Friendship isn’t a big thing. It’s a million little things.

~ Paulo Cohelo

“Jasmine, are you awake?” Samantha peered across the darkened chamber and waited nearly ten seconds. “Jasmine? It’s morning!”

“I heard you the first time! Be quiet or you’re going to wake everyone up!”

Hearing a rustle of blankets and quilts being tossed aside and the rapid tapping of bare feet on the stone floor, Samantha barely had time to scoot out of the way before Jasmine bounced onto her bed.

Both burst into giggles, then immediately shushed each other.

“I could hardly sleep at all!”

“Me neither!” Jasmine’s dark eyes gleamed in the pale light of a single night candle. “This is so exciting!”

“I know! It’s going to be the best day ever!”

“I thought it would never get here.”

“But it did.” Samantha grinned at her friend. “It’s finally here!”

A brief message clinked along the pipes in the adjacent passageway. “Don’t tell me!” Jasmine concentrated on the repeated phrase. “It said the same thing both times — ‘seven a.m. and all’s well,’ right?”

“Wow! You’re really getting good at the codes, even though you’ve only been here for three months.”

“Thanks, Sam!” A blush warmed Jasmine’s shadowed face. “I’ve been practicing a lot. You know, I really like it here and I want to fit in.”

“It seems like you’ve lived here for years and years, just like me.” Samantha glanced toward the chamber entrance. “But if it’s already seven, we better get moving.”

“Right!” Jasmine jumped up and headed toward her dresser. “We don’t want anything to go wrong with our plans.”

“Definitely!” Samantha scrambled out of bed. “And if we don’t go today, who knows when we’ll get another chance?”

In only a few minutes, the girls had washed, brushed their teeth, and dressed in jeans, boots, and layers of warm shirts and sweaters. Each pulled a backpack from under her bed and unzipped the pockets to make a quick last-minute check.

“I’m all set. Are you sure you’ve got everything on your list, especially your flashlight?”

“Hang on – granola bar, chalk, a towel and dry socks just in case – everything’s here.” Jasmine rezipped the pockets. “I put in some extra batteries for the flashlights. Back when Mouse gave me his welcome gift, he said they’re for emergencies, but I haven’t needed them yet.”

“Good idea. I packed some matches, too, but we can’t depend on finding wall torches all the way along the route, so we’ll need those flashlights.”

Jasmine shivered. “That’s the only thing I don’t like here, so much darkness.”

“It’s never really bothered me. I’ve heard other people say it’s hard to get used to at first, but after a while they do, so I bet you will, too. Even Catherine had some trouble with it.”

“Really?” Jasmine’s eyes grew wide. “I never would have guessed something like that. She seems so, you know, together.”

“She is – she’s really great! But I heard her tell that to Vincent a long time ago.”  With one outstretched foot, she shoved her pack back into its hiding place under her bed. “She’s fine with it now. And I know you will be, too.”

“I hope you’re right.” Following her friend’s lead, Jasmine pushed her backpack as far under her bed as she could reach.

“I am!” Samantha made a silent vow to help her friend in whatever way she could. It seemed as if she had been wishing forever for a girl her age to move Below, someone who might become her best friend. Jasmine had been the answer to her prayers.

“We need to hurry. Breakfast starts in a few minutes.”

Jasmine smoothed the covers on her bed and repositioned the pillows. “I’m ready.”

They grinned at each other. “This is going to be so excellent!” Samantha could barely keep from jumping up and down in excitement, only resisting the urge when she realized how immature it would look.

Jasmine, apparently unconcerned about such things, leaped into the air, pumping her arms as her dark curly hair fluttered wildly. “I can’t wait to get started!”

Without another word, the girls ran toward the chamber entrance, then stopped short, barely avoiding a collision with Mary. She stepped back quickly, then smiled at them. “You two are up and dressed right on time today. I must say that’s a nice surprise. I’m proud of you.”

“Thanks, Mary. I – we — ” Samantha glanced toward Jasmine. “We’re trying not to be for a change.”

“I’m very glad to hear that, and I hope you’ll keep up such good behavior. It shows you’re becoming mature, responsible young ladies.” When the girls’ only response was shared tentative smiles, she continued, “Now go along to breakfast. I have to check on the boys, and make sure they’re doing as well as you two.”

They darted around Mary and fled into the tunnel. “Don’t run,” Samantha muttered, “just walk fast.”

“Yeah, I know that’s one of Father’s rules. I think it was the first one I broke.” Jasmine smothered a giggle. “And I don’t want to get yelled at.”

“Father would be mad, I mean angry, if he caught us running, but he doesn’t really yell. He’s not like that.” Samantha shook her head. “He only wants us to be safe.”

“I know – I just meant we don’t have time for all that today.”

Jasmine’s pace quickened, but Samantha’s steps slowed, and she bit her lip as she looked back in the direction of their chamber.

Jasmine frowned. “What’s wrong?”

“We didn’t just lie to Mary, did we?”

“No, we didn’t lie. We really don’t want to be late today. That’s definitely the truth.”

Samantha hesitated, considering her friend’s words. “Okay, I guess you’re right.” Her face slowly brightened as they picked up their pace toward the dining chamber. “And that was nice of her to say we’re becoming more mature.”

“Well, after all, we’re practically eleven. And then only two more years after that, we’ll be teenagers.”

“Isn’t it funny that our birthdays are so close together? We’ll be able to celebrate turning thirteen together!”

They shared identical grins. “It’s almost like we’re twins!”

“Exactly!”

Having reached the communal dining chamber, the girls quickly got in line to pick up their breakfast trays, then looked for seats together at one of the long trestle tables.

Jasmine nudged Samantha’s arm with her elbow and tilted her head toward the far end of the room. “Not over there.”

“Definitely not. There’s no way we’re sitting with the boys this morning.” Samantha swerved toward the opposite side of the chamber. “Let’s sit with Mouse and Jamie.”

“Good idea. We should let her know everything is still on for today.”

“But be careful around Mouse! We can’t let him know anything about our plans. He’s really nice and all, but you never know what he’s going to say next. And if he figures it out and tells anyone, it’ll all be ruined!”

“Got it!”

The girls slid onto the bench across from Jamie and Mouse who were nearly finished with their breakfast. “Hi, girls! Nice to see you here on time today.” Jamie grinned at them. “You’re even kind of early for a change.”

“We have a lot to do — I mean, it’s going to be a busy day, so we wanted to get an early start on things. You know, so we can get everything done…” Samantha’s voice trailed off as she forced herself to stop talking.

“Always busy, just like Mouse!” He grinned at the girls. “Got lots of chores today? Lots of classes?”

Jasmine’s eyes flickered in Samantha’s direction. “Not exactly.”

Mouse shrugged. “Then what? Why so busy?”

Samantha felt her heart race. “What I meant is we’re trying to be more responsible, so we’re sticking to a schedule.”

Mouse frowned and shook his head. “Schedules are hard. Something always happens. Something always changes.”

“Well, we’re doing our best!” Samantha sent Jamie a wide-eyed, silent plea for help.

The young woman set her crumpled napkin on a tray next to her empty plate and bowl. “Mouse, can you please take our things into the kitchen?”

“Sure, no problem!” He hopped up, quickly piled everything onto one tray, and headed off toward the utility sinks in one corner of the adjacent room.

Samantha let out the breath she’d been holding. “Thanks, Jamie!”

“Yeah, thanks a lot! We don’t want to mess things up before we even get started.”

“So, today’s still the big day?”

The girls nodded vigorously. “Everything is working out perfectly so far,” Samantha whispered.

“Except for the last couple of minutes!” Jasmine laughed as she gave her a side-eyed look.

Samantha felt her cheeks flare. “Sometimes I don’t know when to stop talking.”

“No kidding!” Jamie rolled her eyes as she smiled at the younger girl. “When are you leaving?”

“Right after breakfast.” Samantha quickly started spooning oatmeal into her mouth.

“We don’t have to be back until book discussion this afternoon, so no one should be looking for us before that. But we don’t want to waste any time.” Jasmine crammed an oversized bite of toast into her mouth

Samantha swallowed a large gulp of milky tea to wash down another heaping spoonful of oatmeal. “That’s why we told everyone we’re using our free time to help Mr. Smythe at his shop. No one will be looking for us around here, and if the sentries see us on the way, they’ll think that’s where we’re going.”

Jamie frowned. “What are you going to do if someone finds out that’s not where you went? Have you thought about that?”

Jasmine shrugged. “Sort of, but actually, we’re just hoping it doesn’t happen.”

“That’s not much of a plan, girls. You’d better spend some time thinking about it on the way. And you also need to figure out how you’re going to explain why you lied if you get caught.”

“We will, Jamie, we promise.” Samantha set her spoon next to her empty bowl. She took a deep breath, trying her best to sound sure of herself. “And besides it’s not really a lie.”

“That’s right, it’s not a lie,” Jasmine confirmed through a final mouthful of jam-laden toast. “Not really!”

“Because?”

“Because we really are going to help Mr. Smythe — just not today.” Samantha folded and refolded her napkin as an excuse to avoid looking at Jamie. “We’re going up there next Saturday.”

“You two are going to need a lot of luck to pull this off, but I guess you’ll figure it out for yourselves.” The girls watched a smile lighten Jamie’s expression. “And you already caught a break. With the boys having to take the special class today with Father and Dr. Peter, you’ll be able to get away before they even notice you’re gone.”

Jasmine smirked. “And then they’ll be too embarrassed to even look at us when we get back.”

Samantha glanced toward the boys’ table, noting that their typical lively chattering had been transformed into near silence and their grinning faces into expressions ranging from nervousness to actual fear.

“I kind of feel sorry for them. It’s going to be embarrassing to have to listen to all that stuff together.”

