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Ea "And what’s with Charlotte’sher nose "Every ti a boat on Lake Havasu with a bottle of chane"
Mr Mercer stabbed a bite of steak "Mrs Cha"
"You mean inappropriate?" Mrs Mercer pressed her hand to her ht, Jaaze settled laser beam–like on Emma An alarmed expression flashed across his face Ean to pound He was suddenly staring at her like he knew
Then he looked away Emma sliced the baked potato open and mashed the starchy insides, just as she’d done since she was a little kid "Maybe Madeline and Charlotte get in trouble because their parents are, like, preoccupied with other things"
Mrs Mercer leaned back in her chair "Well! How astute of you, Oprah"
Eed nonchalantly It was practically the first lesson in Foster Children Psychology 101--h attention or nurturing They had no parents to help thee them to enter science fairs No one read theht, or sat doith the suddenly occurred to her In a way, this was the first real family dinner she’d had in, well, ever Even with Becky,the drive-through or on trays in front of the TV Or else Emma ate a bowl of cereal alone while Becky delivered an hour-long soliloquy to an eh her once ain of the note Sutton’s dead Emma would never have a family dinner with her sister
Everyone was silent for a while, forks clanking against plates, spoons scraping against serving dishes Mr Mercer’s beeper went off; he checked it and slid it back in its holster E at her a few more times Finally he pressed his pal et that scar on your chin?"
Emma’s heart shot to her throat Everyone turned and looked at her "Uh, what scar?"
"There" He pointed across the table "I’ve never seen that before"
Laurel squinted "Oh yeah Weird!"
Mrs Mercer frowned
Eotten the scar when she’d fallen off the Halar at McDonald’s Playland She’d blacked out for a couple of seconds, and when she ca over her coht E her eyes out while rocking back and forth on a Fry Guy ride, her knees jackknifed up so that her feet fit in the little stirrups When Becky saw the blood gushing from Emma’s chin, it just made her cry harder
Emma couldn’t very well tell Mr Mercer that She lifted her water glass to her lips "It’s been there for a while I guess you don’t know me as well as you think you do"
"Is that because you’re soirl named Emma?" Sutton’s mom quipped
Emma nearly choked on her water There was a wry, almost devious smile on Sutton’s mom’s face "And how is Emma today, by the way?" Mr Mercer added with a wink
Mrs Mercer gazed at E, wasn’t she? E "Uh, Emma’s a little disoriented," she said quietly
Little did my family kno true that answer really was
Chapter 13
THE BODY ON THE GROUND
An hour and a half later, Emma walked down the front path fro park at the end of the developht, she’d decided to take Mrs Mercer’s advice and practice her tennis swing Maybe she’d miraculously improve and kick Nisha’s perky, tennis-skirted ass tomorrow--or, at the very least, she wouldn’t do a face-plant while trying for a drop shot
Her BlackBerry, nestled in the tennis bag along with Sutton’s iPhone, beeped ALEX, said the Caller ID
"So you are alive!" Alex cried when Eht! I thought you fell into the canyon!"
Erimly "No, I’m still here"
"So?" Alex said "How is it? Is your sister awesome? Have you bonded?"
"Uh" Emma sidestepped a Razor Scooter a kid had abandoned on the sidewalk It was hard to believe she’d only been here for a day "She’s great We’re having a great time" She hoped her voice didn’t sound forced On instinct she looked behind her, sure so to stay there for a while? Are you going to ?"