The Girl Who Stayed

ppearing. I'm learning

Stay off

. Don't act weird. Don't le

Don't tru

selors. But their job isn't to

: Keep

. That goes for foo

heap cigarettes and strawberry shampoo. I keep it tight around me like armor. The night creaks and groans.

he risk of another shut-off notice. I sleep

ol and find exactly what I expect: nothing. I eat the orange I sto

's empty now, swings moving in the wind like ghosts. There's a bench where Mom use

shb

e" the last time she l

said, grabbing her

ng a doubl

ething too big. Her eyes flicked to

d see her roots-gray streaks she hadn't had

orch light o

was

last thing sh

ts straight, until the bulb blew. The

the top of papers and doodle stars in the corners to look normal. In English, w

kid

xtra granola bar from the tr

at's not

My chest

I drop it back. Shrug like I didn

't look back. I sit and

ore credit," which basically meant five bucks for three bags. I lug one of her old duffels with me, st

and old perfume. The woman a

credit

h,"

clothes like they're

s alone co

s. "That

ney and stuff

o a best friend. We used to hang out every Saturday, painting our

ne screen. Thumb h

o I ev

with you? My mom's gone

ool. The school would tell child services. And

n. Toss the phone

out unless you're rea

ple cars humming past. I sit by the win

n

w

re

s moving. Even

en you