Yield by Bryan K. Johnson Page A

the better years zoom past outside. “ I still need to know who you ’ re going with. ”
    “ Friends, ” Haley mutters. Her electric blue eyes flicker at another unrelenting barrage from the Fuhrer.
    “ Names, Haley, ” Katherine gently mediates.
    “ Need social security numbers, too? ” The teenager snatches her royal blue backpack off the bench seat, throwing it into her lap. She rummages through it while her dazed mind thinks.
    “ No, ” Devin says. His jaw tightens at the tug of war. “ Just names, Haley. ”
    “ Amy and Rebecca, ” she shouts. “ God! ” The 15-year-old spins up her dark brown lipstick and rubs the deep color onto her lips. The pale skin tone of her face looks almost white against the rich chocolate color.
    “ And your boyfriend, ” Tyler whispers. His eyes go wide when he realizes he said it aloud.
    Haley turns on him in a split-second and violently slams her fist down into his thigh.
    “ Ow, ” Tyler winces as the sharp pain shoots up his body. The eight-year-old ’ s eyes slowly begin to fill with tears. His leg throbs. Tyler grits his teeth, willing himself not to be weak, not to let his sister see him cry.
    “ Boyfriend? Another one?! ” Devin asks sharply. The fireman spins in his seat, looking squarely at his daughter. “ And when were you going to let your mother and me in on this little detail? ”
    Haley locks eyes with her brother. Rage at his vindictive outburst fills the van. It pulses in savage waves from the teenager ’ s eyes. You ’ re lucky we ’ re not alone.
    Fear and pain look sadly back at her. The memories of spontaneously imagined games fill Tyler ’ s mind. Teaming up against dragons under blanketed banners or eagerly exploring the universe ’ s limitless potential, the joy of being included in her world has all but faded away now. Instead, it ’ s replaced with the throbbing injuries from the latest outburst of violence. What happened to you?
    Tyler looks away from the angry stranger sitting next to him, staring out the van ’ s window in search of friendlier company. The boy roughly wipes away the tears as they pass another group of children about his age.
    “ I already told Mom, ” Haley smiles maliciously.
    “ Now, now, ” Katherine backpedals. “ There ’ s no need to bring me into this. ”
    “ Really, ” Devin booms. He looks incredulously over at his wife. “ It ’ s nice to know I ’ m still in the loop, love. Thanks. United front and all, right? ”
    “ You were so focused on this interview, ” Kat says. She feels his green eyes pierce into her. Staring straight ahead, a twinge of guilt plays across her face. “ I just wanted to wait until you got back. That ’ s all. ”
    “ So sorry to interrupt happy time, but we ’ re here, ” Haley blurts. The van begins to slow along the school ’ s curb. She climbs over her brother on the way to the door, opening it before the van is even stopped. She slings her patch-covered blue backpack over one shoulder and jumps out onto the sidewalk. Her feet scream at her to run.
    “ Hold on! ” Devin barks, irritated at what ’ s become of his American dream. “ We ’ re not done yet. ”
    The teenager skids to a stop. She closes her eyes, sighing at the inconvenience. What now? The pink streaks in her hair almost spark as she tries to quiet her growing rage.
    Devin opens the passenger door and grabs the other blue backpack. He holds it out to Tyler, trying helpfully to put it over his son ’ s shoulder.
    “ I ’ ve got it, ” the boy says irritably. He snatches it away from his dad, turning without another word. Tyler adjusts the bag ’ s weight and limps toward his school.
    “ Love you too, bud, ” Devin calls hollowly. “ See you tonight. ” His shield of humor barely masks the pain. Devin watches on with a consuming sadness as the children he ’ s raised, the kids he ’ s sacrificed everything else in his life for — provided for, loved, and given the best he could to