ages. Chatting with Luna.” I turned to my sister. “Right?”
Luna flicked me a cold look. “Yep.”
Ayden laughed nervously and sidestepped in, flashing a way too charming smile. “I was halfway home when I realized she forgot this in my car.” He held out my jacket.
“How thoughtful of you, honey,” Mom said sweetly then stepped back to bang on the wall to the garage and screech, “M! It’s after nine o’clock! If you don’t stop, I’ll make you change diapers!”
The sudden silencing of power tools left a ringing in my ears.
With a wary eye, I snatched my jacket from Ayden. “Thanks. See you tomorrow.”
Ayden gasped and pointed. “Oh my gosh! Mrs. Lahey, look, she’s bleeding!”
The way my night had been going, I really should’ve seen that coming.
Chapter Fourteen
My head smashes into the dumpster. I collapse. Pain sledgehammers across my shoulders. I claw the ground, try to find purchase to drag myself away. Another blow knocks my breath away. My lips are wet. I taste blood.
No escape. Too many of them. And only one me. Broken. I can’t fight. Can’t understand. I trusted them. My frien—
Nails rip through my arm as they wrench me onto my back. A rotting wooden two-by-four slams into my side so hard it splinters apart, and I’m not sure if the sharp “crack” is the wood or my ribs as they shatter. Maniacal laughter shreds fresh pain. Hands slip on the blood on my throat. I feel hands choking the life from me.
“Fight!” orders a voice which whispers harsh, like sandpaper across my brain, jolting through my paralyzing fear. Words fade in and out. “I’ll find…you safe…forever…until then—”
A roar charges through my ears, cutting off the rest of the words. Pressure on my chest. Too much. Something over my mouth. Can’t breathe.
“Fight!” the command echoes, faint but no less demanding.
I know I need to grab and shove and—
High pitched giggles pulled me to consciousness. Something fuzzy crushed over my mouth. Someone sitting on my chest.
“It worked!” The smiling five-year-old lifted her stuffed toy off my face and held it high in the air. “Prince Bubbles to the rescue!”
“Selena?” I gulped down air, blinked rapidly.
I’d been seconds away from strangling my sister, taking out Bubbles’ only remaining eye, and chucking the lot of them across the room. I steadied myself and scooted her off my chest to sit beside me.
“Daddy said I got to wake you up, but I couldn’t.” She shoved her stuffed platypus in my face again. “So Bubbles pretended to be a prince and kiss you awake just like Sleeping Beauty, and it worked.” She poked me in the face, just shy of stabbing out my eye. “Why are you crying?”
Dad, who’d been passing my door, immediately backtracked into my room. “Is it your head? I knew I should’ve put stitches in that. Stupid curtain rods!”
The story of the curtain rod causing my head injury wasn’t a hard sell, given I’d waged a war with coordination since birth.
He kicked the clumped drapery fabric still lying on the floor. “When your aunt lets me back into my garage, I will cement this to the wall.”
“I’m fine. And I’m not crying.” I rubbed a hand over my face to find my skin dewy with sweat and tears.
Selena dropped her forehead against mine and squinted into my eyes. “It looks like you’re crying.” I pushed her away, but she just crawled up to lay on my chest and stare intently into my eyes. “Did you have a scary dream? I have scary dreams. They’re scary. But Bubbles can make them go away because her pirate patch gives her superpowers. Matty said so. Here.” Selena tucked the platypus under the covers. “You can borrow her.”
Dad scooped up Selena. “Let’s get you and your gender-fluid platypus some breakfast.” He studied my face, touching my nose with tender fingers. “Swelling’s down, but ice it up before you go to school. I’ll redress the head wound too.” He tilted his
Luna flicked me a cold look. “Yep.”
Ayden laughed nervously and sidestepped in, flashing a way too charming smile. “I was halfway home when I realized she forgot this in my car.” He held out my jacket.
“How thoughtful of you, honey,” Mom said sweetly then stepped back to bang on the wall to the garage and screech, “M! It’s after nine o’clock! If you don’t stop, I’ll make you change diapers!”
The sudden silencing of power tools left a ringing in my ears.
With a wary eye, I snatched my jacket from Ayden. “Thanks. See you tomorrow.”
Ayden gasped and pointed. “Oh my gosh! Mrs. Lahey, look, she’s bleeding!”
The way my night had been going, I really should’ve seen that coming.
Chapter Fourteen
My head smashes into the dumpster. I collapse. Pain sledgehammers across my shoulders. I claw the ground, try to find purchase to drag myself away. Another blow knocks my breath away. My lips are wet. I taste blood.
No escape. Too many of them. And only one me. Broken. I can’t fight. Can’t understand. I trusted them. My frien—
Nails rip through my arm as they wrench me onto my back. A rotting wooden two-by-four slams into my side so hard it splinters apart, and I’m not sure if the sharp “crack” is the wood or my ribs as they shatter. Maniacal laughter shreds fresh pain. Hands slip on the blood on my throat. I feel hands choking the life from me.
“Fight!” orders a voice which whispers harsh, like sandpaper across my brain, jolting through my paralyzing fear. Words fade in and out. “I’ll find…you safe…forever…until then—”
A roar charges through my ears, cutting off the rest of the words. Pressure on my chest. Too much. Something over my mouth. Can’t breathe.
“Fight!” the command echoes, faint but no less demanding.
I know I need to grab and shove and—
High pitched giggles pulled me to consciousness. Something fuzzy crushed over my mouth. Someone sitting on my chest.
“It worked!” The smiling five-year-old lifted her stuffed toy off my face and held it high in the air. “Prince Bubbles to the rescue!”
“Selena?” I gulped down air, blinked rapidly.
I’d been seconds away from strangling my sister, taking out Bubbles’ only remaining eye, and chucking the lot of them across the room. I steadied myself and scooted her off my chest to sit beside me.
“Daddy said I got to wake you up, but I couldn’t.” She shoved her stuffed platypus in my face again. “So Bubbles pretended to be a prince and kiss you awake just like Sleeping Beauty, and it worked.” She poked me in the face, just shy of stabbing out my eye. “Why are you crying?”
Dad, who’d been passing my door, immediately backtracked into my room. “Is it your head? I knew I should’ve put stitches in that. Stupid curtain rods!”
The story of the curtain rod causing my head injury wasn’t a hard sell, given I’d waged a war with coordination since birth.
He kicked the clumped drapery fabric still lying on the floor. “When your aunt lets me back into my garage, I will cement this to the wall.”
“I’m fine. And I’m not crying.” I rubbed a hand over my face to find my skin dewy with sweat and tears.
Selena dropped her forehead against mine and squinted into my eyes. “It looks like you’re crying.” I pushed her away, but she just crawled up to lay on my chest and stare intently into my eyes. “Did you have a scary dream? I have scary dreams. They’re scary. But Bubbles can make them go away because her pirate patch gives her superpowers. Matty said so. Here.” Selena tucked the platypus under the covers. “You can borrow her.”
Dad scooped up Selena. “Let’s get you and your gender-fluid platypus some breakfast.” He studied my face, touching my nose with tender fingers. “Swelling’s down, but ice it up before you go to school. I’ll redress the head wound too.” He tilted his
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