The scowl on Dad’s face softened. “I know, Indie. I’m sorry. Violet’s schedule will get less hectic soon, and then we can do something together, just you and me. I promise.” The Keurig let out a long beep, and he turned to collect his mug as steam rose in lazy tendrils from the freshly brewed coffee.
“Yeah, sure,” I replied, swallowing back my disappointment. There was no point in arguing with him, not when it involved Violet’s career. Work always came first.
Dad beamed. “That’s my girl.” His phone buzzed less than a second later, and he punched the Talk button. “Hi, this is EdwardJamiolkowski… Ah, Courtney! So good to hear from you. I’ve been meaning to call so we could discuss the lineup for…”
I heaved a sigh as Dad swept out of the room. A small part of me thought he’d change his mind, but when his office door slammed shut, the hope flickering inside me petered out. For a moment, I considered calling Sofia, but even watching action movies freaked her out. There was no way she’d make it through a horror long haul. I could always text some friends from orchestra, but I doubted anyone would be up for a fifteen-hour commitment on such short notice.
Guess that meant I’d be attending the movies solo.
Whatever. More popcorn for me.
* * *
Waking up Monday morning after the marathon was brutal.
That being said, Freddy, Jason, and Michael were well worth the lost shut-eye, and somehow I made it through the day without falling asleep in class. By the time I got home, all I wanted to do was pass out, so when I reached my bedroom, I ignored my violin case resting in the corner and collapsed face-first onto my mattress.
You should practice right now, the voice inside my head chastised. Because that was my routine: three hours of violin every day after school. I only had two months left to select and perfect my repertoire before my college application was due.
A knock interrupted my guilt trip. “Indie, you in here?”
“No,” I muttered into my pillow, because I didn’t currently have the mental capacity to deal with my sister. Maybe if I ignored her, she’d go away.
No such luck.
When I lifted my head a few seconds later to see if Violet was gone, I found her standing in the doorway.
“You need something?” I asked. Aside from acknowledging each other’s presence around the house, she and I rarely spoke. What could Violet possibly have to say to me?
She took a hesitant step into my room. “Yeah, do you have a minute? There’s something I want to run by you.”
“Nope,” I replied, flopping back down and locking my hands behind my head. “Kinda in the middle of something right now.”
Violet gave my postschool sprawl a once-over before crossing her arms. “Really? You don’t look busy.”
“That’s because I’m not.”
“Oookay—you seem irritated. Did I do something to piss you off?”
Ding! Ding! Ding! We have a winner.
“Dad was supposed to go to the movies with me yesterday,” I said, glaring up at the ceiling. A cobweb stretched between the fan blades, and I tried to remember the last time I’d dusted.
“But…he didn’t?”
That she had the audacity to sound confused pissed me off even more. “Of course not! He was too busy doing stuff foryou.”
Sighing, Violet ran a hand over her ponytail. “Haven’t we gone over this before? I don’t set Dad’s hours.”
“Yeah, whatever.” I turned away and curled onto my side, hugging the duvet against my chest.
“Indie, I’m sorry. I had no clue he canceled on you. I’ll talkto him about it, okay?” she said, but I didn’t bother responding. Why should I when I was never considered a priority in this family?
A tense silence stretched between us. It lasted so long I momentarily thought Violet had walked away, but then the mattress dipped as she sat down beside me.
“Aren’t you sick of always being mad at me?” Her question sounded weary, so I flipped over to face her.
“Vi,” I said, not unkindly, “what do you need?”
