Total pages in book: 121
Estimated words: 117820 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 589(@200wpm)___ 471(@250wpm)___ 393(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 117820 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 589(@200wpm)___ 471(@250wpm)___ 393(@300wpm)
“But that’s something y’all need to discuss too. Who will Connie live with full time if you’re both separated? Joint custody is fine but if you’re both in different places, one of them has to be the main one. She can’t go to school in two places.”
I look at Kane with concern but he winks at me knowingly and I feel instantly placated. We have a plan already; we’ve spoken about this tirelessly. There isn’t a chance in hell we are separating now. Kane wouldn’t let me leave him if I tried and he told me that in those exact words too.
We share a smile of excitement. The ball is finally rolling and soon enough we will have our daughter at home with us.
Connie
1 week later
They have been coming every single day at random times, never when I’m in classes which isn’t fair because I hate school. I honestly thought they’d have given up by now but they’re like a rash. Still… even rashes don’t last forever.
David, Stacey, and Tiana the other social worker all keep making me spend time with them even when I don’t want to but secretly I kind of do.
Immy bought me a new sketchbook with my name in glitter on the front and some of these really cool crayons that I can smudge with my finger. She showed me how to use them and it was fun, too much fun. It reminded me of when my momma… the fake one… used to help me read stories at bedtime. She’d tickle me every time I’d read a word right. I loved her; I miss her.
I don’t want to love Immy. I don’t want to miss Immy.
“Do you like it?” she asked softly and I immediately started snapping the crayons and ripping up the book. I don’t want gifts from strangers. I don’t want gifts from anyone. Even though I do.
They need to leave.
Stacey grounded me from TV time and made me sit on time out to think about what I’d done.
I saw the look in Immy’s eyes when I did what I did. She was sad and it’s eating away at me. But I thought she’d hate me and leave and never come back. She still came back the next day, without a gift, but she still came back. So did Kane the giant.
The past two days I haven’t let anybody force me to see them. I’ve been in trouble, but I don’t care. This isn’t fair. I should get a choice.
Today David has basically dragged me down to the room and forced me into the chair.
Immy’s arms aren’t covered today and she has tattoos all up one arm from her wrist to her shoulder. I love tattoos. The other girls think people with tattoos are scary. An old lady at Sunday school used to say people with tattoos have the devil in them.
I don’t know why people get worked up about drawings. Once I drew myself stabbing my old History teacher through the belly with a sword longer than me and everybody freaked out. He was an old troll and I had to put a stop to his Tinnary! Or is it Tyranny? I forget.
I wasn’t actually gonna stab him. Duh. Just like Immy probably doesn’t have the devil in her because she has drawings on her arms.
“You like?” Immy asks, catching me staring at her arm. “This is what I do, you know? I put tattoos on people.”
That’s so cool.
“I don’t care,” I snap and look away. My hands ball into fists on the table.
“Why don’t you tell us something you do care about,” Kane puts in and I think back to how my friend Nelly said that he looks so scary. He doesn’t scare me, not one bit. I’ll kick him in the shin just like I did to Stacey.
“I don’t care about anything,” I reply haughtily.
“What about the movie theatre? You like the movies?” Immy questions. “David said we can probably start going out places together as soon as you stop being so difficult.”
I glower at her and feel annoyed when her lips twitch. “I’m not difficult and I’m not going anywhere.”
“You don’t like the movies?”
“No,” I lie. We went once for a school trip a year ago and it was the best thing ever.
“What do you like then?”
“Nuffin’.”
They share a look and I wonder if I’m finally getting through to them that I’m not interested.
“Can I go now?” I ask them, scowling at the table.
“No,” Kane states firmly and the lady shoots a look his way. Her head whipped around so fast. “You’re gonna sit with us, kid. You don’t gotta like it, but you gotta do it.”
“Why?” I’m not liking this at all. Mostly because he said I won’t like it and I really don’t.
“Because we’re your parents and this is how it’s gonna be.” His accent is so thick but I still understand what he’s saying.