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Dad gets this upset when he doesn’t have his white medicine. Mom tells me to hide in my room when he’s that way. She helps him until hecools off.
Whatever cooling off means, these three men need it.
Until then, I’m hiding.
As silently as possible, I slide down my chair in the last row, praying they won’t see me. The bell rings signaling class ended. My trembling class stands up, swarming to the door. They won’t help me, either. They make fun of me because my mom and dad are never here.
I don’t have any friends.
Hide, Briar. Hide better.
Despite the need to save myself, I peek from under the table.
“You’re not taking her without Mr. and Mrs. Nightingale’s consent.” Miss Jones grabs Finn’s arm, her fingers gripping into his leather jacket. “You need to leave.”
She’s braver than I am.
She doesn’t even flinch when his tattooed hand slaps her away.
I wish one day I could be like Miss Jones.
“Briar,” Falk’s voice rises above the other kids’ mumbles as they rush out.
He doesn’t yell. He roars. Every now and again he’ll be in a good mood and roar at me. When he does, I run screaming. It’s our personal joke.
Was.
The angry man roars because he wants to eat me alive.
Like monsters do.
“Come over here.” His eyes lock on mine.
He may wear a snow-white sweater. May be in the same dark pants he always wears. But he doesn’t fool me.
This isn’t the Falk I know. He’s the bad guy the fairytales I read warn us about.
And he has his wicked big, red-rimmed eyes set on me. “Thisinstant, Briar Rose.”
The name he calls me falls on my ears. Scraping my eardrums.
The sound of it means I’m in trouble.
Worse than trouble.
Because we’re way past cooling down.
He hates me.
Theyhate me. The three of them.
Their loathing shows in their deep scowls. They’ve never been angry at me until today.
I only know what anger looks like from Daddy. When he misses his medicine, he getssomad.
But Mason, Falk, or Finn don’t inject their medicine. They don’t take medicine at all.
They’re just angry. With me.
