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I stared at her, unable to speak, or even to breathe Still

Out in the restaurant, I could hear the girl’s mother, her voice calm and even--very diplomatic My father had fallen silent, and all other sound in the restaurant had ceased I wanted to hear what she was saying, but the closed doors--and the blood rushing past hter as she looked at, and we both turned toward the doors to wait

There was a long pause, and I thought ht explode Each beat was painful as I told , that I hadn’t just otten My parents had worked so hard to teachone language for another And to never, ever break the rules

And yet, here I was Waiting to see if I would die

Brook’s fingers laced through arded us as we stood there, his eyes falling to our intertwined hands

My elina outside until a resolution could be reached, one way or the other She didn’t wantdiscussed

"Well" Brook exhaled, her voice pinched "What did she say? What did they decide to do?" Her nails cut into my palm

My father stared at hts and sense his disappointave soallows, and I feltfro you in," he stated flatly, and I wondered if he even realized he was still speaking in Englaise "They think the girl ht have been mistaken, that she was upset because you spilled water--"

"But I didn’t--"

His hard glare stoppedto defend myself Don’t you dare lie to ht I fell silent, waiting once more

"You were lucky, Charlaina This time no one realized--" Noas his turn to stop short as he glanced at Brooklynn Brooklynn, who knew nothing of what I could do At last he sighed, and when he spoke again, this time in Parshon, his Bs tihon, hisvoice was softer "You need to be careful, girls" And even though he addressed both of us, I knew his words were directed solely at me "Always be careful"