Chapter 1 Sugar Free Maggie McAllister gazed out from her bedroom window on the third floor of her Nana’s brownstone building on 11th Street The trees had begun to lose their leaves and the branches shook gently as the morning breeze blew Hidden in the top branches of one tree was a large painted bird feeder Nana had it placed in full view so Maggie and her sister Grace could watch the birds gather and feed all winter long Right now there was a male cardinal poking its beak into the air ruffling his bright red feathers Maggie threw a slipper at the window It made a thud The bird flew away Often Maggie would find herself staring into space out of windows through doorways and up into the cloudy sky She did way more staring and thinking than talking In fact she
hadn’t said much for the past several months Not since the accident The only person she ever really talked to was Nana or the housekeepers or Grace of course Well she talked to Grace when Grace wasn’t being Annoying with a capital A Or when Maggie wasn’t feeling Angry with a capital A But Maggie seemed to be angry a lot of the time And Grace was annoying all of the time Outside Maggie could hear the sounds of cars and footsteps voices of people making their way up and down the block She slid the window open A smell of cool fall rushed in and Maggie took big gulps of air She caught a whiff of something different than usual though Different better Was that food Maggie’s tummy grumbled Was it coming from the Indian Café Franco’s Italian Galleon It smelled warm and sweet like fresh bread There was no smell better than fresh bread Mom used to bake fresh bread every Sunday And Dad used to eat it all before Monday even came That wonderful smell brought back so many memories
Mags Grace ran into the bedroom with an armful of clothes I need your help Which one She held up two T-shirts that looked exactly alike to Maggie Huh Maggie sighed with exasperation Who cares It’s just school not a fashion show Boring awful friendless school Come on Grace said You’re not friendless She tilted her head as she looked in the full-length mirror arranging her perfect brown curls Maggie’s curls were red and wild and impossible to tame Right Name one friend Maggie demanded Um Grace thought hard Me Maggie rolled her eyes Little sisters don’t count I am so glad that Nana said she’d take us shopping this week Grace said ignoring Maggie’s comment I need new shoes and some of that yummy-ummy citrus mint lotion And pants I definitely need new pants You already have a closet full of pants
And you have enough lotion Maggie thought that her sister cared way too much for clothing and signature scents for a nine year old No I don’t Grace pouted Yes you do Maggie insisted Quit bossing me around said Grace frowning Why I’m older and wiser Older maybe but you’re definitely not wiser Grace snapped You’re such a spoiled little Takes one to know one Grace yelled before Maggie could finish her insult Then Grace threw a pillow at Maggie’s head Unfortunately it nearly decapitated Moon the sisters black cat named for the white circle between her dainty shoulder blades She looked like a night sky with one bright spot Mom and Dad had adopted Moon when Maggie was only five and Grace was still in diapers This cat had been through so much with the girls Maggie wondered what Moon would
