lunch. Afterwards, I stood in front of the mirrors, pretending to touch up my makeup while I studied my reflection. My eyes were red and a little glassy, but otherwise I looked okay, didn’t I? I frowned at the greenish-yellow mark on my right cheekbone. In this harsh light it was more noticeable than I’d thought. I’d better have an explanation ready in case someone asked me about it.
I washed my hands, careful not to wet the two large bandages on my left hand. Maybe they had prompted Janet’s comment. Thinking about Janet, I felt tears trying to come. We’d been best friends since fifth grade. I hated having to lie to her.
The door opened and a group of girls entered, engaged in animated conversation. I recognized the tall blonde as the one I’d seen with Ethan that morning. Watching her, I felt a stab of envy. Not only was she stunningly pretty, but she carried herself with an air of easy confidence I could only dream of.
Some people have everything going for them, I thought, as I shoved the door and stepped into the hallway. Me? I’ve got nothing. The thought stung, but I held onto it as I pushed my way through the crowded hall toward English class. The sooner I accepted my lot in life, the less painful it would be.
When school let out, Janet caught up with me at the locker we shared. Beside her, to my surprise, was the same blond-haired girl.
“This is my cousin Heather,” Janet said. “She’s staying with her grandparents for a couple months, so she’s been coming to our school.”
Heather stepped forward with a bright smile. “Hey, Tessa. Nice to meet you. I hope we’ll be friends.”
I smiled and said something I hoped would sound nice, but I knew someone like Heather would never bother with me. Especially if she found out what a loser I was.
Mom was waiting for me out in the car. “How was school?”
“Okay, I guess.” I dropped my heavy knapsack on the floor and settled into the passenger seat.
“Any problems? Did they question you?”
“No, not really.” I turned to face her as I spoke, and that’s when I saw the ugly purple bruise on the side of her face. Not this again.
“Walter’s mad, huh?” I said.
Mom swore. “Yes, but he’s not gonna win this. Look here.” She reached into a shopping bag and handed me a stainless steel slide bolt about six inches long. The thing was heavy in my hand.
“I got four of these this afternoon,” she said. “Cleaned out the tray in the store, in fact. If my carpentry skills are anything like they used to be, I’ll put two of them on your bedroom door, and he’ll never get in.”
I shook the package, eyeing the short screws. If they stripped out…
“We got one thing going for us with that old house,” she continued. “The thing’s pretty well built. This would never work otherwise.”
“Sure; but I don’t trust these tiny screws.”
“There’s any size screws we want out in the shop. I guess the landlord won’t like it, but since when does he come around anyway.”
“Well, if he does, we can just lock the doors, and he’ll never know.”
When we got home, Mom set to work installing the bolts, two on my bedroom door and two on the bathroom door. I watched with some trepidation.
“So what’s the deal; I’m supposed to hide out in my room all the time, or what?” I asked.
“You have a place to go if Walter bothers you. That’s all.”
“And when he gets mad and starts shooting holes in the door, then what?”
She looked at me strangely. “Shooting holes in the door?”
“Yeah. He’s got a gun, remember?”
“I guess. I haven’t seen it around lately. I’m sure he’d never hurt anybody with it.”
I stared at her in astonishment. Was she crazy or what? Almost every day now Walter mistreated us, yet she continued to insist we could live peaceably with him. Why didn’t she get smart and leave, like I was planning to? The bolts were a good idea, but in reality, I feared they’d only make Walter
I washed my hands, careful not to wet the two large bandages on my left hand. Maybe they had prompted Janet’s comment. Thinking about Janet, I felt tears trying to come. We’d been best friends since fifth grade. I hated having to lie to her.
The door opened and a group of girls entered, engaged in animated conversation. I recognized the tall blonde as the one I’d seen with Ethan that morning. Watching her, I felt a stab of envy. Not only was she stunningly pretty, but she carried herself with an air of easy confidence I could only dream of.
Some people have everything going for them, I thought, as I shoved the door and stepped into the hallway. Me? I’ve got nothing. The thought stung, but I held onto it as I pushed my way through the crowded hall toward English class. The sooner I accepted my lot in life, the less painful it would be.
When school let out, Janet caught up with me at the locker we shared. Beside her, to my surprise, was the same blond-haired girl.
“This is my cousin Heather,” Janet said. “She’s staying with her grandparents for a couple months, so she’s been coming to our school.”
Heather stepped forward with a bright smile. “Hey, Tessa. Nice to meet you. I hope we’ll be friends.”
I smiled and said something I hoped would sound nice, but I knew someone like Heather would never bother with me. Especially if she found out what a loser I was.
Mom was waiting for me out in the car. “How was school?”
“Okay, I guess.” I dropped my heavy knapsack on the floor and settled into the passenger seat.
“Any problems? Did they question you?”
“No, not really.” I turned to face her as I spoke, and that’s when I saw the ugly purple bruise on the side of her face. Not this again.
“Walter’s mad, huh?” I said.
Mom swore. “Yes, but he’s not gonna win this. Look here.” She reached into a shopping bag and handed me a stainless steel slide bolt about six inches long. The thing was heavy in my hand.
“I got four of these this afternoon,” she said. “Cleaned out the tray in the store, in fact. If my carpentry skills are anything like they used to be, I’ll put two of them on your bedroom door, and he’ll never get in.”
I shook the package, eyeing the short screws. If they stripped out…
“We got one thing going for us with that old house,” she continued. “The thing’s pretty well built. This would never work otherwise.”
“Sure; but I don’t trust these tiny screws.”
“There’s any size screws we want out in the shop. I guess the landlord won’t like it, but since when does he come around anyway.”
“Well, if he does, we can just lock the doors, and he’ll never know.”
When we got home, Mom set to work installing the bolts, two on my bedroom door and two on the bathroom door. I watched with some trepidation.
“So what’s the deal; I’m supposed to hide out in my room all the time, or what?” I asked.
“You have a place to go if Walter bothers you. That’s all.”
“And when he gets mad and starts shooting holes in the door, then what?”
She looked at me strangely. “Shooting holes in the door?”
“Yeah. He’s got a gun, remember?”
“I guess. I haven’t seen it around lately. I’m sure he’d never hurt anybody with it.”
I stared at her in astonishment. Was she crazy or what? Almost every day now Walter mistreated us, yet she continued to insist we could live peaceably with him. Why didn’t she get smart and leave, like I was planning to? The bolts were a good idea, but in reality, I feared they’d only make Walter
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