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If they won’t love me anymore, who will?
My heart aches. It slams against my ribs, hard enough to break them.
My grandparents died before I was born. My only aunt, Mom’s sister, Mallie, hasn’t brought her stepson to play since the incident.
I’m an only child.
Mom hugs me sometimes, but not often.
Whatever I learned about love, I learned it from these people right here.
They can’t hate me. Theycan’t.
I clutch on the plaid blue tie of our uniform, plastering it to my achy heart. As if doing so would keep my little body from ripping in half with pain.
I’m so confused.
The white clock fixed at the front of the class ticks loudly as I stare blankly ahead.
The clock is patient.
Mason used to be patient too. Mason is the one who carries me to the balcony of our Boston penthouse whenever Daddy’s sick and vomits on the floor. He reads to me until my tears stop raining down my cheeks.
He’s lost his patience today.
“Come.” He points his finger to the space next to him. His silver watch gleams beneath his dark gray suit jacket. “Here.”
“She isn’t going anywhere.” Miss Jones’s words are a tiny cry.
I’m sure it hurts to have Finn squeeze her arm tight.
I keep hoping maybe, just maybe, Mom and Dad will magically appear.
They don’t.
I’m alone.
Alone.
Alone.
Swallowing down my sob, I jerk my chin up.
I’m confused and hurt. Like Dad when he wakes up late in the morning.
And what does he do when he’s confused and mad? He yells.
I can yell too.
“This is my chair. I’m not moving!” My small voice isn’t as loud as Mason’s or Falk’s booming ones. But it is what it is.
“I won’t ask you again.” Mason breathes out fire.
I sit up straight, crossing my arms over my chest. “You can’t make me. Miss Jones said so.”
“Briar Rose Nightingale.” Falk shoves a table to the side. It crashes on the floor and Miss Jones cries again.
I don’t.