“They need to learn how to understand the changes their bodies and emotions are going through now that they’re getting older, just like you had to,” Jamie replied. “So, they’ll just have to put up with it. And it’s not like they have a choice.”

“You know, we were lucky about taking the special class,” Samantha said. “I only had to listen to Mary and Olivia all by myself when I turned ten, and then when Jasmine got here, they just made sure she knew everything she had to know. We handled it.” She shrugged. “Really, nothing to it!”

Jasmine nodded. “It’s going to be much worse for the boys because no way they’re as mature as we are – right, Samantha?”

“Absolutely right!” She turned to Jamie, eager to leave the boys to their ordeal and move forward with the long-awaited plans. “You’re still okay with what we’re doing, aren’t you?”

“Well, I’m not 100% sure I should be helping you.” She looked from one eager face to the other. “But I will. You just have to promise me you’ll only do what we agreed on, and you’ll be back within six hours.”

“We promise!”

Jamie’s expression grew serious. “Really, girls, I know how much this means to you, but don’t try anything reckless. And if something goes wrong, one of you needs to get word to me right away. You remember the pipe code we agreed on?” She waited as the girls nodded quickly. “And you have everything you need in case of emergencies?”

“Everything’s in our backpacks. We hid them under our beds,” Samantha replied, “and we’ll get them on the way out.”

“Jasmine, are you sure about this? I know you and Sam have your hearts set on an adventure, but there’s so much right around here that you haven’t had a chance to see or do yet. You could spend your free time exploring closer to home.”

“I’m sure! Samantha told me everything I need to know for today. It sounds so cool!” She shot a quick glare toward the boys still at their table against the far wall. “Plus, we need to show the boys they’re wrong!”

“We can do it, Jamie,” Samantha said firmly. “We really can.”

“I know you can, and I think it’s great that you set this goal for yourselves. But just be careful. I want you to become strong young women, not stupid young women!”

The girls sat up straighter on the bench, their faces a mirror image of determination and confidence. “We won’t do anything foolish, we promise! Right, Jasmine?”

“Definitely right!”

Jamie smiled. “Okay, but if I don’t hear from the two of you that you’re on your way back by the time we agreed on, I’m going to come looking for you. And I’ll bring Father with me!”

The girls stared at her in momentary horror, then giggled as they clambered to their feet. “Thanks, Jamie!” Samantha said. “We owe you one!”

“You owe me more than one this time,” Jamie retorted with a grin. “Go on. I’ll take your trays back for you. And you’d better get out of here before I change my mind.”

As they made their way to the chamber entrance, the girls struggled to keep from breaking into an excited run.

“As soon as we get our backpacks, we’ll be on our way,” Samantha whispered.

“Yes,” Jasmine whispered back, “and nobody will suspect a thing.”

They had not taken more than a few steps into the passageway when a familiar voice froze them in mid-flight. “One moment, young ladies. There is something I wish to ask you.”

“Let’s pretend we didn’t hear him,” Jasmine hissed.

“We can’t do that. He already knows we heard him!” Samantha grabbed her friend’s arm as she pivoted toward the sound of approaching footsteps. “Good morning, Father! It’s nice to see you this morning! I hope you’re doing well!” She knew her voice sounded unnaturally loud and far too cheerful. “Is there something we can do to help?”

She heard Jasmine huff a warning under her breath, then felt a sense of relief when it seemed Father had not noticed anything out of the ordinary. “Good morning, Samantha, Jasmine.” He reached into the pocket of his tunic and pulled out a small rectangular object wrapped with brown paper and string. “I understand you will be spending your free time today helping Mr. Smythe at his bookshop.”

Samantha chose her words carefully. “That’s our plan, but we promise we won’t be late for book discussion.”

“We’ll be there – right at three o’clock!”

“Excellent.” He smiled at the girls. “In the meantime, I would appreciate it if you two would be so kind as to return this book to Mr. Smythe for me.”

Samantha took the small volume from his outstretched hand. “We’ll – we’ll be very careful with it. Umm, is there anything else we can do to help, or should we go now?”

Instead of waving them on their way, Father turned to Jasmine. “I trust you’re continuing to do well adjusting to life in our community, Jasmine?”

“Yes, Father! I love it here. Everyone has been really nice to me, especially Samantha.”

“I’m happy to hear that. We are pleased to have you with us, my dear, and I’m quite proud of you, Samantha, for being so responsible and caring.”

Samantha’s heart sank, but she forced a smile. “Thank you, Father.”

“And you’re both setting a very fine example for the other children by using much of your free time to provide assistance to one of our valued Helpers.”

Wanting nothing more than to escape a rush of guilt, Samantha prayed silently he would just stop talking. From the corner of her eye, she saw Jasmine take a small step backward.

“Well, I can see you’re eager to get on with your volunteer work, young ladies.” Father bestowed an indulgent smile on the pair. “So, I won’t keep you any longer.” As he turned toward the dining chamber, the girls could not resist rushing down the corridor in the opposite direction, this time not stopping even as they heard the familiar directive. “Please do not run in the tunnels!”

Moments later, they scrambled to a halt in their chamber.

Samantha drew in a shuddering breath. “That was close!”

“Too close! For a minute, I thought he figured out our plan somehow.”

“No, I don’t think so. He would have said something right away.” Samantha’s frown squinted her eyes.

“What’s the matter now? Are you worried about his book?”

“Sort of…but we can figure something out about that later. It’s just that…” She took a deep breath, then the words tumbled from her. “We already kind of lied to Mary and to Mouse. Jamie pretended she’s not worried about us, but I know she is. And now Father thinks we’re doing good deeds all morning when we’re really not, so we sort of lied to him, too.”

Jasmine shrugged. “No, we actually lied.”

“I know! And we shouldn’t have!”

“But we did, and if we didn’t, then we couldn’t go through with our plan. Besides, it’s too late to worry about it now.”

Samantha sighed heavily. “I guess you’re right. But we haven’t even left yet, and we’re already getting into trouble.” She flopped down onto her bed. “It’s just not going like I thought it would.”

“I know, but once we actually get moving, it’ll be fine.”

“Maybe, but what if it isn’t?” Samantha could not keep a nervous tremor from her voice. “What if we get caught?”

“We won’t get caught! We just have to be more careful.” Jasmine’s eyes grew wide. “You’re not gonna let the boys win, are you?!”

“No!” Samantha jumped to her feet. “No way!” She crouched down to pull her backpack from its hiding place and slid Father’s book into the outside pocket.

“Why are you bringing the book? What if something happens to it or we lose it?”

“We can’t risk someone coming in here and finding it, even if we hide it. We’ll just have to be careful.” As she rose to her feet, she felt her face settle into an expression of unshakable determination. “Let’s go!”

Jasmine grabbed her pack and swung it onto her back. “You got it!”

As they emerged into the main passageway, Samantha felt her earlier sense of excitement returning. “I can’t wait to see the boys’ faces when they find out what we’ve done!”

“They’re gonna be so mad!”

“Well, if they hadn’t told us we couldn’t go with them when we found out they were planning their big, important, top-secret adventure, we probably wouldn’t have even thought about doing this.”

“I know! I can still hear them saying ‘No girls allowed.’ Oooh, that makes me so mad!” Jasmine’s eyes flashed fire. “It’ll be so great when we tell them we got there before they did!”

“They’ll be so jealous! I bet they’ll start yelling and arguing with us, and then if Mary or Father or one of the other grown-ups hears them, they’ll really be in trouble!” Samantha grinned so widely her cheeks hurt, but that did not bother her at all. “And they can’t tell on us, ‘cause then they’d have to admit they were going to do it, too.”

“Exactly!” Jasmine agreed. “No matter what happens, we win – and they lose!”

“And the best part is this was really all their fault in the first place, so they have no one to blame but themselves.” Samantha nodded in what she felt was a dignified manner.

Jasmine snickered loudly. “You sound just like Father.”

“I do not!”

“Yeah, you really do.”

Samantha found herself giggling. “I guess you’re right.”

As they neared the classroom chambers, they heard Brooke and Mary’s voices rising above a cacophony of cheerful toddler enthusiasm. Jasmine slowed her pace. “They sound like they’re having so much fun in there together.”

“Mary always makes sure all the kids are happy. She really takes good care of us.”  Samantha forced herself to match Jasmine’s slowing steps. “She’s a great teacher, but she’s like a mom or a grandma, too. And she was so kind to me right from the start when I was little. I never felt scared with her.”

The children’s exuberant voices faded away as the two friends hurried along the well-lit corridor. “You said you came here to live when you were four, right?” Jasmine asked. “So, that’s when Mary was your teacher, like in preschool?”

Samantha nodded. “I really loved it. I’ve always loved school.” Her smile slowly faded. “Sometimes I went to day care back where I used to live. It was so much fun, and the teachers were so nice, I wished I could go every day. But I couldn’t and then after a while I never went back. And I wanted to so much!”  Her voice trailed away in shadowy memories.

“How come you didn’t?” Jasmine caught her breath. “Oh, sorry. I forgot about the privacy rule. You don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to.”

Samantha shook her head. “It’s okay. I didn’t go back because my mother wouldn’t take me there anymore.” She blinked back tears. “She knew I loved it, she knew how much I wanted to go, but she didn’t care! She only cared about what she wanted to do. Nothing else mattered…I don’t even think I did.”

She was not sure what to say next, longing to share some of the secrets she had lived with for so long, yet unwilling to burden her new friend.

Jasmine patted her on the shoulder. “I know what you mean. Sometimes parents really suck.”

Samantha’s sorrow turned to shock. “Jasmine! We’re not allowed to use words like that!”

“I know.” Jasmine grinned. “But it’s true, right?”

Samantha started to smile but looked warily over her shoulder before replying. “It really is!”

