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But that didn’t change the fact that she’d overslept

"Sit doith me," her

"I can’t, Moe to pull out the crea, I’ll be late"

But her mom didn’t relent, and as Violet swirled the vanilla-flavored liquid into her , she saw her mom reach out and pat the stool beside her at the kitchen counter "Don’t give me that You can spare a ue, her le room "It wasn’t a request, Vi"

Violet exhaled dramatically, but dropped her backpack and slouched onto the seat "Happy now? What’s up?" she sighed, wondering if her parents had finally had enough of her sneaking in at all hours

"Nothing really" Herup lazily from the delicate teacup with pink and yellow rosebuds painted on it But Violet wasn’t fooled by the cavalier attitude Nothing was the last thing this was; otherwise she’d already be out the door and on her way to school "I just wanted to check in See how things are going You’ve been working a lot lately and we haven’t seen e that I’d want to know if everything’s all right?"

Violet flashed her rinned "What’s the lance her way "Of course I do Does that really surprise you?" Then her lips curved into a wan smile--weak at best--and Violet realized she really orried "I just want to e you safe"

"Haven’t you asked her yourself when you’ve called to check in?" Violet didn’t see the point in pretending she didn’t know about the almost daily phone calls

Her hter as she set her teacup down on the table "Of course I’ve asked her, but now I’, strainedit should bother her that her parents were checking up on her She was seventeen years old and deserved more freedom than that, didn’t she? But then she reht, in the warehouse And she couldn’t help wondering if Sara had already told her ht to be concerned

"Everything’s okay," Violet finally pros of a headache coainst her te out forhappen"

Her hter, and Violet felt like a fraud What if Sara couldn’t always keep her safe? What if Dr Lee couldn’t teach her to control her gift? What if she put herself in danger again?