Then, before I knew it, three forty-five had arrived. I paced my room, picking my way around the piles of clothes that had mushroomed again. Twice I reached for the phone, then talked myself out of it.By four o’clock I started to wonder—did Parvani have piano today? Math club? Community service? Why hadn’t she called? Was she still speaking to me? Had Salem warned her not to do the spell?I reached for the phone. It rang as I touched it, nearly giving me a heart attack. “Hello?”“Zhù is missing again.” Parvani sounded breathless.“What?”“I happened to be passing by Room 222 when sixth period got out. No Zhù. Then after school, I ran into someone who has seventh period Spanish. She said Zhù didn’t make it to Spanish either.”“Maybe he’s out sick.”I heard the rustle of satin and figured Parvani had just sat down on her canopy bed. The pink duvet matched Parvani’s old toe shoes. She’d gone through tons of pairs before she’d had to give up ballet. They were tacked up on her walls, creating a three-dimensional border along the top.
