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Hanna felt like she’d been dropped on her head "It…it was an eency"

"I’m sure it was" Her father put his hands flat on the table "I can’t believe you even cahter…steal another car, maybe Or…or who knows? Steal someone’s airplane? Assassinate the president?"

"Dad…" Hanna pleaded She’d never seen her father like this His shirt was untucked, the ends of his socks weren’t taut against his toes, and there was a s He never used to yell like this "I can explain"

Her father pressed the heels of his hands to his forehead "Hanna…can you explain this, too?" He reached into his pocket for soers, one by one Inside, was the little foil packet of Percocet Unopened

As Hanna lunged for it, he snapped his hand closed like a clamshell "Oh, no, you don’t"

Hanna pointed at Kate "She took those froave theotcha look on her face, a look that said, Don’t even think you’re wor so stupid Kate hadn’t changed Not a bit

"What were you doing with pills in the first place?" her father asked Then he held up his hand "No Forget it I don’t want to know I…" He squeezed his eyes shut "I don’t know you anymore, Hanna I really don’t"

A dam inside Hanna broke "Well, of course you don’t!" she screamed "You haven’t bothered to speak toyears!"

A hush fell over the rooainst her er bizarrely at her earlobe Her father opened his ain

There was a knock on the door, and everyone ju uncharacteristically disheveled: Her hair et and stringy, she didn’t havea siether ense with lance at Isabel or Kate Hanna wondered fleetingly if this was the first ti When her mother saw the Percocet in Mr Marin’s hand, she paled "He told me about that on the way here"

Hanna looked over her shoulder at her father, but he had his head down He didn’t look disappointed exactly He just looked…sad Hopeless Asha away froo, do I? I want to stay Can’t I tell you what’s going on with ht you wanted to know"

"It’s too late," her father saidhome with your mother Maybe she can talk soh "You think she’s going to talk sense intowith the cop who arrested me last week She’s been known to cohts If I’m sick and have to stay home from school, she tells me it’s okay to call up the front office and just pretend I’m her, because she’s too busy, and--"

"Hanna!" her ers around Hanna’s arm

Hanna’s brain was so scra her dad this stuff was helping or hurting her She just felt so duped By everyone She was sick of people walking all over her "There are so s I wanted to tell you, but I can’t Please letthat wavered in her father was a tiny muscle, up by his neck Otherwise, his face was stony and impassive He took a step closer to Isabel and Kate Isabel took his hand

"Good night, Ashley," he said to Hanna’sat all

32

EMILY GOES TO BAT

Emily sobbed with relief when she discovered her house’s side door was open She threw her soaked body into the laundry roo into tears at the insulated, untroubled do: her mother’s BLESS THIS MESS! cross-stitch above the washer and dryer; the neat row of detergent, bleach, and fabric softener on the little shelf; her father’s green rubber gardening boots by the door

The phone rang; it sounded like a screarabbed a towel from the laundry pile, wrapped it around her shoulders, and tentatively picked up the cordless extension "Hello?" Even the sound of her own voice seeravelly voice on the other end

Ehed "We’ve been looking for you Are you all right?"

"I…I don’t know," Eh the cornfield The rain had created rivers of mud between the rows One of her shoes had fallen off, but she’d kept going, and now the bottos were filthy The field butted up to the woods behind her house, and she’d torn through those, too She’d slid twice on wet grass, scraping up her elbow and hip, and once, lightning hit a tree just twenty feet froround She kneas dangerous to be out there in a storht behind her

"Emily Stay where you are," Spencer instructed "And stay away froht now, just lock your door and--"