DAMSEL RULES

EL'S

At the monitor blinking steadily. At the tubes that disap

d gently. I didn't say anything. She didn't ei

us. The smell of antiseptic clung

ad, but he w

spital - without good news or bad

Don't fal

dangerous thing of all. Like last Christmas when I thought Pa would come home to

Don't acc

ngs-long, invisible threads that c

Never sho

assmate. And she told the whole room t

, I would. No one would see it, but I'd feel it press

cars and vendors yelling "palamig!" from street corners. For a moment, I considered buying some to ease the scorch of the heat, but I di

had ended up in the ICU. Car crash. Mangled vehicle. Coma. And wo

worked overtime shifts at the bank, smiled and laughed excessively in

w it

o my list. Rule #4: Never tru

and re-braided my hair with practiced efficiency. My uniform blazer was too b

s," the dr

y bag over my shoul

n. The morning sun lit up the school's cream walls, and the scent of cut grass mixed with fried street food from the ne

EN

tch Hannah's flying body as s

re wearing gl

grinned, her teeth gleaming.

ed behind us with two steaming cups of taho: soft tofu, brown sugar

, looping her arms through ours. "Also,

se we haven't

ng how much it would cost to get my dad's hospital room extended for anothe

were forming a human pyramid whi

ing the game late

t ga

ss Academy vs Mater Carmeli Scholarium. Oh

vate school-was coming to their campus for a friendly exhibitio

said flatly. "And it'

ould call me damsel becau

ds the same to me," Hannah teased.

esn't require jer

smirking. "But wait till she mee

spered. "Like, 'ruin-your-life

not int

e classrooms. The center space had recently been cleared to make r

t for clout. Not even for pri

eded

allway where Ma sobbed quietly on the phone. Out of the ache I fel

was th

ng the very same academy I'd be

s starts in fiv

TI'

, I sat with one leg bouncing, earbuds in. Tryi

nalizing. Family dinner

rean fool asked, waving a plastic fork

ing, idiot,

e broo

e bench behind us, stretching his arms. "

y constipated," Tim added,

van to take us to Holy Cross. Tim was scrolling through the latest chess updates.

about the fact that my parents had

. I wasn't even d

family plan. And I always follow

laying again?

id. "Where your futur

"They don't

ven know the

tai

tied in a braid, the school's

id. "Bia's going to face HCA's to

Bia answered, not tu

s perk

mo

he name itched at the back of my brain l

," I said

an ar