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released Mandy’s wrists. “So how about if I take you home? We can hang there for a while, see if I’m right.”
    “We’re almost at Virgin. I real y want you to see what you can find out about Zeke. If my eye thing is what you think it is, it do esn’t matter what I do, right?” Mandy shook out her hands, then smoothed her long hair away from her face.
    “As long as you don’t use your power,” Rae agreed.
    Mandy handed over her sister’s blouse, quickly dropping it on Rae’s lap before she had time to connect to her sister. “I can see wel enough not to walk into wal s. Let’s go, okay?”
    Rae placed the blouse on the backseat of her dad’s car. “Okay,” she answered. “But if it starts to get worse or if you start to feel dizzy or anything-”
    “I’l tel you, and we’l go straight home,” Mandy promised.
    Should I be driving her straight to a doctor? Rae wondered as she put on the turn signal to reenter the traffic flow. What if I’m wrong about what’s going on with her? What if a vessel in her head is about to burst or something?
    Rae flashed on the image of Mandy in Rae’s old room at the hospital. It could happen. Mandy could end up there if she started babbling about temporary blindness, especial y if she freaked and spewed about her power. We’re talking a few hours to see if she gets better, Rae reminded herself. She checked the traffic in the closest lane. When it was clear, she inched her way back out onto the street.
    “Sorry to park so far away,” she told Mandy when she’d driven the three blocks to the Virgin Megastore and maneuvered the car into a space at the back of the lot. “I’m not such a great driver yet. I like to have empty spaces on both sides.”
    “Doesn’t matter.” Mandy climbed out of the car. Rae got out as fast as she could and hurried over to her.
    “How does it feel to be standing up? You okay?” Rae asked.
    “Fine,” Mandy answered. “And the circles, I think they’re getting bigger. I can see a little more.”
    “Great, great,” Rae exclaimed. “You going to be al right crossing the parking lot?”
    “Let me use you as a guide dog just in case.” Mandy grabbed Rae’s arm with both hands.
    “And we’re off,” Rae said as she started across the lot, going slowly so she didn’t steer Mandy into any parked cars. Final y they made it to the massive front doors, and Rae ushered Mandy inside. Immediately Mandy started turning her head back and forth, searching for her sister. “Let me help,” Rae offered. “What does Emma look like?”
    “Kind of like me,” Mandy answered. “Same color hair, but hers is real y short, with bangs. Brown eyes, like mine. A little tal er.
    Bigger on top.” Mandy gestured toward her chest. “And Zeke-longer hair than Emma’s but brown, too. I don’t even know what co lor his eyes are since he spends most of his time glued to Emma’s face. And he-”
    “I think I see them.” Rae took Mandy by the shoulders and turned her slightly to the left. “On the next level up. Is that them?”
    Mandy tilted her head back and forth. Rae figured she was trying to get her spots of vision lined up right. Then she nodded, her mouth tightening. “That’s them. Let’s go.”
    Rae guided her over to the escalator. When they got to the top, she steered them over to Emma and Zeke.
    “Hey,” Mandy said, her voice real y loud. “What are you guys doing here? I wasn’t expecting to see you two.”
    Not exactly subtle, Rae thought, slapping a smile on her face. “Hi, I’m Rae. A friend of Mandy’s.”
    Emma gave her a look, like, Why are you friends with a fourteen-year-old? Zeke’s eyes, which appeared slightly glazed over, traveled lazily up and down her body.
    Might as well do this now, Rae thought. She reached out and shook Emma’s hand, feeling like a dork because who shook hands? Then she grabbed Zeke’s hand and let her grip slide low enough to bring her fingertips into contact with his.
    And she was in a