They continued in silence for a few minutes, their quick footsteps echoing in the brick-walled passageways, until Jasmine stopped abruptly and took a few deep breaths.

“Ooo, something smells so good! What is that?”

Samantha pointed to a wide entryway just ahead of them. “It’s the chandlery.”

Jasmine twisted her head sideways to look at her friend and then back toward the nearby chamber. “The what-ery?”

“Sorry! I forgot you probably haven’t been to see it yet. The chandlery is the chamber where Rebecca makes all the candles we use, well, most of them anyway. Some candles get donated by Helpers, but she makes a ton of them.”

The girls paused, sniffing the steamy scented air wafting from the doorway. “It smells like a flower shop! How does she do that?”

“She must be making some of her candles we give to Helpers sometimes, to say thank you for everything they do for us.”  Samantha breathed deeply. “Uh-huh – I smell roses and lilac. And lavender – that’s her specialty.”

Jasmine darted forward. “I have to get a look at this.”

“No, wait! We don’t have time!” Samantha tried to grab her friend’s arm, but she was too late, and could only rush after her as Jasmine disappeared through the doorway.

On the far side of the crowded, overheated chamber, they saw Rebecca hanging a pair of pale purple candles on the nearly full drying racks. As she turned toward two large pots of molten wax, the girls waved to her.

“Samantha! Jasmine! I’m so glad to see the two of you!” The candlemaker wiped perspiration from her forehead with the back of her hand. “Can you do me a favor?”

“Sure,” Jasmine replied. “What do you want us to do?”

“I’m running short on an essential oil I need for this project. Taya was supposed to help me this morning, but she’s not feeling well, so I’m on my own.” She dried her hands on a small towel secured to the belt of her apron. “Would you please get a vial of lavender essence for me in the storeroom? I can’t leave these pots of wax simmering with no one to watch them, and I’m almost at the point where the oil must be added, or the candles won’t turn out right.”

Jasmine stared at the vats. “You’ve got a lot of wax there. Should we get more than one bottle?”

“Just one will be enough. I wish I could store the oils in this chamber, but it’s usually so hot in here, they would deteriorate quickly, and they’re not easy to come by.” Rebecca pushed back her blonde curly hair where it stuck to her forehead. “I have enough rose and lilac, but I need the lavender right away, so I’m happy you girls can go get it.”

“We can do that. We’ll be right back!” Samantha pulled on Jasmine’s sleeve. “Come on!”

Jasmine ignored her. “Can I come back here sometime and watch you work?” She waved her free arm toward the far reaches of the chamber. “This looks really cool. And it smells so good in here!”

“Of course, you can.” Rebecca smiled at her. “I’ll talk to you about it later and we can arrange for a visit.”

“Thanks, Rebecca!” Anything further Jasmine might have said was cut short as she was yanked in the direction of the entryway. Pulling her arm free, she demanded, “Samantha, what’s the matter with you?”

“Nothing’s the matter with me!” Samantha’s frown matched the tone of her voice. “You’re the one who told Rebecca we’d do this errand for her, and now we’re going to be later than ever!”

Jasmine shrugged. “It won’t take that long. And you know the rules. Aren’t we supposed to always accept help and give help to others?”

Samantha surprised herself by bursting into laughter. “Now who sounds just like Father?!”

“I guess it’s me this time!” Jasmine rolled her eyes and her laughter echoed Samantha’s as they hurried into the passageway. “So, where’s this storage room?”

“It’s not far, so if we hurry, it really won’t take long. And I’m sorry I was kind of snippy. You were right about helping Rebecca.” Samantha slid off the straps of her backpack and propped it against the wall outside the chandlery. “Let’s leave our packs here for now.”

Jasmine dropped her pack on the stony floor. “Good idea – we can move faster that way.”

Minutes later, the girls were on their way back, with Samantha carefully carrying a precious vial of the essential oil.. “Now when we get there, we’ll just give this to Rebecca and then we’ll leave, right?”

“Right! I’ll talk to her some other time about a visit. I want to learn how to make candles next.”

Samantha sighed in relief. “I really didn’t mean to be so bossy or anything before. I just don’t want us to run out of time.”

“That’s okay. You were right.” Jasmine grinned, then added, “This time.”

Samantha smirked as they approached the chandlery. “Well, actually I am right a lot of the time. Vincent says I’m an excellent student, and – hey! What are you doing?!”

They skittered to a sudden stop, shocked to see a small boy kneeling by their belongings, one hand gripping the zipper pull of Samantha’s pack. Scrambling to his feet as the girls rushed toward him, Eric looked as if he intended to race off in the opposite direction; but with an angry older girl standing with hands on hips on either side of him, he never had a chance.

“Eric! Were you taking something out of my backpack?” Samantha heard her voice echo off the stony walls, gratified to realize her stern tone sounded exactly like an admonishing adult.

He shook his head. “No! Well, not really…I was just –”

“Yes, you were too taking something!” Jasmine glared at him. “We saw you!”

“That’s right – we saw you!” Samantha’s long hair swung around her shoulders as she shook her head. “You know we’re not supposed to do anything like that!”

Eric pushed his glasses farther up his nose, his gaze darting back and forth behind the dusty lenses. “I didn’t really do anything wrong, Sam.”

“You certainly did! You were getting something out of my backpack without permission. That’s stealing!”

“You’re gonna be in big trouble,” Jasmine added. “You know, stealing is against the law.” She turned toward Samantha. “What happens to you if you break the law down here? I bet it’s pretty bad.”

Seeing Eric’s lower lip start to quiver, Samantha decided to take pity on him. “Look, if you explain what you were doing, maybe – just maybe — we won’t have to tell Father.”

“I wasn’t going to steal anything, Sam, honest! I was following you guys, and I just wanted to see where you were going. So, I thought if I looked in your backpack, I’d find a clue or a map or something.”

“Everyone knows we’re going to help Mr. Smythe in his bookshop this morning.” Samantha crossed her arms and tapped her foot. “You shouldn’t tell lies on top of everything else.”

“Samantha’s right! Lying is just as bad as stealing.”

Eric suddenly smiled at them. “Well, you’re lying, too.”

The girls exchanged startled looks. “What do you mean by that, Eric?” Samantha forced a calm, unruffled tone to her voice. “Why would you say we’re lying?”

His grin widened. “Because this isn’t the right way.” He pointed back toward a tunnel that curved off the main passageway. “If you were going to Mr. Smythe’s shop, you would have gone that way.”

“We can get there if we go this way, right, Samantha?” Jasmine didn’t sound as confident as her friend wished she did.

Eric shook his head. “Nope. And I’m gonna tell Father that you’re going somewhere else. And that you lied!”

As he turned to scamper off, Samantha blocked his flight with quickly outstretched arms. “Just wait a minute,” she said, her voice deceptively calm. “What are you doing here anyway? Aren’t you supposed to be with the other boys – you know, for the special class?”

The girls watched as Eric’s grin disappeared. “I don’t want to go to it!” He looked frantically from one girl to the next, his voice rising with every word. “Please let me go with you! I won’t tell on you – I promise!”

Samantha smiled serenely. “First of all, there’s nothing to tell. We are going to Mr. Smythe’s bookshop. We were just helping Rebecca first.”

Jasmine nodded, her smile mirroring that of her friend. “We had to go get a bottle of lavender oil for her. See, Samantha has it right here.”

Just as Samantha held the small vial up as proof, Rebecca emerged from the workshop. “Oh, girls, I’m so glad you’re back. Thanks so much for getting the oil for me. Jeremiah just stopped by to bring more wood for the fire, and now I can finish another batch of candles.” She took the bottle from Samantha, then tilted her head toward Eric. “I’m surprised to see you here, Eric. Don’t you have that special class with the other boys this morning?”

The two girls clamped their mouths shut as tightly as they could and tried their best not to giggle.

Eric sighed. “Yeah, I guess.”

“Well, then shouldn’t you be on your way?” Rebecca continued. “You don’t want to be late.”

The expression on Jasmine’s face defined innocence. “That’s right, you don’t want to be late.”

Samantha touched him gently on the arm. “It’s really not that bad, Eric.” She noted his look of disbelief and searched her mind for something to convince him. “And if you don’t go, then all the other boys will know things that you won’t know. You don’t want them to tease you about it, do you?”

“Or tell you lies,” Jasmine added, raising her eyebrows at him.

He sighed again. “I guess not. Okay, I’ll go.”

The girls immediately looked toward Rebecca and realized she shared their reaction to Eric’s apparent change of heart. Just as he started to edge around them, she rested one hand on his shoulder. “Jeremiah is heading back to the hub, so he can walk to Father’s study with you. Let’s let him know you’re ready to go back.” As she shepherded Eric toward the entrance to the chandlery, she glanced over her shoulder, sharing a quick smile with her helpers. “Thanks again, girls, and, Jasmine, I’ll talk to you at dinner about finding a time to show you how to make candles, ok?”

Jasmine’s face lit with a delighted smile. “Thanks, Rebecca!”

As Rebecca and Eric retreated into the candlemaker’s chamber, Samantha leaned down to grab both backpacks from the dusty floor, then thrust Jasmine’s into her outstretched hands. “Come on – let’s get out of here before something else happens!”

“Wait a second – did you hear Eric say he was following us? What if someone else is, too?”

They stared back down the passageway, only to find it deserted. “No one’s there.” Samantha smothered a jittering of nerves. “Eric didn’t want anyone to know where he was going either, so he must have done this on his own.”

“I guess you’re right, but we better be more careful the rest of the way. This is our plan and no one else is getting in on it.”

“Absolutely not! This is just for us!” Delighted to have a kindred spirit to share adventures, Samantha again felt her concerns evaporate.

After a final glance behind them, the girls took off at a fast jog. Their rapid footsteps raised little puffs of dust and dirt as they quickly made their way through the dim light in a warren of lesser used tunnels.

