“What’s your problem?I just want to know where you hid my wallet.”Amy snaps at me.
“I don’t know about anyfuckingwallet!Get out of my room!”I yell back through my tears.
“Then tell me where my wallet is,” she snaps, folding her arms.“Or maybe I should just show everyone this little video.”
“Please, don’t!”My heart race ridiculous speed.“I swear I don’t know anything about your wallet.I swear!Please… Check Mrs.Greta or maybe Mom.Please…” I stutter between sobs, groveling on the floor for her mercy.My heart sinks, and panic floods over me.
“Look at him begging.Oh, you poor son of a bitch.”Chris mocks me while his phone is still up.
Amy looks down at me, cold and sharp.She crosses her arms over her chest and glares.“What a loser.Next week when school starts, don’t you dare tell anyone about our family.You got that?You don’t mention you’re my stepbrother.Ever.”
I nod, trembling.My chest feels tight, my vision blurring.I can’t even look at her.
“Good,” she says flatly, and turns to leave.Chris follows, still laughing.They don’t even bother closing the door.
I curl up on the floor, shaking, staring at the open door long after they’re gone.The laptop screen is dark now, but the ringing in my ears won’t stop.
* * *
High school, a week before graduation…
“Clark.”
My body jolts when that voice comes from behind.I turn around, and there she is—Amy, standing right in front of the soda vending machine, blocking my way.
“What do you want?”I say flatly.
Ever since we came back to school, Amy’s never once acknowledged me.She just keeps picking on me every chance she gets.It’s obvious she doesn’t see me as her brother at all.
At the house, though, she’s a whole different person.She plays the perfect sister in front of Mr.Schmidt—all sweet and caring.But the second his back’s turned, she goes right back to tormenting me in her own way.
I begged Mom to get divorced so we could move back to our old house, but of course, she refused.She got lucky, won the jackpot, while I’m the one stuck living through hell.
“You wanna hear something about Fenella?”Amy asks, smiling like she’s got a secret.
The second she says that name, my chest tightens.Of course I wanna know.
“What?”
“She said she’ll accept anyone who confesses to her tomorrow night at prom, during that special confessional stage thing.”
“You mean the truth-or-lie session?”I blink, trying to make sense of it.
“Yeah.She said she likes seeing people who have the guts to confess in front of a crowd.”
“Really?Why’d she say that?”I frown, still not buying it.
“Because she’s jealous of me, Clark.I told her I’m gonna confess to Chris during the session, and we’ll start dating on prom night.Then she said she wants someone to do the same for her.”Amy grins wider.“I’m pretty sure if you step up there, she won’t turn you down.”
“What about Laird?Don’t they like each other?”I ask quietly.They’ve been close forever.
“That’s the real problem here.Laird told me he doesn’t like her.He just likes the attention.You know, baseball star, school celebrity, keeping his fans attached, all that crap.”Amy shrugs, pouting like she actually cares.
And she’s probably right.I’ve seen Amy and Laird talking plenty of times in class.Maybe she’s close enough to know what he really thinks.
“I feel bad for Fenella.Don’t you?”Amy says, blinking innocently, her tone dripping with fake sympathy.
“Uh, yeah, Amy.Must suck hearing stuff like that about your best friend,” I mumble.
