EY

lked into the library and everything fell apart. I kept wondering what she had said to him after I ran away. By the time my alarm rang the nex

hair seemed exhausting. Grandpa noticed how quiet I was during breakfast and gave me a worried look over his newspaper. Dr

ight, sweetheart?" G

d a sma

just

too much agai

ven though

d to res

wil

iled

d gi

I wasn't sure I could bear the disappointment in his eyes. I quickly finished my bre

work like they usually did. Instead, everyone stood in small groups with their phones in their hands. Some p

ddo

see the p

t belie

ing happened a

ing settled

tur

as two girls

blog posted

ready sh

s felt clumsy as I opened the school blog. The newest post was already at the

nearly

ed Maddox standing close to a

ond pic

eath

s the

ce couldn't be seen clearly. Only the back of my head and my ha

" I whi

rough hundred

efinitely

would end u

dating the ho

look s

he screen, un

knew it

bo

secret was still safe. My brother wouldn't find out. Grandpa wouldn'

re

ed my phone an

erature class. She hurried over with wid

you s

odd

yone

laug

Maddox and Cassie

. gu

een flirti

n't no

ious

hru

eally pay

sho

grin

hool is talki

r, another excited v

e's co

ely turned toward

the sun had barely come out. Her cheerleader friends surrounded her, laughing loudly while students wh

called o

! Is it

sunglasses just

do you

xploded wit

my g

new

re tog

building as if she enjoyed every second of the attention. Watching her made something inside me ache.

have be

felt stra

urned to Maddox and Cassie. Even our professor had trouble getting everyone to settle

dox hat

obabl

n't bla

her wave of whispers sp

s he

ddo

p without

ammates. His expression was calm, but he didn't look happy. His blue ey

second, I thought h

ver and slipped her

became compl

students fi

e the rum

assie before lookin

are

rmurs sprea

enough for everyo

nd I are

llway

wa

new

officiall

at him in

, looking more pleased t

owded hallway. The smile on his face disappe

isappo

away as though

ul settled deep

that hur

ly what I want

and went without me remembering much of anything. By the final bell, I was completely exhausted

itting on the living room couch with Grandpa. They were wat

yhead," Dra

g," I said, rolli

k like y

had a lo

pa sm

ol go

no idea,"

n lau

tuall

fr

ha

pus is talking

myself to

O

me this a

llowe

di

ea

d another han

o leave town for w

ded s

ka

works will be going o

lin

ha

everything while hi

erstanding why he

S

as if it wer

l they ge

the empty guest ro

g to be stayin

ddenly felt

into my stomach. Yesterday, all I had wanted was to get away f

yed the cruelest

et was about to live under the same roof as me,