Page 28 (1/2)

Until then, Eli was a figuy who had spared a few minutes of his life to create me Thanks to a school report on fa boy I had hated since kindergarten pointed out that I resembled no one in my family Not Dad’s parents, not my mother and definitely not my father

I called the boy a jerk He called me a brat We were both called into the principal’s office My parents were also summoned and in the middle of the parent-principal po, I asked if I reseuments between my parents, a whole lot of tears from Mom, and it avalanched into a day at McDonald’s PlayPlace with this freaky-looking guy with tattoos and holes in his earlobes He crouched in front ofof daisies in his hand and introduced himself as my dad

I’ve never been slapped before, but that’s as close to the pain as I could iine I curled myself around my father and he had to repeatedly pry lue Since then, Eli, ame of once-yearly aard visits because I was curious

Curiosity is highly overrated

Pushing reply, I textnext to me Eli’s here Glad to know you’re safe I love you Tell Dad I love hi on?

Mo every couple of seconds as she sends a flurry of texts:

We both love you very ? Please tell me they at least let you have a bed in the house If you are in the clubhouse, tell Eli I’ll castrate him Did Eli explain?

Not one explanation Will demand one now

"Mom threatened you with castration Besides that, would you ?"

Eli chuckles then pulls on his earlobe

"She’s serious," I say

He chucklesat his ears I don’t understand plugs It’s holes in your ears

In your ears

Holes

Like stick-your-finger-through-thethat currently has a sticky line of drool hanging from its mouth

"You know the business I own?" Eli asks