Margot shrugged. “Not really. I’ve been to a lot of different schools.”
“Oh, wow, that sounds hard,” Mia said.
“No one notices me, so it’s fine,” Margot said.
“I totally get that. Grace and Annie get a lot of attention from like everyone but no one even remembers I’m around. Which is fine with me. I’d rather lay low, you know?”
“Yeah. For sure.” Margot took another bite of her noodles.
“I can show you around town if you want. Introduce you to people. My friends are really nice. Especially Annie and Grace. We have bonfires on the beach—and you could come sometime, if you want?”
“Okay.”
“And I can take you shopping for school clothes too,” Mia continued. “I know all the good stores. I’m like a genius atpicking out clothes for other people. I think I might want to be a fashion designer. And anyway, it’s way more fun to shop with someone your age than with parents. No offense,” she added, glancing at me.
“None taken,” I said, grateful for Mia’s easy chatter.
“Do you take dance?” Mia asked. “I saw on Instagram—sorry, I know that’s creepy, but I looked up your mom and saw the pictures.”
Margot’s expression shuttered slightly. “Yeah. I took ballet.”
“There’s a great studio here. Grace and Motion. Grace’s mom runs it. Gillian. She’s amazing. We could check it out if you want. See if you like it.”
“Maybe.”
“No pressure,” Lila said gently. “But I think you’d enjoy it.”
We ate in silence for a few minutes. I watched Margot push food around her plate, occasionally taking small bites. She kept glancing at the watercolor set like she couldn’t quite believe it was real.
“Can I ask you something?” Mia asked Margot.
Margot looked up, wary. “Okay.”
“Are you mad? Like, at your mom? For sending you here?”
“Mia,” Lila said quietly.
“What? It’s a legit question.” Mia turned back to Margot. “Because if you are, that’s totally normal. When my dad left us for his new family, I was so mad I could’ve exploded. I’m still mad sometimes.”
Margot stared at her. “Your dad left?”
“Yeah. Cheated on my mom with this awful woman. Now they have three kids together and I barely ever see him.” Mia shrugged, trying to look casual, but I could see the hurt underneath. “It sucks. But we’re okay. Mom and me. We have each other and our friends. It’s actually pretty great most of the time.”
“I’m not mad at my mom,” Margot said quietly. “She deserves to be happy. With Derek. They’re getting married, which is a dream come true for her. I caused a lot of fights.”
She said it as if she’d rehearsed it a thousand times. Which made my chest ache. Nicole had coached her. Made her believe she was the problem.
“Well, even if you’re not mad, you’re allowed to be sad,” Mia said. “That’s what my therapist says. You can feel however you feel.”
“You have a therapist?” Margot asked.
“Yeah. Dr. Chen. She’s cool. Helps me figure stuff out.” Mia took another bite, chewing thoughtfully. “Mom says everyone should have a therapist. Everyone needs a safe place to talk about their feelings.”
Margot looked down at her plate. “Do I need a therapist?”
“Like Mia said, I think therapy’s good for everyone,” Lila said carefully. “But only if you want to try it. No one’s going to force you.”
“Oh,” Margot said.
