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Prologue
NEO
Twelve YearsOld
“Quit it, you jerk!” Scar bellows as I tighten my grip on her ponytail.
Crew and Jagger ignore the commotion, too caught up in their game of Minecraft.
“Leave her alone,” Maddie hisses, grabbing my arm and trying to break my hold on Scar’s hair.
“I told her to never come in my room again. So why’d you bring her in here?”
“Because she’s my best friend and so are you, so will you please stop being so mean?”
“Choose, Maddie.” I tip my chin. “Me or her? Choose now.”
I don’t let go of Scar’s hair as I wait for an answer. She twists her head to the side, attempting to pry my fingers from her ponytail.
“I’m not choosing!”
“Then I’m not letting go. Me or her?” I’m dead serious. I want Scar to hear Maddie say that she chooses me. Maybe then she’ll leave and never come to this house, or my room, again.
“Her. I choose her because, right now, you’re being a bully and I don’t like bullies.”
Her words are like a knife straight into my back. Maddie and I have always been really close. We do everything together, but lately, she’s been bringingthis girlaround more and more. Scar never used to come over this much. We’d only see her, and occasionally play with her, at meetings. Now she’s here all the time, and I hate it.
“You’re lying.”
Maddie steps closer to where I’m still holding Scar’s ponytail. She grabs my hand, assisting Scar in untangling my fingers. She grabs my middle finger and bends it back. “Am I?” Her eyes hold a sinister glow to them. Something evil I’ve never seen before.
Finally, I let go. Not because Maddie was hurting me or because I was worried she’d break my finger, but because I’ve never seen her so serious before. Maybe she wasn’t lying. She would choose Scar, and I can never allow that to happen.
“What in the world is going on here?” Mom asks as she enters my bedroom.
I look at Maddie, wondering if she’ll rat me out.
“Neo won’t let us come in and play video games, and he pulled Scar’s hair.”
“Neopolo Saint!”Mom crosses her arms over the chest of her white-knitted sweater. “You better not have pulled this sweet girl’s hair.”
Maddie continues to fuel the fire while smirking at me. “He did. And then he made me choose between him and her.”
What has Scar done to my sister?
The next thing I know, Dad’s walking in, all stern and serious like he always is.Great. A family reunion.
“What happened?” he asks, staring at my mom like she did something wrong.
“Your son pulled Scarlett’s hair.”
“Wow. Thanks, Mom.”
Everyone in this stupid family is turning on me today.
“Why?” he deadpans, now looking at me.
“’Cause she’s in my room and I don’t want her in here.”
