AllFreeNovel
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“There is no getting out of here,” my mother says, her voice suddenly firm. She looks at my dad. “Don’t tell her there is. We discussed this.”
I frown. What are they talking about?
“I don’t know that we agreed on that, Diana. I’m thinking now that that solution is a little extreme. She’s scared, she knows she messed up, she’s going to be better now. Aren’t you, Bella?” My dad looks at me. Reaches over and pats my knee.
I look at my dad, then my mom. “Wait. What ‘solution’?”
Tracy holds the clipboard against her chest and tilts her head at me. “Your parents think the rehabilitation program I work for might be beneficial for you, and I have to say I agree.”
“Rehab?”I say, my voice cracking. I stand up, but waver a little because dizziness rushes through me. I try to steady myself. Everyone’s staring at me.
“You want to send me torehab? No, no. No way. I’m notgoing to some place for losers and freaks who can’t keep it together. I’m not anaddict.I’m not on the street shaking and sweating. I get good grades.”
I look at my mom desperately.
“Actually,” she says, “I checked the portal. I talked to your teachers. Your grades are way down. You’re missing assignments. You seem foggy in class. You argued with your art teacher. You hit her desk. You fought with the librarian over a printer—”
“I doeverythingfor you,” I tell her, my voice rising. “I take care of Ricci. I make dinner so you can work, and now you want to send meaway?”
“Maybe you can stay with me for a while, Bella. How about that, everybody?” My dad looks around the room. “I’m not sure I’m on board with…putting her somewhere. That feels more like a punishment than a solution.”
“Stay with you for a while?” My mom lets out a barky laugh. “Right. You can barely take care of yourself.”
My dad opens his mouth, but Tracy stops him, holding a finger to her lips. “Amber has something she wants to say.”
Amber turns to me. Her face is swollen from crying.
“You’re my best friend, Bella, but I can’t watch you do this anymore. I can’t watch you hurt yourself anymore. If you don’t get some help, I can’t…I can’t be with you anymore. That’s all. I can’t be your friend. Do you understand? If you don’t go, I can’t be your friend.”
“Amber,” I say, reaching out for her.
She pushes my hands away.
She’s my only real friend. Cherie and Kristen are friends, but Amber is myone.
“Amber, no, please.”
She looks at Tracy. “Can I go? My mom’s waiting downstairs.”
Tracy nods.
Amber holds her purse close to her chest and walks quickly out of the room.
“I’ve packed a suitcase for you, Bella,” my mom says, and takes a deep breath. “I think this is the best thing. I don’t want you to hurt yourself anymore. I can’t…I don’t want to lose you, too. I cannot lose my daughter.”
She starts crying.
“Diana, just let her stay with me, will you? I can handle this.” My dad is pleading.
“Mommy,” I say. “Mom.Just let me go with Dad, then. I’ll be good, I swear.”
I get up and kneel in front of her, even though my body screams in pain, and touch her hands. She looks so tired, like she hasn’t taken a shower in days. In five days, apparently, because that’s how long I’ve been here. That means…school has already started up again after break. Everyone is back. Probably talking about me. Talking about what I did. Ohgod.
My mom avoids my eyes.
“They said you might beg,” she says in a low voice. “This hurts me so much.”
This can’t be happening. I don’t want to go away. I don’t want to be away from my room or my friends—what’s left of them, anyway. Laurel’s. Ricci. To go where? Some stupid place with people who can’t get their shit together? I can get my shit together. Iwill.
