“I’m s-s-sorry, An-Angie.”
“Shh. It’s okay.” I rub her back until her sobs begin to subside.
“Mom was cr-crying on Sunday.”
“I know.”
“Dad was so m-mean to her. And Ten…” She shakes in my arms, so I squeeze her tighter. “That’s probably why she never c-came to see us. Because they are s-so awful to her.”
I’m tempted to tell her the run-in was staged, but I’m afraid that’ll erase the trust she’s just given me back.
“I t-told Dad I wanted her ph-phone number, and he said,n-no way. I don’t even know why we b-bothered coming back here.”
I’m rubbing slow, soothing circles against her knobby spine. They seem to be working because she’s no longer shaking.
“I want my mother, Angie.”
I tuck her head under my chin.
“MaybeIsh-should enter her contest.”
My heart bounces. I pull away to see if she’s serious. “Your dad would never sign off on that. Besides, you’re her daughter. There’s probably a clause about family members.”
She palms her wet cheeks. “Areyoustill going to do it?”
I swallow, my throat feeling raw from all the yelling. “Yes.”
“You promise?”
I’m all at once surprised and not surprised she wants me to participate. “Yes.” I just need to get Mom on board again.
“Even if Ten tells you”—Nev heaves in a juddering breath—“that he’ll break up with you if you do it?”
“We’ve already discussed it.”
“And he really said okay?”
“Nev, your brother understands how much I want this. He understands that if he tries to hold me back, he’ll lose me.”
Her expression is so strained that I sense she doesn’t quite believe me.
“Can we please talk about your new friends now?”
She toes a clump of grass. “I don’t want to be an outcast anymore.”
“You are aware some of them might be using you for who you are?”
“And I’m using them for whotheyare.”
“As long as you realize it.”
“I do.” She sinks onto the grass and crosses her legs.
I sit down next to her.
She plucks a blade of grass and twirls it. “Maybe one of them will become a real friend.”
“Maybe.”
