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I bounce a curled knuckle against htly lit h to stare at athered I know that look That is the stop-that-right-this-instant look

“You’re going to sestures to er I scrub it aith the heel of h that’s full of disapproval The kind of sigh you give a kid who just spilled chocolate milk on a white dress

“There, look at how beautiful you are, Sage” She twists her lips to the side at the sight of el She rakes the cold gel through roan in hter was there so You know they ht, honey?”

“Mo I want her to spare me the lectures about my clothes because I’m already nearly smashed by the stone wall in my mind

“I’, you’d look so rooirl who just wakes up beautiful”

Not like you, right, Mom?

I stand abruptly and turnwhat I look like once all et the stupid charity event at the country club over with, then I can rush ho with so many phony people

I hear Moround as I leave the bedroo in onin heels toward the front door When ht click-pop noise their shoes make on the floor sounds like a melody Not me I’m pretty sure I’m the opposite of a melody…whatever that is

The moment I stumble out of the front door of my house and drink in fresh air, the stone wall recedes and ot you in a dress” My father smiles at me His s up dust inbecause he wants to escape any further inspection from Mom before we leave

“Yeah, I see she got you all dolled up too, huh?” A half-smile lifts one side of any hair and tailored suit He glances down at his for

“I definitely wouldn’t say dolled up, but your old man cleans up nicely” Most of the tiolf balls on the course at the country club Suits aren’t his thing Neither are the huge charity functions Mom loves so much

“Yeah, well thatat the hem of the silky blue dress Mom made me wear and foldlook, that I pretend to ignore, but there’s no ignoring the prickle of heat washing over my ears