choed in my head, vague but heavy, "We nee

o scream, but the fatigue was a lea

versary, ten years

eca

who I used to be, the girl who dreamed of making d

thm these past few months, and I

posed to be ho

t chicken, the smell now just

a call from him, but a n

er R

la

e flute in her hand, Marcus' s arm sl

g new beginnings with Mr. T!

.

mach c

not even a shred

ments, a sea of fawning ad

thering away behind the facade o

mber, my hand s

ce, then his voice

t, Ellie?

e barely a whisper. "Marcu

end, loud an

ame up. Skyler' s landed a h

ual, as if discu

Ellie, vibrant.

peated, the words hol

und tired lately. Honestly, you' ve let yo

as so casual,

hrough my head, mor

ng warm trickl

t, looked a

oo

gainst my

, but the line went

nto the white tablecloth I' d set f

he bathroom, th

e b

rds came back, "

a gaunt woman with haunted

niversar

ling, it was dead, and I was th

as dying too, inside