The Year of Billy Miller (11 page)

“Stop,” said Sal. “You’re hurting her. It’s okay, Gumdrop.” She pulled Gumdrop to safety on her lap. “You didn’t even know her name,” she scolded, glaring at Billy.

“Sorry,” said Billy.

“Papa knows all their names.” Sal gathered the other Drop Sisters and piled them on and around her. “Maybe you could just tell a story and not touch them.” Her arms circled them, protecting them. “No more explosions.”

Billy wasn’t good at telling stories, the way Papa was. He was better at
doing
things. He had a feeling that this night would be longer than he had imagined. He glanced around the room with the hope that something on Sal’s walls or shelves would trigger an idea.

Billy noticed that Sal’s eyelids were lowering again. “Hey, Sal, can I use that?” He motioned to the dingy pillowcase in which she carried the Drop Sisters. It was crumpled up at the foot of the bed.

“What are you going to do with it?”

“It’s a surprise. You’ll like it. Can I use it?”

Sal considered Billy’s question.

“Remember—the pearl,” Billy said, even though he knew one had absolutely nothing to do with the other.

“All right,” said Sal.

Billy took the pillowcase, filled it with clothes from Sal’s dresser, and bound the open end with one of her stretchy hair bands, twisting it around and around. He’d left several inches of cloth at the end; he fanned it out. “This is the tail,” he said.

Then he pushed and pulled and fluffed the stuffed pillowcase until it pleased him. “There,” he said. “It’s a whale. A big one.”

“It
is
,” said Sal. “Who is it?”

“This is—” Billy said, thinking fast. “This is—
Cough
drop. He’s the Drop Sisters’ cousin. He usually lives at the aquarium. But he’s here for a visit.”

“Coughdrop,” said Sal, smiling. “I love him. Make him say something.”

“He doesn’t talk,” said Billy, “because he has a terrible cough. He was born with it. And the only food he eats is cough drops.”

Sal plucked Coughdrop from Billy’s hands and introduced him to his cousins.

They played. Sal would make a comment as one of the Drop Sisters, then Billy, assuming the role of Coughdrop, would cough in response. They took turns “talking,” having a conversation until Billy had had enough. “Coughdrop needs a break,” he said.

Billy was exhausted and his throat was rough. He decided that he would never be a babysitter, no matter how much money he could make.

“Is it morning yet?” asked Sal.

“No,” said Billy. “I’ll go check again.”

And then Sal said something, but she was yawning at the same time and she’d put her hand over her mouth, so all Billy heard was a tired little noise.

When he came back to Sal’s room with the disappointing news that it was only 11:03, Sal was sleeping on the floor beside the Drop Sisters, her head on Coughdrop.

Billy made very little effort to wake her. He made very little effort to do anything. He couldn’t. All at once it felt as if his pajamas were made of lead. His legs could barely hold him up and it took everything he had in him to drag some blankets off Sal’s bed, fall to the floor next to her, and cover both of them.

He would give it one more try. He raised his head and opened his eyes as wide as he could. “Stay awake,” he commanded himself. A swift, invisible hand pressed his head down and stitched his eyes shut. He tried to conjure up an image of the monster under his bed, but he didn’t even have the energy for that. His head knocked into Sal’s as he searched for some comfort on Coughdrop.

Sal stirred. “Love you,” she murmured.

She could have been talking to the Drop Sisters or Coughdrop or him. He didn’t know. But he knew he loved her. Right now, anyway. And he might have told her so, but all he could manage was to mutter “Yeah” as he drifted off to sleep.

5

“Wake up, sleepyheads,” said Gabby.

Billy blinked. For a moment he had no clue where he was. He stretched. Like a bubble rising through murky water to sunlight above, he slowly worked his way to being fully awake and aware.

He remembered the night and his failed attempt to stay up until morning—and it disappointed him. He felt he had been cheated out of something that should have been his.

“Is it tomorrow?” peeped Sal.

