Cleo’s standing in the doorway in her favorite purple pajamas, staring at us.I don’t know how much she’s heard, but it doesn’t matter now.I’ve got a bone to pick with her too.
“Yeah, what about you, Cleo?”I turn toward her.“I’ve been asking myself that since you sent Olive those screenshots of the headlines.”
The color drains from my kid sister’s face, and I hate having to do this.But I can’t keep acting like it never happened.
She looks at me in shock, and before I can say another word, her eyes well up.
“Maybe you should ask your daughter what it means for her and this family if she goes behind my back to send my boarding-school friends news about the fire.”
“You didwhat?”Mom turns on Cleo, who bursts into tears.
This is painful, but I’m not going to take it anymore.I turn to Olive, who looks stressed but composed, and point toward the elevator.She nods.We don’t need words.Looks are enough.One look.
Let’s get out of here.
As the doors close behind us, I exhale—I hadn’t known I’d been holding my breath.
36
Olive
A little later, we’re walking through Manhattan.I don’t ask Colin where he’s headed because I’ve sensed for a while that we have no destination.He just couldn’t stand arguing with his family any longer, or justifying himself for finally doing the right thing.I hate his mother for trying to convince him he made the wrong choice.And for being so cold when he told her about his self-harming.There was emotion on her face for a split second, but it wasn’t long before she was accusing him of stuff again.
I found it hard to believe that she’d really be so determined to hush up the truth, but now that I’ve met Ava Fantino in person, I’m no longer surprised.Her name and her family’s reputation seem to matter more to her than Colin’s peace of mind.
“I have to talk to Cleo,” says Colin suddenly, as we wait at a red light.He looks at me.“That was mean of me earlier.”
“It was right to confront her with it, though,” I argue.
Colin doesn’t seem particularly convinced.“I ought to have done it some other time.Calmly.”
I say nothing immediately.“You’ll have time to talk to herlater,” I suggest, and the light changes to green.We cross a multilane road with dozens of other people.It feels so weird that I’m actually in New York.With Colin.And no matter how stressful this time is, I’m thrilled to get to know the place he’s from.This loud, hectic city, the complete opposite of Dunbridge Academy.“Now I understand why you hate Scotland so much,” I say.
Colin glances at me in surprise.“I don’t hate Scotland.”
I’m taken aback.“You don’t?”
“It’s...quiet.But kind of OK.”
“You didn’t talk like that a couple of weeks ago.”
“A couple weeks ago, everything was different.”
I nod.“But I get that you’d miss this.Big-city life, so much going on.”
“Right now, I’m mostly missing the peace at Dunbridge,” he says to my astonishment.Colin doesn’t look at me.“Apparently, you get used to that very quickly.”
“Is it good or bad?”
“Good, I think.”He darts a look at me.“Isn’t it?”
“Course.”I have to smile.“Very good, even.”
We keep walking, and we can finally catch our breath after the events of this morning, which came thick and fast.We still haven’t eaten.At this very moment, we pass an Italian restaurant, and I stop.“Oh, so this is why you’ve been calling me that all this time?”
He frowns, then catches on.He laughs.For the first time today.“Yep, Olive Garden, this is why.”
I shake my head.“You’re unbelievable.”
