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I nod and hop off the chair, taking the teddy bear with et out of the stuffy kitchen and away fro at me like I’e I hear Aht contact social services to take her back… she just wasn’t ere expecting"

Never expect anything, I want to turn around and tell her, but I continue out into the garage The lights are on and I trot down the steps and wind around the midsize car toward the freezer in the corner But I pause when I notice Jennifer in the corner, along with a boy and two girls who are e

"Well, well look what the dog drug in," she sneers as she moves her bike away from the wall Her bike is pink, just like the dress she’s wearing I used to have a bike once, too, only it was purple, because I hate pink But I never learned how to ride it and now it’s part ofwith the rest of lances at her friends "She always carries it around with her like a little baby or soard her the best that I can, because it’s all I can do This isn’tto takeI learned early on and beco alone has made life a little easier to live over the last several years

I hurry past her and her friends who laugh when she utters under her breath that I smell like a homeless person I open the freezer and take out a frozen pound of haer meat, then shut the lid and turn back for the door Jennifer has abandoned her bike to strategically place herself in front of my path back to the door

"Would you please er meat under one of e to the side, but Jennifer sidesteps with hs and it’s echoed by the cackling of laughter

"This is my house," Jennifer says with a set to tellto keep et this for her"

She puts her hands on her hps and says to me with an attitude, "That’s because she thinks of you as ourtoyou--because they needed soet to you It doesn’t ritted teeth

She shakes her head "No way I don’t have to listen to you, you loser, sh and it takes a lot of energy not to clock her in the face You were taught to be better than that Mom and Dad would want me to be better I move around to the other side but shepain ricochets up ive her the satisfaction of a reaction, re calm

"No wonder you don’t have any parents They probably didn’t want you," she snickers "Oh wait, that’s right They died… you probably even killed the as I step closer to her I can feel anger blazing insideto back off The boy on the floor stands up and starts to head toward us with a look on his face that makes me want to bolt But I won’t I’et blamed for this incident

"What do you ririns maliciously and then turns to him "Haven’t you heard the story about her?"

"Shut up" I cut her off as I move so close to her I almost knock her over, then raiseto shove her "I’ as if I don’t exist "Her parents were lances atshe was the one who found the it’s because she did it herself because she’s crazy"

I see the ie of my mom and dad in their bedrooe out of my head until all I see is red Red everywhere Blood Red Blood Death And a stupid little girl on’t walk away froround, not concerned about what happens toblond hair and yank on it "Take it back!" I shout, pulling harder as I circle around to the front of the car, away fro Jennifer without of her eyes "You evil bitch!"

"Let her go!" the boy yells, running around the car at us "You crazy psycho" He turns to the other girls and tells the at me like I’m crazy, too

I know it’ll be justafter she’ll call social services to coer and hate all directed toward Jennifer, because she’s the one here in front ofwith my head and my heart and it feels like I’ain, seeing the blood… hearing the voices…

I’th left to hold on to Jennifer and I release her She iaining her balance, she spins around and shoves ainst the wall

"You psycho!" she shouts, her face bright red, tears strea to send you away"