The Tori Trilogy by Alicia Danielle Voss-Guillén Page B

Reid’s advice makes sense. I wonder if he knows how much he’s given me to think about?

Chapter Six
    For dinner that night, Mom makes spaghetti and meatballs. Usually it’s one of my all-time favorite meals: long tender noodles and big juicy meatballs drenched in Mom’s super-flavorful spaghetti sauce, with garlic bread on the side ( good garlic bread, not like the stuff at school). But this time, I hardly notice all the delicious smells in the kitchen.
    And when Mom asks me to set the table, I simply fold the paper napkins in half and slide them under the forks at each person’s place, not even bothering to pull out the origami book that Gina gave me and fold them into fun shapes like animals or Japanese lanterns, the way I usually do. I am too upset by all that’s happened with Anastasia and the lousy day I had at school.
    After we all sit down to eat (minus Nate, who is working a double shift at the college bookstore), Joey notices the napkins right off. “Hey!” he exclaims, snatching his up with a look of astonishment on his face. “It’s a bird! It’s a plane! No...it’s just a napkin . Tori...could it be...are you past that annoying phase?”
    â€œGet a life, Joey,” I mutter. “I just didn’t feel like doing origami tonight.”
    â€œSince when?”
    â€œSince now ,” I snap. “Could we please drop this?”
    â€œOuch!” exclaims Joey. “ Someone’s in a bad mood.”
    Dad clears his throat. “Let’s eat.”
    Thank you, Dad, I think as we all dig in. Well, all except for me. As hard as I try, I can’t force more than a few bites of the delicious dinner down my throat.
    By the time my brothers are ready for seconds, my plate is still nearly full. Joey walks to the stove, serves himself a heap of spaghetti and four big meatballs, and returns to the table. But Ben takes one look at me, then reaches for my plate.
    â€œIf you’re not going to eat that,” he says, “I’ll eat it for you.” Before I have time to reply, he has tipped down my plate and is raking my meal onto his.
    â€œI wouldn’t do that if I were you,” Joey tells him. “You’re running the risk of infection by Gory Tori germs.”
    I roll my eyes. Sometimes the things Joey says are just too stupid to dignify with a reaction.
    â€œTori,” Mom asks, “are you all right? You’re very quiet, and you’ve hardly had a bite to eat.”
    â€œI’m fine,” I lie. “Just not super-hungry.”
    â€œNot even for spaghetti and meatballs?” She stares at me as though I just walked off an alien spaceship.
    â€œNot really,” I reply.
    â€œThis is practically your favorite dinner, princesa ,” Dad chimes in. “What’s bothering you?”
    Is it that obvious? I stare at my hands. Finally, I say, “My stomach kinda hurts. Would you mind if I went upstairs to lie down for a while?” This is, of course, another lie, but it’s better than telling my family what’s really bothering me.
    â€œYou’re sick again?” cries Joey.
    â€œYou were just sick over Halloween,” Ben adds, as though I’ve forgotten .
    Mom ignores them. “Do you think you have a fever, sweetheart? I could take your temperature. Does anything else hurt?”
    â€œNo!” I say quickly. “I’m not sick sick, Mom. I’m sure I’ll feel much better after I take a little rest.”
    â€œOkay,” she says uncertainly. “Let us know if you need anything. We’ll check in on you in a bit.”
    With that, I hurry out of the kitchen and up the stairs to my room. I shut the door behind me and collapse across my bed. After several seconds, I roll onto my back, just as Ebony comes slinking out from her cozy little space between my pillow and the headboard of my bed. She meows loudly, and I reach for her in surprise. “Hi, Ebs. I