Read Online The Before by Emily McKay - Free Book Online Page A

be watching it?”
    “Probably. I guess I’ll just have to bluff.”
    “You better go out the back and go through the yards until you can cross over at the creek. I’ll go out the front at the same time and . . . I don’t know, walk the dog or something. That way, if a cop is patrolling the neighborhood, he’ll stop me instead of seeing you.”
    “No way, Joe. I’m not asking you to do that. The pills are enough!”
    He just shrugged. “What’s the worst that can happen? If you’re right about that cop flagging your name and getting you sent off to the Farm, that’s not a bad gig.” He pushed me toward the door. “Now go. I’ll give you a ten-minute head start.”
    What he didn’t give me was a chance to argue. A moment later Mel and I were back out into the night. I could only hope that I was right about the cop putting me on the list. And that Joe knew what he was getting into.
    If Mel and I had to end up at a Farm—no matter how temporarily—then it might be nice to have someone I trusted there with us. Despite some questionable activities, Joe was obviously still a stand-up guy. There was way more to him than I’d thought. I would have to be better about that in the future. If I was going to take care of Mel and myself—if I was going to keep us both alive—then I couldn’t underestimate people, certainly not someone who might be the only ally we had.

Chapter Twelve
     
    Lily
     
    Mom was frantic by the time we finally made it back. I was beat up and bruised. My ankle was swelling so that every step was painful. Only Mel was calm. Of course it helped that Mel had taken one of the Valiums before we even left Joe’s backyard. I couldn’t get her over the fence without it.
    When we snuck in the back door, Mom ignored Mel’s yelp of protest and hugged her tight. Like Mel was a wayward child, she stroked her hair and looked her over. You would have thought Mel was returning from war.
    “Are you okay? Did you get hurt? Did anyone see you?”
    “She’s fine,” I said, limping past Mom and Mel to the chairs around the kitchen table. “We made it back.”
    Mom glared at me over Mel’s head. “Did anyone see you? Did that cop give you a hard time? Did—”
    “No. It was all okay.”
    Mel squirmed out of Mom’s arms and came to sit near me, a look of concern on her face.
    Mom breathed out. It was a sound of exasperation as well as fear and maybe grief.
    “Tomorrow after I drop you off—” Mom crossed to my spot also and knelt down before me. “Once you’re at the Farm facility, I’m not going to be there to protect you. Either one of you.”
    “I know.” A month ago, I would have told her that I didn’t need anyone’s protection, but now? Now I was just scared. And worried. It made my words harsh. “Yeah. I get it. We’re going to be on our own.”
    “No, you don’t get it!” Mom pushed herself to her feet. “Once you’re there, you’ll have to watch her all the time.”
    “I will—”
    “You don’t let her out of your sight. Not for a minute. Because this can’t happen once you get there.”
    “Why are you telling this to me? Why aren’t you lecturing her about this? She’s the one who wandered off!”
    Mom blinked in surprise, as if that hadn’t even occurred to her, and then she gave her head a shake as her gaze turned steely. “Because you have to be the one in charge. Because you have to keep it together and take care of both of you!”
    I leapt to my feet. “You’re not being fair! Not to either of us!”
    I didn’t really know why I was arguing. Of course I was going to take care of Mel. Of course I was going to do whatever I needed to to keep her safe. She was my sister. My twin. My other half. But I sure as hell didn’t need Mom lecturing me about it.
    “Not fair?” Mom demanded. “You’re not a child anymore. Don’t complain to me about what is or isn’t fair.”
    “I’m not a child, but she isn’t either.” We both turned to look at Mel then. She