“How come everyone’s so nice down here?” Jasmine asked abruptly, surprising Samantha with her question.

“What do you mean?”

By unspoken agreement, the two friends slowed their pace so that they could talk more easily.

“Well, you know. Like Rebecca’s going to show me how to make candles. Mary and Brooke spend all day taking care of a bunch of little kids. William’s cooking for everybody all the time.“  She smiled mischievously. “And even when we break the rules, Father doesn’t actually yell.”

“Well, he does get a little loud once in a while, like the time Arthur chewed up some of his maps. But I think the main reason everyone’s really nice here is because they want it to be a good place to live. This is our home and some – a lot – of us had really bad lives before.” She sighed softly. “It’s much better here and no one wants to mess it up.”

“I get it. Everybody does the right thing, follows the rules and stuff, so that no one gets kicked out.”

Samantha nodded. “Well, that’s part of it. It’s like we’re a big family and everyone tries to get along and all, but even if there are problems, we still really like each other.”

“So, people hardly ever get mad or have fights?”

Samantha heard the trace of hope in her friend’s question. “Sometimes they do, but we’re supposed to use calm words to talk things out, and everybody tries really hard to do that.”

She glanced at Jasmine’s anxious face. “Of course, the grown-ups are better at it than the kids. But even when they disagree, they find a way to make things work because no matter what, they’re still friends. You know, it’s like me with some of the boys – even when they make me so mad, I still love them.”

Jasmine shrieked with laughter. “Ooo, which one do you love most?! I bet I can guess!”

Samantha glared at her. “That’s not what I meant, and you know it!” She stalked along the corridor, her shoulders and back yardstick straight. “They’re like my brothers! I don’t love love them!”

Jasmine hurried to catch up. “I know! Sorry! I didn’t mean to tease you. I really hate it when people tease me, so I shouldn’t have done it to you.”

Samantha gave her friend a sideways glance. “Yeah, me, too. I hate teasing.”

“You know who I think is the worst one for teasing?” Jasmine did not wait for an answer. “Kipper!”

“Absolutely! Sometimes he drives me crazy! That’s why it’ll be so great to see the look on his face when he finds out what we did!”

“He’ll be wild, especially since he claims he discovered the secret chamber before anybody else did.”

“He absolutely did not discover it!” The rhythm of Samantha’s stomping feet matched her voice. “It’s probably been there for a zillion years, and I bet tons of people have gone there way before he ever said he was going to. And, besides, he only knows about it because Vincent mentioned it when he was telling us stories about some of the things he and Devin did when they were kids.”

“So, Kipper was just bragging as usual. Too bad he’s not more mature like Zach. Zach doesn’t tease us or go around making up stuff just to make us mad. Kipper should get a clue from him.”

Noticing a slight but unmistakable change in Jasmine’s tone of voice, Samantha looked sharply at her. “Zach? I didn’t know you were such good friends with him already.” She tried to suppress a smile as she noticed a blush suffuse Jasmine’s cheeks. “Of course, he is very nice and all…so I’m not surprised you like him so much.”

“I didn’t say that! I was just – just making a comparison between two people, you know, like we do in our reading class.”

Samantha rolled her eyes. “Okay, if you say so.” Then her broad grin was frozen by Jasmine’s retort.

“And you have a big old crush on Jared!”

“That’s not true!” Samantha winced at she heard her shrill voice reverberate off the tunnel walls. “I most certainly don’t!”

Jasmine’s eyebrows rose dramatically. “You most certainly do!”

“Not!!”

Before Samantha could summon a better defense, Jasmine added, “And so what if you do? He’s really cute and nice and since he’s pretty new here, it’s not like he’s another one of your sort of brothers.” She looked carefully at Samantha. “We’re best friends, right? We can tell each other things like this and keep it a secret.”

Samantha felt her heart swell at the term ‘best friends.’ Her smile beamed. “Right! That’s what best friends do.”

Jasmine smiled back. “So, you won’t tell anybody I like Zach, and I won’t tell anybody you like Jared. Promise?”

“I promise!”

They hurried along until Jasmine stopped short. “Did you hear that?”

“Hear what?” Samantha shook her head. “I didn’t hear anything.”

“I can’t really describe it, sort of a scratchy, clinking sound – just for a few seconds — and then it stopped. I heard it a while ago, too, but I thought it was nothing — except just now I heard it again.”

Samantha frowned. “Maybe it was a message on the pipes. You can still hear them way down here, but not like back at home.”

“Yeah, I guess that must have been it.” Jasmine shrugged. “Let’s keep going.”

Chatting about anything and everything, the next several minutes passed quickly as they hurried through tunnel after tunnel, coming ever closer to their destination. Samantha pointed toward a turn-off a few feet ahead. “This way. It’s not far now!”

Jasmine slowed to a stop, panting slightly. “Can we take a break? I’m still not used to running around all the time like this.”

“Okay, but only for a few minutes.”

Jasmine followed her friend into the connecting passageway and dropped to the floor to lean carefully against the rough stone wall. “So, we’re almost there?”

“It won’t take too much longer. And it really will be worth it – I promise!”

Jasmine’s gaze flickered around the narrow passage, its ceiling markedly lower than that of the others they had traveled. “I’m getting my flashlight out. It’s kind of dark in here.”

“I will, too.” Samantha pulled hers from her pack and switched it on. “But we won’t need them for long because there’s lots of light up ahead.”

With a sigh of obvious relief, Jasmine clicked on her flashlight, then reached back into her pack to retrieve two small objects. She handed one to Samantha. “Here you go. I’m going to eat mine now, but you can save yours for later if you want.”

Samantha stared at the small orange fruit in her hand. “Where did you get clementines from?”

“I took them out of the basket on the serving table at dinner last night.” Jasmine started to peel the skin from hers. “But don’t worry – no one saw me do it.”

Samantha stowed her share of the fruit in a pocket of her backpack. She did not want to hurt her friend’s feelings, but something had to be said. “It was nice of you to bring a snack for us, but we don’t always have a lot of fresh fruit and things like that here. We’re not supposed to take extra pieces without permission. You could have just asked William if it was okay. He probably would have said yes.”

Jasmine popped a piece of orange into her mouth. “But what if he said no?”

“Then, the answer would be no. Those are the rules.”

Jasmine stared at the sweet juice dripping from her fingers. “I guess you’re right. I shouldn’t have just taken them…I’m sorry.”

“It’s okay, just this once. But don’t do anything like that again, okay?”

Jasmine nodded. “Okay. It’s just that sometimes I guess it’s hard to break old habits.”

“What do you mean?” Samantha’s eyes grew wide. “Did you have to – to take food like that when you lived Above?”

“Sometimes.” Jasmine sighed softly. “I didn’t do it a lot, but Gran’s food stamps would run out. She wouldn’t take me to the soup kitchen that much ‘cause she said she didn’t like taking charity. But a lot of the time we were really hungry, so I pretended the man at the bodega just gave me fruit and things.”

“Did she believe you?”

Jasmine shook her head. “I don’t know. She never asked…and I never said anything else about it. Like I said, we were hungry, so…” She shrugged and finished eating the rest of her orange, then wiped her sticky hands on her jeans.

Samantha struggled to keep from crying. “Well, you don’t have to worry about that anymore. Sometimes we don’t have a lot of food here, but we never have to go hungry. And if there’s ever an emergency, our Helpers pitch in.”

Jasmine nodded. “I know it’s different here. I’m just not used to it yet, I guess. But I promise I’ll try to remember the rules better from now on.”

“And I can remind you if you want.” She smiled hopefully and watched her friend smile back.

“Thanks, Samantha.”

They rose to their feet and retrieved their backpacks. “We better get going. It’ll still take about five minutes or so to get there.”

Jasmine’s expression grew quizzical. “How can you tell how much time is going by? There aren’t any clocks around here, and you don’t have a watch.”

Samantha grinned and held out her left arm, pulling up the cuff of her sweater an inch or two. “Jamie borrowed a watch from Mouse and let me take it today. I don’t know where he got it, but he’s really good at finding useful things.”

“Yeah, like these flashlights. I’m so glad he gave them to us.” Jasmine’s voice trembled slightly as she stared into the darkness ahead. “Let’s keep them on, okay?”

“Sure! I’ll go first and shine mine toward the floor so we won’t trip or anything, and you stay right behind me and shine yours up ahead so we can see where we’re going.”

Jasmine looked doubtful, but after a quick demonstration her expression changed to one of admiration. “This works great! How did you know how to do that?”

Samantha smiled, happy to help her friend continue to overcome her one fear of life Below. “Vincent showed us. The first time he took all the kids on a hike in some of the darker tunnels, he taught us how to walk in the buddy system and use our lights like this. Now we do it all the time whenever he takes us on hikes.”

“Oh, I want to go on hikes, too!” Jasmine exclaimed as they walked farther along the tunnel, adjusting their pace as the rocky floor sloped gradually upward. “Does he take you guys exploring a lot?”

“Well, he used to, but now it’s him and Catherine who take us, usually every couple of weeks or so. They’re really nice to us, and I think they have a good time, too, but I also kind of think they do it so they can spend more time together.”

Jasmine grinned. “I think you’re right! Those two are in looooove!”

“They really are! And I’ve seen them going off on walks by themselves loads of time. Geoffrey always wants to go with them, but they usually find something else for him to do instead.”

“I hope he doesn’t get his feelings hurt. He’s really sweet, for a little kid, I mean.”

“He’s fine with it,” Samantha reassured her. “Vincent and Catherine are very fair. They always make sure they find time for all of us.”

As they reached a curve in the tunnel, Samantha stopped. “The tunnel gets narrower here for just a little way. But it’s not bad. We’ll get through it quickly and then we’ll be there!”

