me of being a liar then waltz in here and win my little sister over. He’s probably back there pumping her for more info. I’ve worked for months to make her
happy, but two days making pizzas with him and she’s back to her old self. So not fair.
S—
Catherine and another girl from my homeroom come in to
N—
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Pearl’s a little after Ethan. She seems surprised to see me working behind the counter.
“Hey, Meg! How long have you been working here?”
“Not long. What can I get you?”
They order a seafood pizza and two drinks. Gross. The other
girl, I think her name is Julie, heads to a booth but Catherine lingers at the counter.
“So, how do you like Natchitoches so far?” she asks.
“It’s fine. The people here are really nice,” I answer.
“It’s good to get new people around here. Livens things up.”
Yeah, my family could certainly do that.
“Julie and I are heading down to Fat’s after we eat. It’s an old bar near the marina on Cane River and they have some pretty cool bands come through there. If you want to go with us, we can wait until you get off,” Catherine says.
This is so unexpected. And friendly.
“Oh, I wish I could but I have to get home. I have a ton of
homework.”
“Okay, that’s cool. Maybe we’ll see you this weekend.” She
joins Julie at the table and I try to keep busy and not think about how much fun it would be to hang out at some old bar down by the river.
Shortly after Catherine and Julie leave, Dad pulls into the parking lot and I run outside to catch him before he comes in. I need to talk to him and I’d rather not do that inside the restaurant.
“Hey. Teeny busy making pizzas again?”
“Yeah. Dad, we need to talk. Have you been home yet?” I grind
—S
—N
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my teeth, stopping myself from totally balling him out on the
sidewalk.
His whole body stiffens. “Not yet.”
“Mom’s bad. Every day this week, Dad.” I pace around in small
circles.
His fists are clenched by his side. “You think I don’t know that?”
“She’s gonna kill herself before long. Is that what you want?”
My voice is too loud and customers inside Pearl’s are staring at us through the window but I’m too pissed to stop.
Dad lets out a muffled curse and hits the car roof. “Of course that’s not what I want. All I ever wanted was for this family to be safe and happy.” He kicks a stone off the sidewalk.
I let out a snort of disgust. “Well, we don’t seem very safe and we sure as hell aren’t happy.” I turn to get Teeny but stop when I get to the door. “Please tell me what you did. It’s making me crazy.
Maybe if I could understand it—all of this would make a little more sense.” And I can figure out how to get out of this.
His face turns several shades of red then moves into the purple tones. Maybe if he strokes out, that’ll take care of everything. I feel guilty the second that thought runs through my head.
“Leave Teeny here. I’ll bring her home with me. Go take care
of Mom,” I say.
I walk back into Pearl’s and run straight to the bathroom.
There are two stalls, so I go into the oversized one and sit on the floor, pressing my fingers to my eyes.
The door opens, but I stay on the floor, silent. Two small legs S—
appear in front of me.
N—
“Pearl told me to check on you. Are you okay?” Teeny’s little
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head pops into view from under the stall door.
I rub my eyes to make sure no water leaked out. “Yeah, I’m
okay.”
When I open the door, Teeny looks worried. I pull her into a
hug. “It’s all good.”
She hugs me back, hard. “I saw Dad leave. Does that mean I get to stay?”
“Yeah. Just tonight though.”
Teeny looks up and smiles. “I’ll
happy, but two days making pizzas with him and she’s back to her old self. So not fair.
S—
Catherine and another girl from my homeroom come in to
N—
90
DISNEY/HYPERION 5½ in. x 8¼ in. Page 90
ELSTON—Rules for DisappearinG_2ND PASS
Pearl’s a little after Ethan. She seems surprised to see me working behind the counter.
“Hey, Meg! How long have you been working here?”
“Not long. What can I get you?”
They order a seafood pizza and two drinks. Gross. The other
girl, I think her name is Julie, heads to a booth but Catherine lingers at the counter.
“So, how do you like Natchitoches so far?” she asks.
“It’s fine. The people here are really nice,” I answer.
“It’s good to get new people around here. Livens things up.”
Yeah, my family could certainly do that.
“Julie and I are heading down to Fat’s after we eat. It’s an old bar near the marina on Cane River and they have some pretty cool bands come through there. If you want to go with us, we can wait until you get off,” Catherine says.
This is so unexpected. And friendly.
“Oh, I wish I could but I have to get home. I have a ton of
homework.”
“Okay, that’s cool. Maybe we’ll see you this weekend.” She
joins Julie at the table and I try to keep busy and not think about how much fun it would be to hang out at some old bar down by the river.
Shortly after Catherine and Julie leave, Dad pulls into the parking lot and I run outside to catch him before he comes in. I need to talk to him and I’d rather not do that inside the restaurant.
“Hey. Teeny busy making pizzas again?”
“Yeah. Dad, we need to talk. Have you been home yet?” I grind
—S
—N
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ELSTON—Rules for DisappearinG_2ND PASS
my teeth, stopping myself from totally balling him out on the
sidewalk.
His whole body stiffens. “Not yet.”
“Mom’s bad. Every day this week, Dad.” I pace around in small
circles.
His fists are clenched by his side. “You think I don’t know that?”
“She’s gonna kill herself before long. Is that what you want?”
My voice is too loud and customers inside Pearl’s are staring at us through the window but I’m too pissed to stop.
Dad lets out a muffled curse and hits the car roof. “Of course that’s not what I want. All I ever wanted was for this family to be safe and happy.” He kicks a stone off the sidewalk.
I let out a snort of disgust. “Well, we don’t seem very safe and we sure as hell aren’t happy.” I turn to get Teeny but stop when I get to the door. “Please tell me what you did. It’s making me crazy.
Maybe if I could understand it—all of this would make a little more sense.” And I can figure out how to get out of this.
His face turns several shades of red then moves into the purple tones. Maybe if he strokes out, that’ll take care of everything. I feel guilty the second that thought runs through my head.
“Leave Teeny here. I’ll bring her home with me. Go take care
of Mom,” I say.
I walk back into Pearl’s and run straight to the bathroom.
There are two stalls, so I go into the oversized one and sit on the floor, pressing my fingers to my eyes.
The door opens, but I stay on the floor, silent. Two small legs S—
appear in front of me.
N—
“Pearl told me to check on you. Are you okay?” Teeny’s little
92
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ELSTON—Rules for DisappearinG_2ND PASS
head pops into view from under the stall door.
I rub my eyes to make sure no water leaked out. “Yeah, I’m
okay.”
When I open the door, Teeny looks worried. I pull her into a
hug. “It’s all good.”
She hugs me back, hard. “I saw Dad leave. Does that mean I get to stay?”
“Yeah. Just tonight though.”
Teeny looks up and smiles. “I’ll
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