“It’s almost lunchtime,” said Gabby. “Your mom called from the road. They’ll be home in about an hour.” Gabby kissed the tops of both of their heads. “Your dad called earlier to see how the night went. He said to let you sleep in. But I never thought you’d sleep
this
late. When your mom called, she said to wake you up.”

“How was Dad’s show?” asked Billy.

“
Papa’s
show,” said Sal.

“He said he sold five pieces,” Gabby told them. “He sounded happy.” She scooped up the nest of blankets from the floor. “Let’s get your rooms in shape before they get here.” She turned toward Billy. “When did you come to Sal’s room?” she asked. “I checked on Sal when I got up and was surprised to see you.”

“I’m not sure.”

“Were you afraid?”

“Nope.”

“You know you can always wake me up.”

Billy did a combination nod and shrug.

Gabby started making Sal’s bed. She shook out one of the blankets. The pearl had been caught up in its folds. As the blanket ballooned and settled on the mattress, the pearl shot across the room, hit the wall, and magically rolled to a stop at Sal’s feet.

“The pearl!” cried Sal, raising herself up and down on her toes. “I forgot it.” She picked it up and brought it to Billy. “Did we make it to morning?”

He flicked her a look that said
You’re crazy
. He extended his open hand and motioned for her to give up the pearl.

“Did we make it to
midnight
?” she asked, slipping her hand with the pearl behind her back. Her voice sounded as if she knew the answer.

“What are you two talking about?” asked Gabby as she smoothed out the bedspread.

“Nothing,” replied Billy.

“And what is this?” Gabby was holding up Coughdrop by his tail. “Were you planning on running away in the middle of the night? Is this your pack of provisions?”

“That’s Coughdrop!” said Sal. “Billy made him for me. He’s the Drop Sisters’ cousin. He just eats cough drops and he can’t talk.”

Gabby laughed. “You are clever, Billy Boy. And smart. I didn’t know anything about the Year of the Dragon until last night.”

“Soon will
I
learn everything?” asked Sal.

“Yes, you will,” said Gabby.

Gabby told them to get dressed and hurry down to the kitchen. “I can make you something to eat right away, or we can make a big brunch and wait for your parents to get here.”

“Brunch,” said Billy.

“Brunch,” said Sal.

“Meet me in the kitchen,” said Gabby.

Billy and Sal were alone. Their eyes connected and they exchanged a meaningful look. Then Sal reached out reluctantly to Billy. She gave him the pearl and she gave him the most forlorn expression imaginable.

“I tried to stay awake,” she said.

“Me, too,” said Billy. “I almost did it.”

“Did
you
make it to midnight?”

“I might have. I’m not sure. I
think
so.”

They stood together in silence.

Billy’s forehead wrinkled in thought. These were the things he was thinking: I don’t really care about the pearl. Sal helped me last night—but I can’t tell her that. If I give her the pearl, it would be a way to thank her without having to say anything.

“Here,” he said. “You can have the pearl, Sal.”

Sal took the pearl and kissed it. “Thank you, Billy!” She hopped with glee and did a little dance, pulling up her nightgown by its hem and swishing it about.

“See you downstairs,” he called as he left.

He dressed quickly and straightened his room. He looked under his bed, just because. Nothing was there, of course.

His mind was ricocheting from one thing to the next. He wondered if Mama would let him play with Ned today. He wondered what Gabby was making for brunch. He hoped that Mama and Papa didn’t go away overnight again for a long time. When they were both gone, the air in the house was harder to breathe, somehow.

He moved the envelope with the dragon stamp to the middle of his desk. He wanted to get down to the kitchen fast; he could hear the promising sound of pots and pans. But he decided to do something first. He tore a piece of paper from the notebook in his backpack and wrote a letter to put in the envelope and mail.

The letter said:

Dear Sal,

Will make it to morning next time. Your ok.

Your brother,

          Billy

He knew that she couldn’t read the letter by herself, but he thought she’d like it anyway. As he was stuffing it into the envelope, he heard joyful shrieks coming from below. Sal. He didn’t want to be left out of anything. The envelope could be addressed and sealed and sent later. And now? Now he could sail downstairs to see what the day would bring.

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