Page 14 (2/2)

Hanna pulled back fro to do was to co herself, but his attention felt so good Besides, she did feel overwhelh she was dying to ask her dad to see the note, she didn’t want to raise his suspicion that there could be a new A

"Don’t pull out of the can," she told hiain Whatever I can do to ht, I’ll do it"

Mr Marin patted Hanna on the back Isabel’s face got redder and redder, and finally she let out a closeeted in the doorway Hanna locked eyes with her and shot her a grateful sive her stepsister a hug, but she was still afraid to leave her father’s grasp

Mr Marin’s eyes were red and watery; Hanna hadn’t seen hiood if you irl What was her name, Madison?"

Hanna nodded "I didn’t kno to find her until a feeeks ago Her cousin is Naoured her father would remember Naomi--Hanna used to complain about her when she and her dad talked "She could tell et in touch with Madison"

"Okay I want you to reach out to Madison’s fa you and I do a public service announce If you’re amenable, that is"

Hanna squinted "What do you mean?"

"You ad about it"

"You want to call attention to this?" Maybe her father had lost his ht way Re If you’re comfortable with it, you can tell your story and support the stricter underage-drinking penalties I want to enforce"

Hanna twisted herlaws to be stricter But she couldn’t very well say that right now "Okay I guess I can do that"

"Then we have a plan" Mr Marin’s gray eyes canvassed her face "Oh, Hanna I ale lump in Hanna’s throat You did lose me, she wanted to remind him He lost her when he up and left Hanna and her mom, found Isabel, and started a new life But whatever Maybe that didn’t matter anymore

Mr Marin opened his ared hient and soap She smiled into his scratchy sweater Here was the release she’d been waiting for after they confessed to the police Nothing felt snagged in her brain any her in her tracks

But then soht her eye out theShe turned just as a shadow slipped out of sight Had it been Ali, listening? Helper A, ? Then she rehter and stared through the glass, then stuck out her tongue and rolled her eyes Take that, she ood

13

THE WINGED HORSE

That Wednesday night, Eed into a Marple Nen Relay Carnival T-shirt and a pair of Victoria’s Secret Pink sweats, her favorite paja back the covers of her twin bed, she felt a presence in the doorway She yelped and whirled around, half certain it was A Carolyn backed away

"God, it’s justoffended

"Sorry," Euess I was off in another world"

They stood silently for a few beats Emily expected Carolyn to uest roo the space--but she remained where she was Emily shifted Should she invite her in? They weren’t exactly fighting nowbut were they friends? Last night after dinner, Emily had retreated to the den and turned on a snowboard competition on NBC Extreme, Carolyn’s favorite channel Carolyn had sat down next to her, but they hadn’t said a single word through the entire competition, not even when one of the contestants took a scary-looking tu tiainst the doorja to a bar"

Emily was so surprised that she sat down on the bed "Now?"

Carolyn set her ht we could hang, but forget it"

"Carolyn!" E up from the bed "Wait! A barwith alcohol?" At the Rosewood Day French Festival last year, which was held during lunch, the school had allowed the students to salass of wine each, provided no one drove anywhere Carolyn had abstained even froht her sister’s aro to a bar with you Which one?"

Carolyn stepped into the bathrooo out the back door and take the minivan It’s in the driveway"

Emily raised an eyebrow The back door was farther fro the car in the driveway: They always heard a car start in the garage Was goody-goody, rule-abiding Carolyn sneaking out?

Her sister shut the bathroom door before E what she was in for Then again, did she really care? She was just happy her sister was asus?" Emily blurted thirtylot In front of the s and a large, neon winged horse hanging over the front door Three wo plaid shirts sashayed toward the entrance Two skinny girls in miniskirts held hands in the

Ehborhood in West Hollis nicknalefor obvious reasons Eo into Lilith’s Tomes, the lesbian bookshop; Closer to Fine, the lesbian teahouse; or Pegasus, the only lesbian bar in the area, but she’d always been curious She didn’t think Carolyn even knew about this neighborhood, though

Carolyn shifted into park "There’s a cool singer tonight" She started across the gravel lot toward the front door

Eo to a regular bar in Hollis We don’t have to go here"