Umbra Girl!? I am what?

“Training was much harder than I could have ever anticipated. I persevered, though. I am going to be a great Umbra Girl. I am going to work hard. I don’t want to fall behind anyone. I’m not going to let anyone suffer anymore. I am going to save them all.”

“Welcome to the Umbra Girls, Cherry Sparkles.”

It has taken nine years, but Cindy is finally a senior in High School. There have been some fantastic events, events that not all her friends are aware of. Cindy has a boy friend (It is really much more serious than that) and Bobbie and Andy have taken their love to the next step. Myrna Breckenridge is surprised to see that Cindy has a boyfriend; after all, she never had one before. But wasn’t there someone?

Chapter 11: Bobbie’s golf skills garner national attention, some of it not what she really wanted when a picture of her and Cindy dressed in revealing bikinis surfaces. Bobbie is invited to compete in a women’s professional tournament as an amateur, and after a slow start, does very well. Cindy and Donna go to a summer camp for athletes so they may refine their skills. Cindy is just glad to be with Donna, as Donna is glad to be with her. Cindy realizes there is something bothering Donna; however, she respects Donna’s privacy and doesn’t ask what it is. Then Donna disappears, never to be seen again. Needless to say, Cindy is nearly destroyed with grief as she finds out Donna no longer exists in their universe. The whole thing reeks of magic gone wrong, and The Wizard admits her existence has been terminated. He doesn’t seem to be too concerned. And, what’s this about ducks?

Chapter 8: Friendships continue to be solidified. Cindy, Randi, Bobbie, Andy, and Derrick (Andy’s brother) go to the mall to see Santa. They find out why The Wizard had kept reminding them to go. This chapter has a bit of a different look at a story presented as a stand alone story (“Cynthia and the Christmas Gift”).

Chapter 9: Winter turns out to be rather nasty, but the friends make the best of it. Maddy has a plan, and brings in the neighborhood cats, both domestic and feral, to help her with its execution. Cindy has known for a while that she feels very strongly about Donna, but it takes the catalyst of a major early spring snowstorm to encourage Cindy to take the final steps. Strangely, Cindy’s mother knew all along.

Cindy and Bobbie are having a problem. Their special senses are being piqued, but not in a way they have been before. They can’t explain it, and are not sure what they are sensing. Andy takes Bobbie, Cindy, and Donna to the beach. It’s their last opportunity to get some sun before the fall sets in. The weather changes rather drastically, and their sunbathing is cut short. Donna tells Cindy the story of her life. It had been a wonderful life until the last few years.