The Day Everything Changed.

om at last! All around me, students cheered, slinging backpacks over their shoulders, laughing, and

ce my Jss1. We leaned against the fence, joking about how we'd

p for puff-puff on the way ho

If we beg en

d us up every afternoon, always on time, always with a smile. His old blue Toy

something

. Then 3:20

Dan

ed. "Did he

t before I could dial, a deafening sc

beast unleashed. It swerved dangerously, barely missing a group of students crossing the d

or fle

re was

Her usually neat braids were messy, as if sh

ce sharp and urgent-a tone I'

Before I could ask what was happening, Mom grabb

w. We don't

Without thinking, I turned to Favor.

re Mom slammed her foot on the accelerator. The car lurched forward, spe

Wron

he highway-the usual route home. But instead, she swerved

the seat. "Why aren't

dn't a

k at her-and my

ar

e the muscles twitching. My mother never cried. Not when I broke my arm falling from a t

she was

hrough my chest. "Mom.

ith the back of her hand. "It's nothi

e used when she was hiding bad news. "Mom, please,"

painful, like a wounded animal. The car swerved dangerously c

the car!"

f a roadside supermarket, killing the engine before slumpi

ruth

g. All I could hear was my own heartb

t happened? Where's Dani

ain before turning to me. "David... I don'

, bracin

d, her voice barely above a

her

ds that shatt

as shot today.

My voice was hoarse, disbelieving.

arkened. "Da

a punch to the gut. "

ayed us. He shot your father and escaped throug

school every day, who'd laughed at my jokes, who Dad

We trusted him! Dad loved

see it coming. My cheek burne

fury. "Your father loved you more than anything in this wo

he loved me so much, why did he leave us? Why did he

ap. Harder

protect us! He married that woman to keep us safe! Everything-everything

t us from what, Mom? What is Dad inv

ears I didn't realize I'd shed. "One day, Da

promise she'd made a

to the

haled shakily. "Alright, Dav

urched. "H

ot him, but the guards got

"Mom, you should've led with that!

touched her lips. "Al

thoughts. The sun had long set by the time we arrived at the hospit

side. The nurse at the counter barely looked up before pointing me down a

ra

didn't know what I'd say to him. I hated him-for leaving, for lying, for

skidding to a stop

th

d the d

stood over my

in his

ed at

I could

A

Contin