“I don’t know about this.” Jasmine’s voice shuddered. “How long is it going to take?”

“Not long at all.” Samantha patted her friend on the arm. “Maybe a minute more.”

“Are you really sure?”

She raised her flashlight so that its gleam bounced off the low ceiling, allowing the friends to see each other’s faces more clearly in the dim light. “I’m sure. I’ve been down this tunnel a hundred times.”

Jasmine tilted her head and raised her eyebrows. “A hundred times?”

“Well, maybe not a hundred. Okay, just once actually, a few months ago when Catherine and Vincent took some of us here. So come on, just stick to the buddy system with the flashlights, and we’ll be fine.” Seeing the shadow of doubt lingering on Jasmine’s face, she added, “Really! I promise!”

Jasmine sighed. “Okay – let’s go. But if we get stuck in here, they’re gonna hear me screaming all the way back to Father’s study.”

“Come on. You’ll be fine!” Hoping to distract her friend as they moved forward, Samantha continued, “What did you bring to leave in the secret chamber?”

“We were supposed to bring something?”

“Jasmine! You know we were! If we don’t leave something there as proof, no one will believe us.” Samantha’s voice rose in waves. “I can’t believe you forgot!”

Her friend snickered. “Gotcha! I’ll show you what I brought when we get there.”

Samantha rolled her eyes but had to laugh as they moved along as quickly as possible. Soon they could hear a rumbling roar that grew louder with every step they took. The sound spurred them on, and they nearly tumbled out of the tunnel into the vast reaches of the chamber that housed their final destination.

Suddenly worried that Jasmine’s reaction might not be all she had imagined, Samantha ignored the wondrous sight before them to focus on her friend’s face.

Jasmine’s eyes widened. “Where are we?” she whispered. “I’ve never seen anything like this before.”

“It’s called the Chamber of the Great Falls.” Samantha smiled as Jasmine gazed awestruck at the spectacular vista. “Right here we’re about halfway to the top of the waterfall, and there’s a river down at the bottom.”

Jasmine dashed forward, only to be stopped in an instant by Samantha’s warning. “Be careful! Don’t go too close – some of the rocks are slippery and you might fall!”

Together they inched closer to the edge and gazed down at the sparkling river as the foam of the falls cascaded into it. Jasmine looked upward. “Where does the light come from?”

“I don’t know. Maybe from some openings in the rocks way up at the top. I’m not sure what’s up there, except I heard there are ways to get into other levels of this chamber. So far I’ve only been to a few of them.”

“The whole thing is so amazing!” Jasmine pivoted left and right, eager to take in everything at once. “I can’t believe what I’m seeing, and we haven’t even gotten to the secret chamber yet!”

Samantha pointed toward the torrents of rushing water. “Vincent said there’s another cave behind the falls, and the secret chamber is supposed to be right behind that. That’s how we all found out it even exists. But he made us promise not to come here alone.” She sighed. “I hate breaking a promise, especially to Vincent, but we have to prove we got here before the boys beat us to it.”

Jasmine hadn’t moved. “Can we just stay here for a few more minutes?”

“Sure. We can sit farther down the path, but not too close to the edge, okay?” They walked back from the precipice, then stopped at a flat place on the wide ledge where they sat cross-legged, side by side, facing the falls

“I’m so glad you like it here. I was kind of worried you’d be disappointed.”

“No way! It’s so cool!”

“Even though I’ve been here before, it’s still kind of a surprise to see it again. To know it wasn’t just my imagination. Do you know what I mean?”

“Sure! It’s kind of magical, like something in a movie or on tv or maybe in a storybook.” The sparkle in Jasmine’s eyes abruptly dimmed. “I wish my granny could’ve seen this place. She wouldn’t have believed her eyes.”

“Did your granny take you to special places Above sometimes?”

“No. But I know she wanted to. Sometimes she’d tell me stories about when she was a little girl. She even went to a cabin in some mountains once. I think it was in North Carolina. But when she got older, she never left Harlem again.” She turned her head away. “I don’t think she wanted to go too far from where my dad lived…even though he was never coming back.”

As Jasmine hung her head and fell silent, Samantha said softly, “We can talk about it if you want. Sometimes that helps.”

When Jasmine finally spoke again, her voice was so low Samantha had to strain to hear her above the sound of the falls.

“I don’t remember much about my dad, just that he always smelled nice, like soap. He would hug me and twirl me around and call me Jazzy and say I was his pretty baby.” Her voice trailed away again.

Samantha searched for the right words. “He sounds really nice. You must miss him a lot.”

Jasmine sniffed back a tear. “Yeah, I guess I do.” She gazed out at the falls. “But sometimes I get really mad at all of them — him and my mom and my granny — for leaving me.”

“What happened to them? Oh, I’m sorry, Jasmine! You don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to.”

Her friend’s voice was flat and lifeless. “They died. They all died. My dad was in a gang and he got shot. I was almost five. My mom told me he was dead and then after a while she left me, too.” She took a shuddering breath. “We went to live with Granny, and it seemed like we’d be okay, but then…then my mom…my mom… overdosed. They said it was an accident, but I think she decided to kill herself because my dad was never coming back. She could’ve stayed but she didn’t. She made a choice. A really bad one.”

Samantha’s heart ached with her friend’s pain and anger. “But your granny didn’t leave you on purpose. You told me she got really sick. She would have stayed with you if she could – I know she would.”

Jasmine’s face hardened. “Yeah, but she didn’t, did she?” She wiped her tears away with the back of her fisted hand. “She let them take her away to the hospital. I guess she thought the neighbors would take care of me until she got back…but she didn’t come back.” She shook her head slowly. “I waited and waited, just like she said to do, but no one bothered themselves about me. If that social worker lady from the soup kitchen hadn’t come looking for me, I probably would’ve died, too.”

Samantha gasped. “Don’t say things like that, Jasmine!”

“Why not? It’s true.”

Tears dampened Samantha’s face as she reached out to pat her friend gently on the shoulder. “I’m really sorry all that happened to you, but I’m really glad that lady was a Helper and brought you here to live with us.” She waited and watched carefully until Jasmine nodded slightly. “Now we’re your family and you won’t ever have to be alone again.”

Jasmine took a deep shuddering breath. “I know things are better now.”

“That’s how it is for most of us here. It’s like getting a second chance, and now you have one, too.”

“I guess.”

After a few silent moments, Samantha asked, “Are you ready to keep going?”

“About as ready as I’ll ever be.”

With Samantha in the lead, they followed the trail toward the hidden cave, carefully clambering over and around large rocks partially blocking their way. “Jasmine, be really careful here. We’re probably going to get a little bit wet no matter what, but you don’t want to fall in!”

“Hmmm, I don’t know about that. I learned how to swim in the pool at the Y. I could probably dive right down to the river.”

Samantha gasped, then saw the smile quirking her friend’s mouth. She wasn’t about to fall for it again. “Okay, have fun. I’ll meet you back at home later. I’m going to the secret chamber!”

Jasmine grinned. “You’re not going there without me!”

The girls carefully followed the narrow ledge into a shadowy cave. With only faint light seeping in to guide them. Jasmine quickly fumbled for her flashlight and cast its rays in wobbly arcs, watching the light catch and sparkle on the smooth, damp walls. “It’s bigger in here than I thought it would be, but it’s so dark. How are we going to see where we’re going?”

Samantha switched on her flashlight and pointed its beam toward the far wall of the cave. “We’ve got enough light to investigate. Do you think the way into the secret chamber is back there?”

“Probably, but if we can’t find it, we’re leaving, right?”

“We’ll find it!” Samantha took her friend’s hand and pulled her farther into the cave. They’d taken less than a half-dozen steps when their flashlights’ beams revealed a pile of fallen rocks next to a rough, broken section of the cavern wall. “Maybe that’s it!”

They stowed their bags near the rock pile, then edged around it toward a jagged crevice splintered into the wall. “I bet that’s the way to get into the secret chamber. It has to be!”

“No way, Sam!” Jasmine flashed her light into the narrow opening. “We’ll get stuck and die in there!”

Samantha bit her lip. “It does look kind of small, doesn’t it?” She pivoted to shine her light along the walls. “But I don’t see any other openings, do you?”

A quick scan of the area answered that question. Samantha forced herself to approach the opening and directed the beam of her flashlight deeper into it. “It does go back farther. And I’m pretty sure we can fit.” She looked at Jasmine who had begun backing away.

“Forget it! This is not happening!”

Even though she had doubts of her own, Samantha was not ready to quit. “It’s okay. It’ll be fine.” As the other girl continued to inch her way back toward the cave’s entrance, she gave it one last try. “What if I go first and you follow me? And if it gets bad and we’re scared, we’ll stop and come right back out, okay?”

Jasmine took several deep breaths. “Yeah, I guess so. But you’re sure this is the right way?”

“It has to be. We already looked and this is the only place it could be.” She smiled, hoping she looked much more confident than she felt. Turning sideways, she wriggled a few inches into the opening, clutching her flashlight so hard that her fingers began to cramp. “It’s not too bad. We can do it.”

Jasmine took only a few steps before Samantha stopped suddenly. “Wait! We need to get our things!” The girls scrambled back, grabbed their packs, and moved closer to the shimmer of falling water so they would be able to see more clearly. Each removed a small object from her pack.

“So, what did you bring?” Jasmine asked. “I’m dying to find out!”

Samantha let a length of pink satin ribbon unfurl from her grasp

“That’s so pretty! Is it a hair ribbon?”

“No, it’s a tie for a ballet shoe. Lisa gave it to me when she visited us last month.”

Jasmine rolled her eyes. “You have two feet. What did she think you were going to do with only one ribbon?”

“I’m not sure” Samantha raised her arm to let the ribbon flutter in the cool breeze gusting through the cave. “But she told me to keep it until she comes back again to give us ballet lessons.”

