Page 14 (1/2)

"Oh"

"When they’re little, they’re great When they get older… not so much" Rae sat on the bed and shook her head "Yeah, I’ too hard on her You kno it is When you’re little, yourand then you get older--" She stopped and blushed "No, I guess you wouldn’t knohat that’s like, would you? Sorry"

"It’s okay" I sat on ain?"

I shook my head

"So who looks after you?"

As we headed down to class, I told her about Aunt Lauren, and the endless succession of housekeepers,elseat least for a little while

That afternoon, during my session with Dr Gill, I put on an Oscar-​worthy perforht I nosis and letting my medication take effect, I understood that I’d been hallucinating I was a schizophrenic I needed help

She totally bought it

All I had to do noas keep up the act for a week or so, and I’d be free

When classes ended, Rae and I did our hoether in the media rooht maybe he wanted to talk to me, but when I stuck my head out the door, he’d disappeared upstairs

As I worked, I thought about that patch of fog in the yard If Derek hadn’t seen it, too, I host

Why had he shushed Si my "hallucinations"? Sohosts I’d seen at school--holographic projections created by a guy I’d neveron

Or, at least, that’s what Derek wanteddeal of refusing, Derek wantedfor answers, so he could taunt and torment me some more

There was no way Sihosts at school, but that fog would be a simple effect to pull off Maybe Derek had done it That’s why Simon had protested, and Derek had shut him up

Was Simon afraid of his brother? He pretended to defend him and act like best buds, but what choice did he have? He was stuck with Derek until his father returned

Where was his father?

Why had he enrolled Simon and Derek in school under false names?

Why was Simon even here, if he didn’t have a file?

Tooanswers

We were clearing the table after dinner when Mrs Talbot ca room with a man she introduced as Dr Davidoff, the head of the board that ran Lyle House With only a thin circle of hair and a huge, sharp nose, he was so tall that he see down to hear better With the hair and the nose, he bore an unfortunate resemblance to a vulture, head tucked down, eyes beady behind his glasses

"This must be little Chloe Saunders" He beauy who doesn’t have kids and never stops to think that a fifteen-​year-​old girlcalled "little" Chloe Saunders

He aardly clapped me on the back "I like your hair, Chloe Red stripes Very cool"

He said "cool" like I say a Spanish hen I’m not sure of the pronunciation Rae rolled her eyes behind his back, then came around front "Hey, Dr D"

"Rachelle Oh, sorry, Rae, right? Are you keeping out of trouble?"

Rae flashed a perky smile, one custom-​made for adults she had to suck up to "Always, Dr D"

"That’s irl Now, Chloe, Dr Gill tells h today She’s very pleased with your progress and how quickly you’ve fit into the therapeutic routine and accepted your diagnosis"

I tried not to squirood patient wasn’t soratulated on Especially when Derek had stopped eating to watch

Now run along, take your irl

Dr Davidoff continued "Nor people until they’ve been here at least a week, but since you’re speeding right along, Chloe, I don’t want to hold you back I’et back to your friends and school as soon as possible"

"Yes, sir" I copied Rae’s perky s then and we’ll chat in Dr Gill’s office"

He put his hand on one shoulder to propel me out

Tori stepped in front of us "Hello, Dr Davidoff That newwell"

"That’s good, Victoria"

He absently patted her arm, then led me out

The session was si in background Who was Chloe Saunders? What had happened to her? How did she feel about it?

I’et all this from Dr Gill’s notes, and she’d stayed late today to sit in, but it was like in a copall the sauy It’s not the information that’s important, but how I tell it What’s my emotional reaction? What extra details did I add this time? What did I leave out?

For all his false heartiness, Dr Davidoff was Dr Gill’s supervisor,he was here to check her work