3: 3

Mom's hand came up without hesitation and slapped me across the face.

"Are you trying to drive me into an early grave? Your sister finally brings friends home to hang out, and you get caught stealing red-handed. You embarrass her, and then you have the nerve to talk back!"

I said it again, word by word: I only took one pack of pads, nothing else.

That set her off. She grabbed a needle and jabbed it into my lips, over and over.

"This is what you get for lying! This is what you get for stealing! This is the price of a lie!"

"Out in the world, nobody's going to coddle you!"

That night I was made to kneel in the living room until I'd cried myself dry.

The next morning my brother pinched his nose at me in disgust.

"Are you stupid, Dee? Your butt's bleeding and you don't even deal with it. What if Lucky ends up eating it? How gross would that be?"

His first reaction was that it was gross.

After that, I never went into my sister's room again.

I never went home again either. Every day I picked up cafeteria shifts serving food.

I earned full scholarships and prize money from every contest I could enter, and that was how I put myself through college.

My thoughts drifted back to the present. I packed the few clothes I owned and got ready to buy a ticket and leave.

Then Mom called out of nowhere.

Maybe there was still a thread of something in me that couldn't let go, because for a second I actually thought she was calling to tell me to book a ticket and come over.

But the first thing out of her mouth was:

"Your sister forgot those sunglasses she paid two thousand eight hundred for. Get a courier to bring them to the airport right now. She needs them for her photos."

"Oh, and your brother's favorite sneakers. While you're home, remember to clean them with the special sneaker cleaner. And wash Lucky's food bowl and water bowl and put them away, or they'll just collect dust."

Mom went on and on for a long time, and not once did she say my name.

Not until I forced a dry little "mm-hmm" out of my parched throat.

Only then did she click her tongue, impatient. "I ask you to do one thing and you drag your feet like this. I really do worry about whether you'll be any help to your sister at work."

I froze. "What do you mean, help my sister?"

Her tone was matter-of-fact. "You've graduated, so obviously you're going to go out and work. You're not thinking of doing a master's, are you? Your sister's boyfriend's company is short on people, so you just go report for duty. We're all family. The pay's only a few thousand, so just don't take it, do them the favor and earn some goodwill. Call it lending a hand."

Dad was right there too, laying out the grand plan. "You're an adult now, widen your horizons a little, think bigger. Don't fixate on those few thousand dollars. Once you've proven yourself, your sister puts in a few words for you, and your brother-in-law can give you anything."

I didn't know what to say. Luckily Mom was in a rush to get my sister's photos taken, and she urged me on, offhand:

"Anyway, just remember everything I said. Don't bother us unless it's something important."

Two beeps, and the call cut off.

I stared at the darkened screen, then slowly dug out my sister's sunglasses and booked a courier.

Then I washed my brother's shoes and Lucky's food bowl and water bowl and set them all neatly away.

Counting up the past twenty-odd years, I decided this would be the last thing I ever did for them.

4: 4

Dr. Whitman told me my record was strong enough that graduate tuition and housing would be waived outright, and that I'd even collect a few thousand a month in research stipends.

But this year's tuition still had to be paid in full up front, refunded three months later.

Lucky for me, I still had ten thousand left in scholarship money—enough to cover it.

Except when I went to pay, the balance came up short. I checked my texts and found a charge of nine thousand nine hundred ninety-nine, posted at nine o'clock the night before.

The only people who knew my password were my family.

Swallowing my anger and my nerves, I called my mother.

"Where's the money from my account?"

Vanessa snatched the phone, impatient.

"I couldn't stand sleeping in economy, so I used it to upgrade the cabin. What's there to fuss about?"

"If I hadn't given the okay for Mom and Dad to have a second kid, you'd never even have been born."

Any time I showed the slightest displeasure, Vanessa trotted out that line.

The truth was, when our parents went for a second baby they were determined to have a son, and they'd have done it whether Vanessa agreed or not.

I didn't waste time on a pointless fight. I kept my voice as gentle as I could.

"This money matters a lot to me. I need it for tuition. Put Mom and Dad on and have them wire me ten thousand."

Beside her, Tyler sneered. "I'm already a senior. What are you still studying for, what tuition? If you want money, just say so. You're just sour that we're out here having fun, aren't you?"

"Looks like you forgot how much it hurt when Mom stabbed your mouth with a needle for lying. All day long, all you do is fight for attention and try to one-up us."

My head went to static, and by the time it cleared,

I'd already hung up.

In the end I took out a ten-thousand loan and paid the tuition. It only cost a few hundred in interest, and I could clear it in three months.

The moment I sat down on the plane, the stone pressing on my chest just vanished.

I took a few deep breaths before I could close my eyes.

The flight attendant woke me gently, no shouting, no shoving.

A few of the senior members and Dr. Whitman were waiting at the gate, every one of them beaming.

They tucked me into the middle of the group, warm as anything.

"Finally, a new junior! Our team hasn't gotten anyone new in two years!"

They walked me to a bright, spacious single room.

Full sun, not a trace of damp or mildew.

I stared at the clean white walls, hardly able to believe it. "This whole room is just mine?"

Ivy Carter didn't mock me. She grinned and slung an arm around my neck. "Of course it's all yours. Unless you want to bunk with me—fair warning, I snore."

I slept badly that night. I heard thunder and heavy rain.

By the time I got my slippers on and rushed out, the room next door had already gathered my laundry and handed it over. "I brought yours in. Not even a little damp."

I took the clothes and thanked her softly, ducking my head to hide the red rimming my eyes.

The dining hall was big too, and I got to sit and eat with them.

Reaching in for a dish didn't get me scolded for being in the way—instead, they pushed the plates toward me.

My mother had said that out in the world no one would coddle me.

But here everyone was coddling me. I was going to get spoiled.

It wasn't until more than ten days later that Vanessa called.

"We'll play a few more days and then head back. Remember to get the house clean—especially my room. It's been empty so long it's bound to have gathered dust."

Tyler cut in, laughing. "You'd really let her into your room, big sis? She'll swipe your stuff again."

Hearing him, I felt no anger at all. Not a ripple inside me.

Vanessa made an annoyed sound, her tone turning heavy. "Fine, forget it, stay out of my room. Just call in a cleaning service and keep an eye on them."

I cut her off.

"I'm not home. Clean it yourselves when you get back, or hire someone yourselves."

Vanessa froze for a couple of seconds, then went cold.

"What's that supposed to mean? I can't order you around anymore, is that it?!"

Tyler chimed in, irritated. "So we went out without you—big deal. You've been sulking half a month and still not over it. Think you're some pampered heiress?"

Behind me, Ivy called my name. "Come on. Didn't we say we'd get in the water this year? I'll teach you to swim."

I gave a short "mm" and hung up.

Seconds later my parents called, one after another, several times.

I didn't pick up any of them.

After a while my mother sent a message.

【You wanted me to send money just to go play, didn't you? Did you sign up for a trip or for swimming?】

【If you're gone, who's watching the house? Never mind, I can't control you anyway. Do whatever you want.】

I stared at those two messages for a long time, then let out a cold laugh.

When had they ever controlled me?

In a few days, all they'd find was an empty house, with no sign of me left anywhere in it.

I followed Ivy's cues—breathe in, hold, breathe out.

And I swam forward just like that, like a little fish that had left home.