Total pages in book: 162
Estimated words: 158872 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 794(@200wpm)___ 635(@250wpm)___ 530(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 158872 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 794(@200wpm)___ 635(@250wpm)___ 530(@300wpm)
Fine by me.
School bored me for the rest of the day. The teacher covered stuff my old school had already done months ago. I doodled little race cars on the paper in front of me. Funny—that was what Molly had all over her shirt. Not rainbows and unicorns like most little girls. Was it a hand-me-down from Remy or did she pick it out herself?
After the final bell rang, I grabbed my stuff and hurried downstairs and out into the afternoon sunshine. My gaze ran over the herd of kids scattering away from the school like mice trying to escape a trap. No sign of Remy.
“Dere’s Gwiff!” someone yelled behind me.
I turned and found Remy holding Molly’s hand as he led her down the steps.
“You waited,” Remy said. Had he been testing me?
“I said I would.”
“We’re down this way.” He jerked his head to the left.
It wasn’t the way I’d normally go home, but I could figure that out later.
Molly chattered about everything and anything the whole way to their house. Once in a while, she’d pause long enough for Remy to ask her a question.
“Will Mommy be up?” Molly asked.
“I don’t know,” Remy answered in a tone way too solemn for someone all the other kids seemed to fear.
It didn’t strike me as odd. My mom worked late nights and was rarely awake when I went to school in the morning. Sometimes she was still sleeping when I got home from school.
As we approached Remy’s house, a frail-looking woman in a long blue-and-white-flowered dress waved to us from the porch.
“Mommy!” Molly shouted, trying to tug her hand out of Remy’s grasp.
“Easy,” Remy said in a low voice.
Molly nodded eagerly, then ran to her mother, giving the painfully thin woman a cautious embrace.
I almost opened my mouth to ask what was wrong with his mom but thankfully swallowed the question.
Mrs. Holt smiled warmly at me. “Who’s your friend, Remy?”
“Dis is Gwiff!” Molly announced, jumping and pointing wildly in my direction.
“We met at lunch,” Remy explained, leaving out the humiliating details. “Griff just moved here.”
“Well, come in. Don’t be shy.” She shuffled slowly toward the front door, and Remy hurried to open it. “We’ve got snacks.”
Inside, Remy’s grandmother was in the kitchen, slicing apples. Molly had already pulled a stool close to the counter to help.
How often did Remy bring home strays? No one seemed surprised or bothered by my presence.
Mrs. Holt eventually left us to lie down, and her mother watched over us. Some time later, Remy’s grandfather showed up too.
“Do your grandparents live with you?” I asked. The only grandparent I’d known had been my mom’s father, and he’d lived with us for a while when I was younger. I still missed him.
“No.” Remy shook his head. “They come over to help my mom while my dad’s at work.”
Again, I wanted to ask questions I shouldn’t. Remy’s warning stare forced me to swallow my curiosity.
Remy’s grandmother invited me to stay for dinner, and I called my mom to make sure that was okay. When their dad came home, Molly and Remy barely acknowledged him. The man seemed perpetually annoyed, but he did help himself to dinner and a beer before disappearing out to the garage.
Nana Clary, as Remy’s grandmother said I could call her, insisted I take a bag of apple crumb muffins when I left. I so badly wanted to eat them all on my way home, but I also wanted to save one for the morning.
“See you tomorrow,” Remy said.
The Holt house was strange but also warm and welcoming. I didn’t want to leave and return to the cold indifference of my own home.
It felt like I’d found a family.
CHAPTER FIVE
Molly
I still can’t believe last night actually happened.
Remy chewed me out for coming home so late without letting him know where I was, but I didn’t even care. I was too high from my time with Griff.
Then the doubts settled in. Why’d I tell him I’d never done that before? Griff’s used to all those confident, experienced girls that hang around the fights. He probably thinks I’m a weirdo now.
My spiral into the abyss of embarrassment is interrupted by the doorbell echoing through the house.
Griff.
It has to be him. He promised to be here to help Remy. Griff always keeps his word.
Should I hide in my room? Go see him? Can I play it cool? Or will my brother sense something’s up? Can I even look Griff in the eye today?
I quickly grab a red tank top from my dresser drawer and slip it on. The straps are wide enough to hide my red, flowered bra but tight enough to be flattering, and the square neckline doesn’t expose too much. I wiggle into a pair of dark jeans.
Nerves tie me into a knot again. I can’t look at Griff in the daylight.