“Stephanie can drive you home, honey,” my dad offers on my behalf.
“Dad, I have to get my prom dress, and they close in thirty minutes!” I toss my bag across my shoulder and reach for his keys.
“Olivia and Sierra can ride with you.”
My sister interrupts. “I won’t mind. Just let me use the bathroom for a second.”
Her soft brown hair moves when she talks. She’s wearing khakis and a short-sleeve shirt with bright flowers printed on it. My dad smiles like his eldest daughter is the most thoughtful and considerate girl alive.
It’s super annoying.
“Fine,” I huff. “But this is the last day they’ll hold it for me, so if I can’t go to prom, it’s your fault.” I glare at my sister. Olivia nods, and I push past my dad to get outside. “I’ll be in the car.”
I start the car and wait for Olivia. Five minutes pass. Ten minutes pass. I send two texts and she doesn’t respond. I know she read them from the little indicator on my phone. Yet she’s still inside the house. I’m guessing her and my mom are on their fourth goodbye hug. My mom does that when we go to my grandma’s house, too, requiring multiple hugs to satisfy her need for affection. Twelve minutes go by, and I finally leave the car to return to the house.
Just as I begin to close the car door, my sister walks outside with a languid pace and an oblivious smile on her face. She still has to buckle Sierra into her car seat.
“Olivia, we have to go,” I say, to rush her along.
She sighs and mutters a half-hearted apology.
IT’S 8:03 WHEN I PARK in front of the dark shop. The sign on the door is turned around to CLOSED and the lights are off.
And now I can’t get my dress. Today was the last day, and this was after my second extension. I begged for extra time, but I was told repeatedly that this was my last day. This sucks so bad.
“I’m sorry, Stephanie,” Olivia says as I lay my head on the steering wheel.
I turn my head to the side and scowl at her. “This is your fault.”
“It’s not my fault,” she says, with the nerve to look surprised. “Dad wanted to take me shopping to get some new shoes for Sierra. She outgrows them so fast—”
New baby shoes? Are you freaking serious? I missed my prom dress because her baby needed new shoes—the child doesn’t even walk!
“Why couldn’t Dad just take you home directly? You would have been back way sooner,” I say, raising my head, and my voice.
“I wasn’t tired then . . . I don’t know.” She shrugs her shoulders like my time means nothing to her. Like this isn’t a big deal.
“This is such bullshit!” I shake my head and put my hands over my face.
“Don’t talk like that in front of the baby!” my sister whisper-yells.
I groan and back out of the parking space. We’re both silent the entire way home. Olivia doesn’t feel as if she’s done anything wrong, and I’m too mad to talk to her right now. I’m so tired of her stealing everything from me—and on top of that, Sierra keeps crying as if she’s trying to split my brain in half.
I hate my life.
When we get to Olivia’s house, she thanks me for dropping her off. I don’t want to step foot into her new house, so I’m glad she doesn’t ask me in. A house that I’m pretty sure my parents helped her and Roger buy. Her husband is quiet; he doesn’t say much around my family. Olivia probably tells him not to. I’m sure everyone gets the warning label read to them before they have to have any exposure to me.
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.sserd gniddew reh niur ll’I .sserd morp ym deniur ehS
.hguoc elttil a tuo stel neht dna selahni eH .mih ot egavaelc ym fo tnuoma ecin a gnisopxe ,trihs ym fo meh eht no gut I ,dnuora snrut eh tnemom ehT .noitnetta sih teg ot retnuoc enots eht tsniaga dnah ym pat I .srood eht yb neddih dna edisni deirub ecaf sih ,egdirf eht fo tnorf ni gnidnats si regoR ,nehctik eht otni klaw I nehW
.ybab sih tuo deppop ehs ecnis dnabsuh reh dekcuf t’nsah retsis ym teb I .elims I
.esoh tenhsif ym ni gnikat ,sgel ym nwod nur ot ton yrt seye s’regoR sa regnif ym dnuora riah ym parw I ”.yrroS“
.mih drawot gniklaw peek dna ,yas I ”,iH“
.dnabsuh a fo yppup layol dna etuc a ton yllaicepsE .rehtie sreh s’taht gnihtyna evah t’ndluohs ehs os dna enim reve si gnihton dna aivilO tcefrep tuoba syawla si gnihtyreve woh fo gnikniht m’I dna gnihtyreve gnitteg reh fo derit gnikcuf m’I dna retsis ym ta ffo dessip m’I tub ,gniod m’I kcuf eht tahw wonk t’nod I dna gnicar si traeh yM
