“You’re not,” I say. I grab the door handle, my heart racing, and pull my backpack from the floor. I climb out and jog through the rain toward my porch.
“See you at school, Sutton,” Cameron calls from the driver’s window.
I get to my door and turn to the car. “Go home,” I yell back. Cameron smiles, unfazed by my attitude. He rolls up the window and drives away.
I stand there, watching until he’s gone. And when he is, I smile to myself and walk inside.
CHAPTER FIVE
Cameron doesn’t come toschool the next day, which is just as well. I spent the night stressing over what I’d say to him now. I shouldn’t have let him drive me home. Shouldn’t have shown him where I live. I bet I stopped being interesting the moment he got back to the right side of town. Retha said she should cut school more often—maybe then I’d get some. I told her I was all set, but thanks.
Today’s a Kathy day—at least it is now. She called shortly after I got home from school and asked if she could see Evan because it’s her husband’s birthday and they’re having cake. I would have said no—it’s not her turn and it means a long weekend, but I used up the last box of mac ’n’ cheese and we have no other food.
I get my brother ready, and then I wait for Kathy on the front porch while Evan puts on his shoes in his bedroom.
Kathy shows up at exactly five and parks her minivan in the driveway. I watch her climb the porch steps. She’s wearing a long, quilted coat with mittens on her hands like she’s about to build a damn snowman with my brother.
It’s not even that cold out, but her smile is decidedly chilly. Not cruel, but not sweet either. Like she’s afraid I’ll snap at any minute.
“Savannah,” she says, nodding to me.
“Kathy,” I reply, purposely leaving off the “Aunt” to hurt her feelings. I have a reason to be angry with her. It’s not just about her turning her back on me. It’s about Evan. Kathy thinks I’m a dangerous felon. That I’m untrustworthy, unfit. She wants to take my brother away from me.
Well, fuck her. She can’t have him. He doesn’t belong to her. I step aside to let her inside the house.
“Have you been going to school?” she asks, glancing over my clothes.
“I never miss a class,” I answer, wanting to roll my eyes. Like she cares.
“That’s good,” she says. “Will you graduate?”
Of course I’m going to graduate. Just because I stabbed somebody,once, it doesn’t make me a dumbass. “In June like everyone else,” I say, maybe a little bitchy.
Her mouth opens for a second, but she closes it, ending the conversation. Kathy looks a lot like my mother, only older and more serious. It’s another strike against her. She hasn’t heard from my mom since she left, and she’s given up asking if I’ve talked to her either.
Evan walks out from his bedroom and squeals when he sees our aunt. “Aunt Kathy!” He runs into her arms. I shift uneasily.
“Hi, honey,” she says, hugging him and running her mitten over his hair.
I did my best to get Evan ready for her—his face is washed, and he’s wearing the only shirt I could find without stains. Yet Kathy still looks at me as if I’ve left him in the wild to be raised by wolves.
She turns her gaze back to my brother. “How are you today?” she asks, smiling down at him.
“Good,” he says, beaming under her attention. “But Savannah said there’s no more macaroni and cheese.”
“We’ll fix you something nice,” she tells him, and then looks up at me. “He really should be eating more vegetables.”
“I’ll let the chef know,” I respond.
Kathy’s expression hardens, but before she can dive into the benefits of green-leafy-shit-that-Evan-won’t-eat, Evan squeezes Kathy around the waist, growing impatient. She starts to walk him toward the door, but stops abruptly like she forgot something.
“Oh,” she says. “I made Evan an appointment at the dentist for Monday afternoon.”
It’s a shot to the gut. “But I can’t,” I say. “I’m in school.”
“Savannah, he’s never been to the dentist. He’s seven.”
It’s an accusation, proof of my failure. “That’s not true,” I say defensively. “They check him at school every year.”
