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– Bea

9

Bea

“Moh the front door but find the house e in the hallway and go to the kitchen, hoping to find so to eat

The cookie jar is on the counter and I pop the lid, reaching inside It’s empty I paw around inside the ceraertip I textedhoht I didn’t kno to respond A my parents for the weekend? I love hi from him I don’t kno to explain

Hungry and tired, I ue of ht at the top of the stairs and push open the door to my room

“What the hell?”

The door swings open, but gone are the pale lavender walls, replaced with soft yellow and white lace trim My twin bed is buried under fabric swatches, and a dress for table with drafted patterns and thread bundles

Teenage posters of heartthrob celebrities are gone, as aretrophies I rub the center ofof sadness It’s like I never lived here at all

I hear the jingle of the front door and race to the stairs My parents are laughing and carrying in groceries

“Mom?”

“Oh hiya, Bea Coet the soda from the car”

“Moet her attention

“Seriously, Beatrice, go help your dad” Her voice brooks no argu soda bottles

I place the the house a look over What else is different? “What happened tomy foot and barely hold back