didn’t let her get the last time we were out shopping together. And this guy, maybe he’d been trying to get my attention, I don’t know, but he shoved me and told me to get the hell out of the way and stop blocking the aisle like a dumb bitch.”
Her words cut off, her face flushed an angry red as she tried to catch her breath.
For once, Tori didn’t know what to say.
“Your husband and baby died?” Her voice was thin, her stomach twisting with horror for what she’d said.
Ani sucked in a breath, staring up at an indistinct point on the wall. “I guess you did get what you wanted.” Her words were toneless and tired. “Yes. They died. And that’s why I have a little girl’s room and no little girl.”
With that, she turned on her heel, leaving Tori alone.
Chapter 6: Good Enough
T ori had dragged her chicken nugget through the pool of barbeque sauce so many times, her paper plate was a mess of streaks. The school cafeteria was the usual cacophony of meaningless bullshit.
Calculus sucks. Mrs. LaRoche is fine as hell. Guess whose boyfriend was seen flirting with so and so, can you believe it?
She dropped the nugget on the plate and rubbed at an invisible spot on her chest, as if she could massage away the ache, loosen the sudden tightness in her lungs.
The flip of numbers from seventeen to eighteen could not have been more jarring. It felt insane to be in her high school cafeteria, to sit amongst the other students, listening to the drama that constituted life and death in the teenage set. She felt an itch on her skin—the realization she had an entire life to plan and no firm ground beneath her.
Out of breath and dizzy, Tori pressed her hands to the tabletop. It hit her like a sucker punch to the gut that she could no longer blame her foster parents or the system when things went wrong. From here on out, it would all be on her. Panic began to encroach. It closed off her lungs and made her heart race.
A tray slammed down on the empty spot at the table next to her. She gasped as she jumped, and when she looked up, she was staring at her former foster sister’s furious face.
Ariel shoved her. “What the hell is your problem, Vicky?”
Anger, Tori’s oldest, most steadfast companion, had her on her feet and in Ariel’s face in a heartbeat. “Get the fuck away from me.”
“Great job with the drama, bitch. My parents were dealing with your bullshit all weekend.” Ariel pushed forward so Tori had to stumble back.
“Don’t give me that shit.” Tori stepped right back into the other girl’s personal space, determined not to give her another inch. “They always wanted me gone. You always wanted me gone. What’s wrong now? You miss me?” She made a sarcastic face. “Aww. That’s so sweet.”
“What. Ever. Fucking psycho.”
Ariel made a move to walk away but ran her shoulder into Tori’s as she did. Tori saw red. She whirled, grabbed Ariel by the arm, and shoved her backward.
The next half hour or so was a blur. Both girls went at each other to the hollers of their fellow students. They were pulled apart by teachers and dragged to the principal’s office. Tori was still high on adrenaline and fury when the principal lectured them. She only heard every other word. She seethed silently and muttered, “Yes, ma’am,” where she was expected to. Principal Dunn looked flustered when Tori told her that she didn’t have to bother calling Ariel’s parents for her. Tori was an adult and under no one’s control.
“Well, this is certainly not the way an adult should behave.”
In addition to detention, they were sent home for the day. Tori couldn’t resist snickering at Ariel who had to wait for her parents. “Don’t worry. They can’t seven-day you no matter how much they want to. They’re legally required to keep you.”
The parting shot left its mark. Tori signed herself out and walked out the door, leaving Ariel glowering in her seat.
Once she was out in the California
Her words cut off, her face flushed an angry red as she tried to catch her breath.
For once, Tori didn’t know what to say.
“Your husband and baby died?” Her voice was thin, her stomach twisting with horror for what she’d said.
Ani sucked in a breath, staring up at an indistinct point on the wall. “I guess you did get what you wanted.” Her words were toneless and tired. “Yes. They died. And that’s why I have a little girl’s room and no little girl.”
With that, she turned on her heel, leaving Tori alone.
Chapter 6: Good Enough
T ori had dragged her chicken nugget through the pool of barbeque sauce so many times, her paper plate was a mess of streaks. The school cafeteria was the usual cacophony of meaningless bullshit.
Calculus sucks. Mrs. LaRoche is fine as hell. Guess whose boyfriend was seen flirting with so and so, can you believe it?
She dropped the nugget on the plate and rubbed at an invisible spot on her chest, as if she could massage away the ache, loosen the sudden tightness in her lungs.
The flip of numbers from seventeen to eighteen could not have been more jarring. It felt insane to be in her high school cafeteria, to sit amongst the other students, listening to the drama that constituted life and death in the teenage set. She felt an itch on her skin—the realization she had an entire life to plan and no firm ground beneath her.
Out of breath and dizzy, Tori pressed her hands to the tabletop. It hit her like a sucker punch to the gut that she could no longer blame her foster parents or the system when things went wrong. From here on out, it would all be on her. Panic began to encroach. It closed off her lungs and made her heart race.
A tray slammed down on the empty spot at the table next to her. She gasped as she jumped, and when she looked up, she was staring at her former foster sister’s furious face.
Ariel shoved her. “What the hell is your problem, Vicky?”
Anger, Tori’s oldest, most steadfast companion, had her on her feet and in Ariel’s face in a heartbeat. “Get the fuck away from me.”
“Great job with the drama, bitch. My parents were dealing with your bullshit all weekend.” Ariel pushed forward so Tori had to stumble back.
“Don’t give me that shit.” Tori stepped right back into the other girl’s personal space, determined not to give her another inch. “They always wanted me gone. You always wanted me gone. What’s wrong now? You miss me?” She made a sarcastic face. “Aww. That’s so sweet.”
“What. Ever. Fucking psycho.”
Ariel made a move to walk away but ran her shoulder into Tori’s as she did. Tori saw red. She whirled, grabbed Ariel by the arm, and shoved her backward.
The next half hour or so was a blur. Both girls went at each other to the hollers of their fellow students. They were pulled apart by teachers and dragged to the principal’s office. Tori was still high on adrenaline and fury when the principal lectured them. She only heard every other word. She seethed silently and muttered, “Yes, ma’am,” where she was expected to. Principal Dunn looked flustered when Tori told her that she didn’t have to bother calling Ariel’s parents for her. Tori was an adult and under no one’s control.
“Well, this is certainly not the way an adult should behave.”
In addition to detention, they were sent home for the day. Tori couldn’t resist snickering at Ariel who had to wait for her parents. “Don’t worry. They can’t seven-day you no matter how much they want to. They’re legally required to keep you.”
The parting shot left its mark. Tori signed herself out and walked out the door, leaving Ariel glowering in her seat.
Once she was out in the California
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