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Chapter Twenty-Three: Steven

I felt fucking wild What were the odds of having two girls I gave a shit about in trouble and not being able to help either? I was still fucking pissed with Para, but it didn’t et her out of that situation as much as ever

And Ta Ta idiot of a mother ouldn’t tell her the truth And I knew I couldn’t do it while her et through to her, I had to wait until she was at school, until I could get her alone Then I could use the sa toshit about, but she’d definitely been through enough if I was reading this right I had to put asideworse happen

Mum wasn’t anywhere to be seen by the ti sweat everywhere Either in her roo with her mates

Dad started a little as I passed “Everything all right, Steve?”

I actually paused Maybe if I told hi to help

But he had to believe me first… and what proof did I

have? Just soirl I knew on the Internet had told ed et in contact with her unless she decided to show her online status toto so to make me look even worse

“You know The usual”

Dad gave me a look that said he had no idea as ‘usual’ for iven any ideas “Well, uh, I hope you’re keeping up with your homework then”

I got the hell out of there as soon as I could and left my room theup at the ceiling once I actually got to bed, trying not to picture it… and, naturally, seeing nothing else It would be easiest to break in through her , but if I couldn’t work out for sure which one it was, I’d seen hoeak the front door was on h the house when everyone was asleep and grab her, drag her out of there before anyone could stop h tilad I did it Probably

I’d still fucking go to jail, of course I doubted she’d thank otten her attention, even if she understood Maybe that hat kept et aith it Maybe it was Julia’s pitiful little screa in my ears when I was just about to fall asleep

I was safe froet even close to sleepy again

The nextdrunk I was going to get rabbed a breakfast bar out of the pantry and went for a jog I wouldn’t get there quite as early as I’d wanted and I’d be sweaty all day, but skipping the whole aard breakfast routine was always a plus I didn’t need to s Tamara aside at school… and I could sleep in class before or after

I barelyoff, and I didn’t see Ta to class I decided I’d skip out of et my eyes on her if possible, so she didn’t have any chance of sneaking away