“Sam,” Jasmine hesitated. “You know she’s not coming back.”

“Yes, she is! She promised she would. She wouldn’t break her promise!”

“Sure, she would. She didn’t look to me like the kind of person who cares about promises. More like she only cares about herself.”

Samantha felt her heart drop when she heard words so like those she had uttered about the mother who had broken her heart. “How can you tell?”

“She reminds me of some people I knew before – you know, up there.” Jasmine gestured toward the hidden reaches of the city far above them. “Always out for themselves. And besides, I know one when I see one. And Lisa’s definitely one!”

“I don’t know what you mean.” Samantha’s face was scrunched in confusion. “One what?”

“One of those other words we’re not supposed to say around here.”

“Then you better not say it!” She didn’t want to talk about Lisa anymore and the shadows that always seemed to surround the ballerina, even when Samantha wished she could see only light. “Show me what you brought.”

“I brought this.” Jasmine held out a small drawstring pouch made of colorful striped cotton. “My granny embroidered it for me. See, it has my name on it.” She handed it to Samantha. “You can hold it if you want.”

Samantha cradled the cloth bag in the palm of her hand. “Jasmine, this is so beautiful. It must be one of your most special things.” She carefully traced the delicately stitched letters with one finger. “But I don’t think you should leave it here. What if something happens and we can’t get it back again?”

“I didn’t know what else to pick,” she said softly. “I didn’t have a lot of things to bring with me when I moved here, and I needed something that everyone could tell belongs to me. So…”

Samantha handed the precious treasure back to her friend. “You need to keep this. Put it back in your pack.” She smoothed tiny wrinkles from the pink satin ribbon still clutched in her hand. “We can leave this for both of us.”

“But we’re supposed to leave something to prove we both were here. That’s your ribbon, not mine.”

“I have an idea.” Samantha rummaged through her backpack, then held up a felt-tip pen. “We can write our names on the ribbon, and then everyone will know it’s from both of us.”

“But that’ll ruin it! The ink will never come out even if we wash it a bunch of times.”

Samantha shook her head. “It’s all right. I don’t mind.” She pressed the ribbon flat against the smoothest section of rock she could find, then firmly wrote her name in careful cursive letters on the glossy satin surface. “Here, now you write your name, and we’ll have our proof.”

Jasmine signed her name on the ribbon in tiny letters. “Thanks, Samantha. That was a really nice thing to do. Later, you could cut off the part with our names and there’d still be plenty of ribbon left.” She carefully put away her grandmother’s keepsake. “What made you think to bring a pen?”

“It goes with my journal. I always bring it in case I think of something I want to write about.” Samantha stowed the pen back in her pack. “I might be a writer when I grow up.”

Jasmine gave her a puzzled look. “I thought you said you wanted to be an artist. Or a professional soccer player.”

“I haven’t made up my mind yet.” She wanted to share still another dream dancing in her heart but somehow knew this was not the right time.

She tucked the coiled ribbon in her pocket. “Are you ready?”

“Now I am. Let’s do it!”

Once again, Samantha took the lead as the girls entered the crevice, carefully squirming their way a few feet into the constricted passageway. They inched along, trying not to snag their hair or clothing on the rough walls as they struggled to hold their flashlights aloft.

Samantha heard Jasmine’s breath start to quicken. “It’s all right. I bet we’re almost there!” Then she stopped abruptly as the beams of their flashlights revealed a sight that sent jolts of horror through their beings.

“Oh, no!” Samantha blinked hard as if to alter the vision before them. “I don’t believe it!”

Jasmine’s voice rose to a near shriek. “It’s impossible!”

For several seconds, the girls could do nothing but stare straight ahead, their hearts beating rapidly as they struggled to make sense of what they saw. They aimed their flashlights in every possible direction within the small, cramped passage, hoping to discover a miracle. But to their despair, the light revealed nothing ahead of them but a solid rock wall, impenetrable and absolute.

In shocked silence, they returned to the cave, quickly gathered their belongings, and made their way back to their earlier resting place above the river. Slumping to the rocky floor, they shared   tearful looks of disappointment and disbelief.

Samantha’s voice rose in a wobbling quiver. “This was supposed to be the best day ever!”

“I know! But it’s more like the worst!” Jasmine’s voice echoed her friend’s. “What happened to the secret chamber? Why wasn’t it there?”

“I don’t know! I was sure we’d be able to find it, just like Vincent and Devin did…but maybe I was wrong.” Her cheeks flushed as tears filled her eyes. “I’m so sorry, Jasmine. I ruined everything!”

“You did not! It’s not your fault! We went exactly where the boys said it was!” Jasmine’s eyes glittered. “You don’t think they lied to us, do you?”

“They better not have!” Samantha could feel her temper flaring. “After everything we went through to get here! If they were trying to trick us, they’re gonna be in so much trouble!!”

“A world of trouble! But that’ll have to wait until we get back.” Jasmine sighed heavily. “Why don’t we eat our lunches and then maybe we can find some other place around here to explore?”

“We don’t have a lot of time left. We can probably have lunch, but then we need to go back.” Her voice quivered again. “This is really bad.”

“Maybe if we eat fast, we can still do something else on the way,” Jasmine suggested. “What time is it anyway?” She reached out and pushed Samantha’s sleeve farther up her arm to reveal the borrowed watch, then pulled back abruptly and stared at the exposed skin. “What’s that on your arm? Are those bruises? Did you hurt yourself back there?”

Samantha turned her head away, unable to look at the marks splattered across her flesh. The once charred red blotches had faded somewhat with time, but the memory of their pain was seared into her heart.

“They’re not bruises,” she said softly. “They’re burns.”

“Did you accidentally splash boiling water on yourself? That happened to Gran once when she was making tea. She said it hurt like the devil!”

Samantha’s voice was barely a whisper. “No…my mother did it. And it wasn’t an accident…She did it on purpose.”

Jasmine’s eyes grew wide as she stared at her friend. “Why would she do something like that?”

“She did it to punish me…when I was bad…”

Jasmine gasped. “You were just a little kid!”

Samantha closed her eyes as tightly as she could, determined not to cry. She had shed far too many tears over her memories and wanted nothing more than to leave them behind forever. But she remembered what she’d told Jasmine earlier, that sometimes it might help to talk about the bad times. Maybe…  She took a deep breath, stared out over the falls, and began.

“I don’t remember a lot about back then. I know we – my mom and me – lived in a big house with a lot of other people – I think it was in Brooklyn — but it wasn’t like living here. It was mostly girls, well grown-ups, but some men, too, and I didn’t understand it then, but now I know they were all in college. And everyone was usually pretty nice, but not always…especially not my mom…”

“What about your dad?” Jasmine prompted gently. “Did he live there, too?”

Samantha shook her head. “I don’t have a dad. Well, of course, I had one once, but I’ve never met him. One time I asked my mom where he was, and she just laughed and told me to look around and pick whoever I wanted, and he could be my dad…but I didn’t want to do that. I wanted my real dad.” Her bottom lip quivered. “Sometimes I used to wish he’d come and find me, and we could go live somewhere else where she couldn’t hurt me…but he never did.”

She continued to gaze into the distance, watching fragmented images appear and dissolve, knowing it would be a relief to see them break apart and recede with each word she uttered. It was the only way to keep them from smothering her.

It all cascaded from her. “I was too little to know that part of the reason my mom did the things she did was because she took a lot of bad drugs. They all did. Dr. Peter told me about that later – he’s the one who brought me Below – but I didn’t know it then, and I always thought she punished me because I was bad.”

“But you couldn’t have been bad like that!” Jasmine protested. “You never could!”

“I know that now, but that’s what my mom said, and I believed her. One time she cut off most of my hair because she said I took her money.” She shook her head, feeling a disoriented sense of disbelief. “I didn’t even know what money was then, but I never thought my mom would lie to me. So, I must have done it…I must have been bad, just like she said. Like when she said she couldn’t sleep at night because I was crying too much and bothering her. That’s when…when she burned my arm.”

Jasmine’s eyes filled with tears. “Oh, Samantha, I hate to say it since she’s your mom and all, but she’s the one who’s bad, not you. She’s worse than bad. She’s evil!” She gripped her friend’s hand. “You’re not like her at all. You’re one of the best people I ever met!”

Samantha tried to smile to show how much those words meant to her but found she could not. She slowly pulled her hand away to brush at her tears. “She never did those things to me when anyone else was around. I guess she didn’t want them to know she was like that.”

“Was she ever nice to you, even once in a while?”

“Once she bought me ice cream in the park.” Samantha’s voice softened as she recalled the few happy memories of her life Above. “And sometimes she’d read me a story. I liked fairy tales best, but she said they were stupid.” She sighed again. “So, her friend Emma would read them to me. She told me that ‘happily ever after’ wasn’t stupid, and maybe it could be real.”

“I’m glad someone was nice to you,” Jasmine said softly.

Samantha nodded. “But then something really bad must have happened. I don’t know what it was, but they told my mom she couldn’t live with them anymore. I remember they tried to make her let them keep me there, but she wouldn’t.”

“Where did you go?”

“First, we went to this place – a homeless shelter – but my mom said she didn’t like it there because there were too many rules. So then…then we had to live on the street. We mostly slept in the park behind the library at night. It wasn’t nice like the park where we go to play sometimes now.” She turned toward Jasmine, her eyes glassy with remembered fear. “She’d leave me there all alone when she went off with one of her boyfriends. And it was almost always at night! I had to find places to hide and I was so scared…but sometimes I wished she wouldn’t come back and maybe someone nice would find me and give me a new home where it was safe.”

“Did she have a lot of different boyfriends?” Jasmine’s voice was somber.

Samantha nodded. “I think so. And they’d give her money. Sometimes she bought me food, but most of the time she just bought more drugs for herself. She told me it was medicine, but now I know it wasn’t.”

