for the kinetoscope, but it hadnt come over with them. Nothing in the cellar had. Except Franken.

He stared wide-eyed at the sky, lying on his back at the center of the platform as if he were still tied up on the cot, and Fancy felt a flash of irritation that she was sharing this moment with him and not just with Kit.

Kit danced over to him and dropped to her knees beside him. You came over too!

Of course he came over, said Fancy. I asked Cherry specifically for a way to get rid of Franken.

Get rid of him? Kit drew her finger across her throat.

Fancy tried not to roll her eyes, but it was hard. Not like that. I mean get him out of our hair. Out of our cellar. And especially out of our sleeping porch.

I cant believe you went into the frigging dark park. Alone. You must really not like Franken.

He lay still as death, his eyes closed, shirtless, his stitches like skinny zippers all over a tacky suit from the eighties. Tears were rolling down his face, which was also tacky. How dare he ruin her fun with his tears?

Kit put her hand on his shoulder. Franken, its okay.

He doesnt realize hes free yet; thats all. Itll sink in. Fancy kicked Frankens feet out of her way and circled one of the statues so she could see it from the front. She had to tilt her head way back and squint her eyes to see all of it, it was that tall and bright.

Maybe we should take him back.

So you can cut on him some more?

At least then hell show some life. This just seems cruel.

He needs to learn to live without us. Without you. Hes way too attached. Like hostages who get Helsinki syndrome or whatever and fall in love with their kidnappers. Its unhealthy.

Kit lit up. You think hes in love with me?

Everybody flies the coop sometime, said Fancy, ignoring the question.

But Franken refused to fly away. He just lay there sniveling like a two-year-old.

Kit said, Franken, dont be like that. This is good news. Youre free now.

Okay.

No, I mean it this time. She smoothed Frankens mite-free hair.

Youre really letting me go? His face was full of some odd emotion.

Yep. Kit smiled, trying to be happy for him.

I can go home? Nervousnessthats what it was. Reluctance.

Forget about home, Kit said. Thats over. This is your home now. Its really great here. Fancy and me used to sit in front of the kinetoscope for hours watching the happy-place people running around and having fun all the time like we used to before Daddy got arrested. Youll have fun here too, and if anybody gives you any lip, tell em Fancy sent you. Its her place.

Our place, Fancy corrected her.

Franken leaned heavily against Kit as she helped him sit up. He stared all around and then winced as if the happy place had punched him in the face.

He whispered, You killed me, didnt you? Thats why Im seeing all thisbecause Im dead.

If I had killed you, Kit whispered back, you would know it. Believe me. She pulled him to his feet and held him up, their arms around each other. And you sure dont feel like a corpse.

He was taller and, even ragged as he was, still bigger than Kit. He could have knocked her over the head if hed wanted, but he didnt want to fight. He didnt want to be free. He wanted Kit.

Fancy wanted to puke. She left the statues and pulled Kit away from Franken. I wanna see whats beyond the garden, she said. But when they hopped off the platform and onto the grass, frightening the flamingos into an awkward run, Franken tried to tag along.

Not you. Fancy shoved him back toward the platform. We dont want you.

The sisters left him sitting forlornly among the headless statues and ran beyond the gap in the hedges, exiting onto a hill overlooking a rustic village nestled in a green valley by the sea.

People milled about, sailing on the ocean in big white ships, frolicking on the beach, talking and laughing together on the streets of their village.

Its just like in the scope, Kit breathed. How weird is this?

Not just like, Fancy said, frowning. There should be a hill.

You mean this one were standing on?

Another one. Just beyond the village.

A lush, green hill materialized in the distance, just small enough that a person could run up it without getting winded. Several children did just that, dragging their kites behind them like unruly dogs.

There, Fancy said. Thats better. What? she asked when Kit kept staring at her.

How did you do that, witch?

Do what?

That hill just appeared out of nowhere, thats what. Out of nothing.

Yeah?

Fancy didnt understand Kits astonishment. Being inside the kinetoscope was no different from being outside it, and she had been arranging and rearranging things inside the happy place for years.

Kit stood behind Fancy and wrapped her arms around Fancys shoulders. Do you have any idea how amazing you are? I wish I could do even half of what you can do.

If its in me, it has to be in you. She leaned back into Kits embrace. Were practically the same person.

No, were not. I feel it now, the difference between us. I never felt that before.

Fancy felt as if all the air had been squeezed from her lungs. Were not different! Dont say that. You just have to concentrate.

Kit tried. She let go of Fancy and furrowed her brow at the village below.

Whatre you thinking about?

Kit unfurrowed and sighed. Franken. He should be here, seeing all this, since hes gone live here now.

Were in paradise, where we can make anything happen, and all you can think about is