t mean

really

glances, and the way everyone kept pretending not to be

ud. I didn't

slipped quietly into the house and lock

d against it, placed my head back on

you dare cry," I t

tears di

nd quiet manner. The kind of tears that did

e mirror, blotchy and broken, and for s

the meme the

Wo

eone who lost mor

omeone who'd lo

*

but still feeling raw. I avoided the backyard and wandered toward the garage in

tifications I had no intention of opening. I just needed something to look at. Some

hen Ryan

ded that if I was going to spiral, it may as well be in f

e said as he relaxed against the wall besi

ook up. "D

to stop saying that. You have been sa

need better

h you," he said in a

That might've been the

as a smirk tugged at his full

t his lips as I said, "Oh

. and I'm just spitballing her

e had just said that. After a moment, when it was obvious

ate me. You get your power back. Caleb loses

t asked me to join a cult. "Y

d slowly.

, tha

niu

dicu

amatic shrug. "

. "You're

ssi

uld never

aid, "Why not? I'm hot. Yo

genuinely for the first time in a week

it would be fun to m

ok my head, still chuckling

s. One stone. Plus, think ab

a fresh sarcastic retor

nd the smile on my fa

d immediate

y stomach had bottomed out a

hone from me

from confusion to disbeli

ped himself as his

from Caleb and Tara's sha

toshopped onto a girl screami

off and you think you

le I'd never met calling me "unhinged," "psyc

e of thos

nternet d

n again but this time, t

very ang

ked a

ed in a voice that wa

he was looking at me like he wanted

ipped my phone like it was the source

ook my phone back.

was quieter now. "Nobody gets to trea

settle between us

eath and finally said in

lifted.

e da

as if he was searching my face to

ng bitter. "Let's give them something to

ross his face but it w

t felt like he was

offered his pinky like a middle-school

is as the tiniest sm

how the joke

own eyes, I knew I was about to