Page 13 of Just Like the Brontë Sisters

Chapter 8: Jo Beth

That moment when she’d flown over the rocky ravine had lasted forever and took no time at all. Jo Beth knew she’d fall yet was utterly clueless, also thinking she’d be suspended in the air indefinitely. But what goes up must come down, and Jo Beth was due for a crash landing.

Skylar had wanted it to happen. Here she was supposed to be Jo Beth’s biggest fan, the one who would always cheer for her, but nobody is completely on your side. Sure, Skylar had felt bad when they’d trudged down that mountain and she’d shouldered Jo Beth’s weight. But Skylar’s help had done nothing to prevent Jo Beth’s limbs from growing cold and stiff, which only exacerbated the pain in her knee. And yet, the worst agony took place inside Jo Beth’s head, where she couldn’t stop making lists of all the things that monumentally sucked. She’d have to drop out of the Olympics. She’d have to back out of her sponsorship contract with Rossignol. She’d have to find a new identity as she endured the buzz of the skiing community, all those jealous bitches who’d declared she was sure to win gold this year but then behind her back had whispered that she’d never seal the deal.

Turns out they were right.

“Oh, Jo Beth!” Chelsea, one of her Olympic teammates, called as soon as she heard the news. “I am so, so sorry. God, life is so unfair sometimes. I wish you a really quick recovery.”

Like hell she did. At that moment, Chelsea was probably popping a bottle of champagne, sure that her chances of winning gold had just increased 100 percent. God, false sympathy was way worse than aggression. At least aggression was honest. The only people who honestly felt bad for Jo Beth were her parents and Skylar. Yet that also made her fume.

“What can I do?” Skylar kept asking.

“Leave me alone,” Jo Beth replied, if she replied at all.

The full fury of Jo Beth’s storm raged when Skylar thought she could cheer her up. “You’ll be back,” Skylar chirped. “In another four years, you’ll be so strong and fast. You’ll win gold for sure.”

As she spoke, Skylar set Jo Beth’s dinner tray in front of her, a bowl of tomato soup. Jo Beth wanted to throw it in Skylar’s face and watch it drip like blood. She’d be strong again? Jo Beth was strong now, and if Skylar didn’t see that, then the stars were seriously misaligned. It was up to Jo Beth to restore the balance. The universe needed fixing and the dynamic between her and her sister was the only place to start. Later Jo Beth could see that she’d acted rashly, that perhaps she could have been a little less cruel.

But she regretted nothing. Strong people don’t have regrets.