Jasmine’s voice was filled with anger and hope. “So, did Dr. Peter finally find you in the park?”

“No one ever found me.” She shivered slightly, lost again in a nightmare world. “It started to get really cold. It must have been winter. We didn’t have warm clothes. I remember I asked my mom if we could go back to the house and live with her friends again, but she just laughed at me like I was making a joke.” She felt her hands clench into fists in her lap. “Then she got really sick. She was coughing all the time and she would just lie on one of the benches, all wrapped up in our blanket, the one we found in a dumpster. I wanted to help her, but I didn’t know what to do! Then a lady came along and said we should go to a clinic, and it wouldn’t cost any money. My mom didn’t want to go, but the lady helped her, and we got there.”

She paused for breath and then rushed onward, desperate and determined to end her story. “I remember it was my mom’s turn to see the doctor, but she didn’t go when the nurse called her. She told me she had to go to the bathroom and she’d be right back. But then she kissed me on the cheek – it was strange because she never did that anymore – and said, ‘Bye, Sam, be a good girl for a change.’ And then she left…and I never saw her again.”

Tears rolled down Jasmine’s face. “What happened to her – and what happened to you?”

Samantha sighed. “I don’t remember much after that, just that I started crying and I couldn’t stop, so the nurse got the doctor. The next thing I knew, I woke up in a bed in the nursery down here…and I’ve been here ever since.”

“So that doctor at the clinic – that was Dr. Peter, right?”

Samantha nodded. “He explained some of it then and he’s told me more as I’ve gotten older. He volunteered at the clinic, and when the nurse told him my mom had left, he found her out on the sidewalk where she collapsed…and then she died.” She trembled and closed her eyes for a moment. “I was really sick, too, with a fever. They knew I was a street kid with nowhere to go, so Dr. Peter said he’d bring me to Social Services.” She looked at her friend. “But he brought me here instead.”

Jasmine let out a deep breath. “Dr. Peter saved your life!”

“He really did. And when I told him and Father I had no family and I didn’t know how to find my mom’s friends, they let me stay.” Her lips quivered in a smile. “And from then on, everything has been so much better.”

“Otherwise, you would have gone into foster care.” Jasmine shuddered. “I know kids who went in the system – and it wasn’t good for them.”

“That’s what happened to Eric and Ellie before Catherine saved them.” Her eyes clouded again for a moment. “And even though Ellie wasn’t here very long, at least she was safe and happy for a while.”

“Just like us – only we’re going to be safe and happy for a long time! Probably forever, right?!”

Samantha managed a genuine smile as the girls jumped to their feet and hugged one another. “Right!”

Jasmine’s stomach gurgled and they grinned at the sound. “So, do we still have time to eat lunch?”

“Okay but it has to be fast.”

The girls knelt on the stony ground and quickly unwrapped their parcels, sharing chunks of granola bars and a precious piece of chocolate they had hoarded for this special occasion. Jasmine slurped water from her canteen as she watched Samantha use a pocketknife to carefully cut an apple into slices.

“Where did you get a knife from? My granny would have killed me if she caught me with one. She said knives are really dangerous.”

Samantha tried not to look surprised at yet another view of a world she had known so briefly. “Most of the kids here have one. We get taught how to use them correctly, you know, for emergencies or for things like this.” She handed half the apple slices to Jasmine. “Cullen taught some of us how to do little wood carvings – I made a rabbit, but it didn’t really come out that good – and Vincent showed us how to use the blade and flint to start campfires, that kind of thing.”

“Wow, that’s really neat! Do you think I could get one and learn those things, too?”

“You have to get permission from Father, but I’m sure he’d say yes. We can ask him when we get back. And Vincent will show you how to use it and tell you about the safety rules.”

“Vincent is so cool. I was kind of surprised when I first met him, you know ‘cause of the way he looks and all, but now I don’t even think about that.”

Samantha smiled approvingly. “Vincent’s the best.” Her voice became hushed. “If I tell you something, promise not to tell anyone else?”

Jasmine held out one hand. “Pinky promise!”

Samantha looked puzzled. “What kind of promise?”

“Pinky promise.” Jasmine reached for Samantha’s hand and crooked their smallest fingers together. “Now just say pinky promise and that means we swear never to tell another soul whatever it is.”

Samantha giggled. “I never heard of that before, but okay!”

The pledging of pinky promises and the music of tinkling laughter drifted out toward the falls. “So, what am I promising not to tell anyone?”

Samantha whispered even though she knew no one else could hear them. “When I was little, when I just got here, I thought Vincent was from a fairy tale – you know, like an enchanted prince.”

“I can see that.” Jasmine nodded. “He does have that look.”

“But that’s not all.” Samantha felt a blush warm her cheeks. “Even though I’m getting older, sometimes I still wish Vincent and Catherine were my real parents.” She paused and looked cautiously at her friend. “Pretty silly, right?”

Jasmine shook her head. “I don’t think it’s silly at all. They’d be amazing parents. You know, maybe I’ll wish for that, too.”

“And if our wishes come true, then we’ll really be sisters!”

The girls shared happy grins, then swiftly packed away the crumbs and wrappings from their lunch, careful to leave the area just as they had found it. Jasmine cast one last look back at the falls. “Even though we didn’t find the secret chamber, I think coming here was pretty great anyway.”

“Me, too. But now we’re really going to have to hurry to get back in time.”

“No problem – we can do it!”

The girls scampered along the path, then skittered down the slight slope, rounding the curve toward the connecting passageway. Suddenly, Samantha found herself nearly careening into Jasmine who had frozen only a few feet from the tunnel entrance. One quick look ahead provided all the explanation she needed.

“Vincent! Catherine!” Samantha was mortified to hear the shrill squeak of her voice. “What are you doing here?”

Vincent tilted his head at her. “We might ask you the same question.”

Knowing it was pointless to try to come up with some plausible explanation, Samantha quickly opted for the truth. “We wanted to go on an adventure,” she began, “all by ourselves.”

“And I had never been here by the falls before, so this is where we went.” Jasmine gave them a hopeful smile.

“I understand that you wanted to go exploring.” Vincent looked from one girl to the other. “But this was not the best decision. You both know you’re not supposed to travel this far from the home chambers without an adult.”

He waited for a response, but the girls remained silent. “I know the idea seemed like fun, but if you think more carefully about it, you’ll realize that what you did was potentially very dangerous. And I’m afraid there will have to be consequences for your behavior.”

The girls quickly looked to Catherine, hoping for the chance of a reprieve.

She shook her head gently. “Vincent’s right. What if you had gotten hurt? No one would have known where to find you.”

“Jamie knew where we were going!” Samantha blurted, then quickly pressed her lips together, chagrined at having revealed her friend’s role in their plot. When she heard Jasmine murmur, “Oh, no,” under her breath, it only made things worse. Her mind raced. How could she fix things? How?!

Then as she watched Vincent and Catherine exchange a quick look, a sudden suspicion took shape in her mind. “Did Jamie tell you where we went? Is that why you’re here?”

Vincent nodded, and then, much to her complete embarrassment, the young girl burst into tears of frustration and disappointment. Mere moments later, Jasmine joined her, their escalating sobs vying with the distant roar of the falls.

Catherine and Vincent immediately gathered the girls into their arms, holding them gently until their tears subsided. Samantha felt a large hand stroke her hair, smoothing it back from her tear-stained face. She looked up into Vincent’s eyes.

“Do you want to talk about it?” he asked softly. “It might help.”

She looked toward Jasmine, still cradled in Catherine’s arms, and waited until her friend nodded her agreement. “Okay.”

A few minutes later, once again seated on the ledge high above the river, the girls revealed their thwarted plans, voices paired in counterpoint as their words tumbled out in a somewhat coherent retelling of the main events of their day.

“We were going to do this all on our own, and we thought it was going to be the best day ever.” Samantha sighed heavily as they concluded their tumultuous tale. “Then when we found out the secret chamber wasn’t even there, it turned out to be the worst.”

“And it’s even worse now because we got caught and you guys are mad at us.”

“We’re not angry,” Vincent said firmly, “but we were worried about you, and somewhat disappointed.” He turned to Samantha. “Jasmine is still becoming accustomed to life Below, but it’s not like you to make foolish decisions like this.”

Samantha found it difficult to look at the expression on Vincent’s face but forced herself to do so. “I know…I should have known better. But it’s just that the boys made us so mad with all their teasing, and we really wanted to do something by ourselves. We didn’t think enough about breaking the rules. We just wanted to have an adventure!”

She steeled herself for his response but was surprised when Catherine spoke first. “You know, this all sounds a bit familiar.” The girls watched as Catherine smiled and tilted her head in Vincent’s direction. “Haven’t you told me — more than once — how you and Devin went off exploring on your own when you were around the girls’ age?”

The children turned to Vincent and observed with rapidly growing interest a faint blush darkening the golden tones of his face. “And if I’m remembering it accurately,” Catherine continued, “didn’t some of your adventures take place right here by the Great Falls?”

The girls held their breath as they awaited Vincent’s response.

A slow smile quirked his mouth, then grew to a full-fledged grin. “Yes, Catherine, you’re remembering it accurately – maybe too accurately.” His laughter was warm and reassuring as he looked at the young adventurers who were breathlessly waiting to see what would happen next. “Devin and I did come here on our own – many times — when we wanted to explore and have adventures that we wouldn’t share with anyone else.”  He gazed out over the falls for a few moments. “That was a wonderful part of my childhood, and I’ll always treasure those memories.”

Samantha took a deep breath. “Then, you’re not upset with us anymore?”

He shook his head. “I’m still concerned – we both are – that you might have put yourselves in danger, along with anyone who would have been called upon to rescue you. But no, I’m not upset with you.” He smiled down at both of them. “How can I be when you were only doing the same things I did when I was a boy?”

