Bittersweet Dreams

Bittersweet Dreams Read Free Page A

Book: Bittersweet Dreams Read Free
Author: V.C. Andrews
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happen to change anything now.
    Allison did look very nervous sneaking in here, but, like last night, she looked very sad, too, sad for both of us. She stood there staring at me.
    â€œWhat is it, Allison? I thought we said our good-byes last night.”
    â€œI know, but I remembered something. My father gave me this pen the last time I saw him,” she said, holding up a silver pen. “He said it was a special pen, one of the ones the astronauts used in space. You could write upside down or sideways with it, everything. I wanted to give it to you to use.” She stepped forward to hand it to me.
    â€œYou want to give it to me? Why? Do you think I’ll be upside down or sideways?”
    â€œNo,” she said, smiling. “It’s just a very special pen.”
    I looked at it. On the surface, it didn’t look like anything terribly unusual, but I did make out the word NASA .
    â€œPlease take it,” she said, waving it. She looked like she would cry if I didn’t.
    â€œYour father gave it to you? Are you sure you want to give it to me?”
    â€œYes.”
    â€œWhy?”
    â€œThe words you’ll write with it will be better than the words I’ll write.”
    The way she said the obvious truth, with no self-deprecation or self-pity, made me laugh. In some ways, Allison was already head and shoulders above her mother.
    I took the pen.
    â€œOkay. Thanks. Who knows, maybe I will hang from my feet in my closet when I do my homework up there. Some people think I’m a vampire.”
    She smiled. “No, you’re not. No one thinks that. You’re too pretty to be a vampire.”
    â€œPretty?” I glanced at myself in the mirror. I didn’t feel especially pretty today. I thought my face was pale, my eyes dull and dim, and my hair unkempt. If anything, I looked more like some homeless girl wondering what in the world had happened that she should find herself so lost and alone.
    â€œThat’s a nice color on you, too, turquoise. Remember? I made my mother buy me the same blouse, but it didn’t look as good on me as it does on you.”
    â€œIt will,” I said. “You’re going to have a nice figure, Allison.” As hard as it was for me to say it, I added, “As nice as your mother’s.” What was true was true. Julie was physically attractive. If only she could be kept under glass like a wax figure, I thought, and not bother or hurt anyone else.
    Allison smiled again. “Okay, see you when you come home for the holidays.” She started to turn to leave.
    â€œWe don’t get holidays,” I said.
    â€œReally?”
    â€œI don’t know. Things are very different there. I’ll let you know.”
    â€œWill you? Really? I mean, let me know and not my mother first?”
    â€œShe’ll know, even though the moment I leave, she’ll have a moat built.”
    â€œA what?”
    â€œForget it. Okay. Like I said last night, I’ll send you an email or text you.”
    â€œI know you said it, but will you really?”
    â€œYou sure you want me to do it, Allison? You know you’ll have to keep it secret from you-know-whom.”
    â€œI’m sure. Please, send me emails. My mother doesn’t know how to use a computer.”
    I stared at her with a hard look. She knew why.
    â€œI’ll keep this secret. I swear,” she said in a deep whisper, with her hand over her heart, and then turned and went to the door, checking first to be sure her mother didn’t know she had come in to see me. She looked back, smiled, and then hurried away.
    I put the pen into my bag.
    My father’s wife was in her glory, my father was in a deep depression, and my stepsister was terrified of breathing the same air I breathed.
    How would I go about explaining all of this to anyone if I had trouble explaining it to myself? I thought I should write it down so I could study it all exactly the way I would

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