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I can do those things, but I don’t exude the same effortless coolness

“He was quiet,” I say in a wince

“What?”

“It was du second-hand embarrassment from my own embarrassment

Her eyes soften

My dad has swapped seats with my mom She scoots in beside ly cups the side of my head

“It’ll be okay,” she whispers

I breathe in

Yeah

It’ll be totally okay

How auards Inescapable

As though reading uished face, my mom asks, “You want us to drop you off at the penthouse or would you rather stay with us?”

“Spend the night with us,” Winona says fast “I whale-y miss you, sis”

I sit up ladly take a night withbad for the soul Not when I’o home”

“Groovy,” Winona sas

Windoind whips through the car, and I wonder if it’s strange that I call my childhood house home I haven’t lived there for a couple years, and still, it feels like home

Where I’m safest But if I want to experience her do I really need to fly from the nest?

Pulling out my phone, I type out a text

I’e with my fam

I add a thumbs-up emoji and send it to Akara

My phone buzzes in a second flat

K Callor if you leave – Kits

It’s so formal

No eifs

I can’t tell what’s happening toI wanted them to in a way, but not like this And I don’t havearound me

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