Page 12 (2/2)

He’s still wearing his sneakers, and I don’t want his filthy shoes on my comforter

Where was this kid raised, in a barn? Mo around the house with shoes on

“Don’t they leave you a list of chores you’re supposed to do when you get home from school?”

They used to do that with me

“No I’m busy with sports”

“You don’t look that busy with sports to me”

Alex glances over at me as I pull more stuff out of my box “Practice isn’t until later today Someone will have to drive me back to school if Mom isn’t home by then”

“How about Brandon’s mom?”

“Brandon doesn’t play lacrosse”

“You’re a real pain in the ass Do you realize that?”

He shrugs “I’m twelve, and it’s too far to ride my bike”

I

I take the empty cardboard box and toss it out my bedroo up the stairs Her eyes flit from me to the box then back to me

“So settled in, I see I hope these boxesBreak thee”

That’s obviously what I was going to do with the boxes, but she wouldn’t be my s and take the trash out

I glance back atus both now that he’s fixated on the anime series on the television screen

“Hey Mom, can we talk later?”

I can’t get so Aunt Myrtle said out of my mind and noant to discuss it with my parents, but first I want to talk about it with e her reaction

“I have tioes to sit next to ht