I’m watching Dad on the security cam,
freaking out as he bursts into my hospital
room.
He grabs a nurse by the collar. “Where’s my
daughter? Where did she go?!”
The nurse shoves him off, annoyed.
“You know your daughter’s been through hell,
right? She’s probably got major depression.
<
You guys said some pretty messed up stuff to
her.
“You broke her. Now you’re wondering where she went? She was in here crying, looking all
lost and lonely.”
Dad lets go of the nurse and stumbles back
to Wyatt. “Was it Star’s letter? Did she say
where she was going?”
Wyatt’s face is pale. His hands are shaking.
“She doesn’t want us anymore, Dad…”
Dad snatches the letter, muttering, “No way!
Star’s always been a good kid, all she wanted
was me. She wouldn’t leave.”
So, they know I’ve been good all along.
Not the wild child people think.
But they still trashed me for Brittany.
The letter’s full of tears.
<
I wrote down everything I heard and saw.
I detailed everything they did to me.
I put down everything Brittany did to me at
school.
Dad reads it, staggers.
He stammers, “Find her! I don’t care how
hard, bring
xer home!”
Wyatt’s got tears streaming down his face.
“We’ve sent out three teams already. Nothing.
Dad, what if something happened to her?”
“No… she’s strong, she’ll be okay.”
He turns to leave, bumps right into Brittany.
“Dad, the puppy’s doing better. It’s so cute,
can you come see it?”
Brittany’s still playing the animal–lover card.
Not this time.
“Later. We have an emergency.”
<
Brittany pouts. “Is it about Star?”
Dad and Wyatt both stare at her.
Brittany stammers. “I… I saw Star getting into
a car with some guy.”
“No!” Dad cuts her off. “Star’s not interested
in anyone but dancing. She wouldn’t go off with some guy.”
Brittany pushes. “But she was always cozying up to guys in class.”
Wyatt snaps, “Star’s popular. Guys and girls
like her. Brittany, don’t say stuff like that.”
Brittany’s got tears running down her face
now.
She curls up on the floor, hugging her knees. “I know I crossed the line. I’m not in Star’s league.”
“She’s the Winthrop princess, and I’m just a
Join the bookshelf
<
secret.”
juvi