“Did you get away with it?” Jasmine asked eagerly.

Vincent laughed again. “Sometimes, but other times we were found out, and then we were punished.”

The girls’ eyes widened. “Granny had to punish me sometimes,” Jasmine admitted. “Like send me to my room and make me write about how I’d never do whatever it was again. Is that what happened to you?”

“It varied. There was always a lecture from Father, and we often were given extra chores to do. Sometimes we were confined to our chamber for a day or two. Once or twice, we were excluded from special events the community had planned. And then other times –”

“How often did you guys get in trouble?!” A mixture of amazement and awe surged in Jasmine’s voice.

Catherine laughed. “Evidently, quite often!” She glanced at Vincent. “It sounds like there are lots of stories the girls and I haven’t heard yet.”

Vincent nodded. “But we’ll save those for another time.” He looked down at the children’s upturned faces. “Samantha, Jasmine, we can’t approve of what you did, including lying to some of the members of our community, and there has to be a penalty for your behavior.”

Samantha felt her heart beat faster. “Are you going to tell Father?”

Vincent looked toward Catherine, then back to the girls. “No, we won’t tell Father.” He paused as the girls exhaled huge sighs of relief. “But I want you to take on extra chores for the next two weeks, and you must apologize to Jamie for involving her in your scheme. Most importantly, you must promise never to do something foolish like this again.”

“We promise!”

“And also, girls,” Catherine added, “we know you still want to take off on adventures like this, but until you’re a little older, you must let an adult know where you’re going, or – better still — ask one to go with you.” She grinned as she tilted her head in Vincent’s direction. “I think I know at least two who will say yes.”

Samantha felt happier than she had in a long time, at least since breakfast that morning. “Thank you – thank you so much! You two are the best!”

Jasmine echoed her friend’s thanks. “Samantha told me you guys take the kids on hikes and things. Can I go next time?”

“Of course, you may,” Vincent assured her. “We won’t go without you. And now we need to head back to the home chambers. But first there’s one question I have for you.” The girls waited expectantly. “Why did you come this way if you wanted to find the secret chamber?”

Samantha felt a prickling of apprehension as she considered his question. “Because the boys said this is where it is and, like we explained, we wanted to get here before they did.”

Vincent pointed across to a place on the far side of the Great Falls, clearly inaccessible from where they were standing. “The entrance to the secret chamber is way over there.”

In tandem, the girls’ heads swiveled from Vincent’s face to the faraway site and back again. For a rare few moments, neither could think of a word to say.

“Then why did the boys pretend this was the right way to go?!” Samantha asked, her voice full of hurt and anger. “Why would they do that?”

“They were lying to us!” Jasmine’s eyes narrowed. “We’ll never trust them again!”

“I never thought they’d do something sneaky and mean like this,” Samantha declared. “Not to their friends.”

“Wait a minute, girls, you’re not certain about any of this.” Catherine’s voice was calm and firm. “True, they might have deliberately misled you, but, on the other hand, they might have been telling what they thought was the truth. Maybe they misunderstood when Vincent first told all of you about it. Maybe they do think this is the right location for the secret chamber. You should find a way to talk with them about it before you come to any conclusions.”

When the girls remained quiet, Vincent added, “And weren’t you doing something ‘sneaky and mean’ to your friends as well?”

Being intelligent little girls, Samantha and Jasmine knew when to quit. Samantha’s gaze flickered from one adult’s face to the other. “I guess you’re right,” she said with a small sigh.

“I have an idea,” Catherine offered. “Why don’t we plan a hike to the secret chamber sometime soon? We can all go together – including the boys.”

Samantha and Jasmine looked at one another, quickly coming to a silent decision of accord.

“That’s a good idea — right, Jasmine?”

“Yeah, and it’ll be fun even if we have to let the boys come with us.”

“Then, that’s what we’ll do,” Vincent affirmed, “probably next week. And in the meantime, I’ll have a talk with the boys and make sure they promise not to head out looking for it on their own.”

Samantha felt her last doubts disappear, knowing the boys would never break a promise to Vincent. But even if they couldn’t resist, there was a good chance they’d also end up in the wrong place. She made a silent promise to share this important information later with Jasmine.

“And now we really need to start back.” Vincent led the little group away from the falls.

Samantha carefully slid back the cuff of her sweater and gasped as she noted the time on her borrowed watch. “Oh, no! The book discussion starts in twenty minutes. We’ll never make it!”

“Father postponed the discussion until tomorrow afternoon,” Vincent told them, “but make sure you’re not late for it then.”

Catherine cast an amused look in the girls’ direction as they switched on their flashlights and entered the connecting passageway. “Father said he needed to rest this afternoon. Something about a very stressful morning teaching a certain class with some of the boys, followed by a severe headache not even a strong cup of tea could cure.” The girls giggled as they scampered ahead down the narrow tunnel with Vincent and Catherine not far behind.

When they finally arrived at the main passageway leading back to the home chambers, Samantha pulled Jasmine to a halt. “We need to let Jamie know we’re back so she won’t worry.” She reached for a short metal bar hanging by a piece of rope from a nearby hook. She offered it to Jasmine. “Do you want to try doing it? I can help you if you need me to.”

“Sure!”

With Samantha’s painstaking assistance, Jasmine tapped out the message and they soon received a reply. “It says Jamie is in her chamber and we should meet her there,” Samantha translated.

She looked up at Catherine and Vincent who had been waiting patiently, affectionate smiles on their faces. The sight warmed the young girl’s heart, reminding her of how loved and protected she was in this wondrous community.

“Thank you for — for everything!”

Vincent nodded. “We want you to remember that even though what you did was wrong, we know you did it for the right reasons, and we’re proud of you for being brave and resourceful.”

“We also know,” Catherine said, “that you’ll be sure to make better decisions next time, right?” She waited while the girls nodded firmly. “And don’t be upset with Jamie. She only told us where you were because she was worried about you, and she wanted to make sure you got to the falls and then home safely.”

“That was the sound I heard!” Jasmine turned toward Samantha. “Remember you said you didn’t hear anything. But I did! And I knew it sounded familiar, but I couldn’t figure it out.”

Samantha’s eyes widened. “It was sentries watching us from behind the secret panels. Jamie must have told them which way we’d be going.”

“Yes, Jamie asked some of the people on sentry duty to monitor your progress. Samantha hears that sound so often, there’s a good chance she wouldn’t even notice it.” Correctly guessing this latest information would lead to another round of discussion, Vincent quickly added, “Don’t be upset with Jamie. It’s not that she doubted your abilities, but she knows how easily unexpected things can happen, even with the best intentions. She was just looking out for you. That’s what people do when they care about you.”

Samantha blinked her eyes rapidly, feeling alarmingly close to tears once again. Jasmine looked at her friend and answered for both of them. “Like Samantha said, thank you – thanks a lot – for everything.”

The girls hurried away, only to turn and race back toward Vincent and Catherine. “We just remembered! We were supposed to give a book to Mr. Smythe for Father.” Samantha pulled the wrapped parcel from her backpack. “We need to run up there right now!”

Catherine reached for the book. “I can do that for you. Even if you leave right away, his shop will be closed by the time you get there. I’ll drop it off in the morning… And I don’t think we have to mention this part to Father either.”

The girls threw themselves at the adults for quick but fervent hugs before finally rushing away.

Hours later, after a happily uneventful dinner and a nightly reading session, Samantha and Jasmine were tucked into their beds, chatting quietly long after they should have been asleep.

“So, you don’t think they heard what I said?” Samantha chewed her bottom lip. “Are you sure?”

Jasmine sighed dramatically. “No, for the zillionth time, they didn’t hear what you said. They weren’t even anywhere near us then. And even if they did, what you said about them was really nice.”

“But I don’t want them to think I’m a big baby, wishing for them to be my parents and all.”

“Well, if they heard you – which they didn’t – then they heard me, too, and I don’t care.”

Samantha leaned her head on her arm and peered across the dimly lit chamber. “Why not?”

“Because it was a good thing to say. And besides, maybe they hope they’ll have two amazing daughters just like us someday!”

“Jasmine!” Samantha giggled loudly. “They’re not even married yet! Oh, maybe they’ll let us be in their wedding, like flower girls or bridesmaids. I read about that in a book.”

Jasmine yawned. “That would be pretty cool.” She snuggled into her covers. “And now I’m going to sleep.”

Samantha settled back with her head against her pillow, but she found she could not close her eyes. She waited a few minutes and then whispered, “Jasmine, are you still awake?” There was no answer from across the chamber, so she whispered louder, “Jasmine?”

The eventual response was muffled, as if Jasmine had buried her face in her pillow. “No, I’m asleep.” But the giggling that followed gave her away. “Why?”

“I was just thinking. Even though things didn’t work out like we planned, I had a really good time today.”

“Me, too.” Jasmine sat up and stared across at her friend in the faint light of a flickering night candle. “And I sort of don’t even care that we didn’t find the secret chamber.”

“Me either. And we’ll get to go there anyway on the hike with Vincent and Catherine.” She watched Jasmine tilt her head as an increasingly familiar expression transformed her friend’s sleepy face. “What?”

“I was just wondering. We aren’t going on that hike for at least a week, right?”

Samantha propped herself up on her elbows. “Right.”

“So that means we have plenty of time to come up with another plan before that. Something else we can do. Another adventure like maybe –”

“Don’t even think about it!” Samantha collapsed back onto her bed and drew a quilt over her head. “Good night, Jasmine!”

She heard her best friend giggle and call out, “Good night, Samantha!” Then, with her fingers clutching the pink satin ribbon she had placed under her pillow, she fell asleep, dreaming of best friends, true families, and amazing adventures yet to be.