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"Breanna!" Mom roars "That is uncalled-for!"

"Selfish much?" murmurs Liam Shame heats my face, but what causes the tears to burn my eyes is the sadistic lift of Clara’s hter is plunging froloats in her victory

"Go outside," Mom says to Liaaze "Get the car ready We’re leaving in minutes"

The moment the door closes, I suck in a breath "I’m sorry, but you don’t understand--"

Mo a lot froood to you over the past two years"

Try since birth In fact, for years she’s done nothing but dump the burden of her unhappiness onto me

"But your sister needs me"

I attempt to rush out the truth To tell her about the weekend, to tell her about Kyle, to tell her I’ more than to be six and climb onto her lap and let her chase the monsters away, but my mother steps forward and places her hands on

Mom’s hazel eyes soften as they bore into mine "Clara isn’t like you None of us are like the two of you, but Clara struggles with this gift This past year alht your sister was going to enter a depression I couldn’t dig her out of

"Your dad called in a favor and we transferred her to a school near Nora We’re hoping that staying with Nora will help ground Clara Classes started last week, so she’s already behind If she focuses, then she can graduate this Deceanized, to help her catch up on work she’s missed, to help her with her confidence Honey, these are things I don’t expect you to understand because you’re the one who has it together"

Her words are like sh it’s just a trickle of blood at a ti out A bead of so warm escapes my eye and Mom catches it with her thumb

"But there’s this boy at school" I start, but Mom talks over me

"And I want you to tell me, but not now I’htens "But I need you"

Mom tilts my head so I have no choice but to spot her sincerity "When I return, I aht now, your sister needson you This project is a make-or-break moment for him He needs to focus on that I need you to focus on this fa you not to let me down"

But I already have I’ve let her down in so many ways that she’ll be sickened to look at me I need my mother so desperately I need help, but there’s no hope to be had Before I can respond with a yes or a no or before I could throwfor mercy, my mother collects her suitcase and leaves me utterly and completely alone