hoping you'd give her some lessons."
"Uh..." Ani said. Her mom frowned at her from across the room. "Um..." Her mom shook her head. She looked at Mike. I can't say no to those eyes. She held up a finger. "Don't go anywhere. I'll be right back."
She rushed to the study, pulled a Christmas card from the file, and wrote in it. This card good for ten hours of lessons at Ani's house. She popped it into an envelope, sealed it, walked back to the couch and held it out to Mike. "Give her that."
He took the envelope, looked at it, then looked at Ani. "Okay, thanks." She stood in front of him, and they stared at each other. He looked at his knees. "Um, I got to get going." She took a step back as he stood. She noticed him wince as he got to his feet.
"Thanks again, Mike. For everything."
He hugged her, and held it for a bit longer than was proper for a boy with a girlfriend. His whisper in her ear was fierce. "They'll catch him, Ani." He stepped back, put on his boots, and was gone.
The moment the door closed her mother slammed the notebook shut. "You are not going to that boy's house for piano lessons."
Ani suppressed the urge to roll her eyes. "I know, Mom. I'm giving her ten hours of lessons here. I had to do something." I wanted to do something.
Her mom frowned at the door. "Yes. I suppose you did."
Ani approached the gold-wrapped box like it was a rattlesnake. She picked it up, bit her bottom lip, and looked at her mom. It was light and made no noise when she shook it.
"Oh, sweetie, you're a basket case. Christmas Eve is close enough."
She tore off the wrapping paper, revealing a white box. She pulled off the lid and a card fell to the floor. Underneath was a pewter ring of tiny skulls with red glass for eyes. Engraved on the inside it said, For Ani. Forever your friend. Mike. She put it on her middle finger and held it out to her mom, who smiled up at her.
"It's vile," Ani said. "I love it." She put a hand to her mouth, reached down and picked up the envelope. Inside was a handwritten note on plain stationery.
* * *
Dear Ani,
I didn't realize how much you still meant to me until last week. I'm so sorry I couldn't hold on to him. I'm sorry that I pushed you away. I'll call you tomorrow. Please don't show this to anyone.
Forever your friend,
Mike.
* * *
Her mom held out her hand, and Ani handed her the note. Her eyes scanned it twice, three, four times. Finally, she looked up. "I know that look, Ani. Be smart."
Ani swallowed. "I will, Mom."
"I mean it."
"So do I." She almost believed herself.
* * *
Christmas morning, her mom unwrapped her presents. She seemed to enjoy the sweater and the earrings Ani had made in art class. How do you shop for someone whose only hobby is cutting off parts of her daughter's flesh and performing experiments?
Ani shredded the pink wrapping paper on her gift from her mother and pulled the top off the cardboard garment box. Inside was a strapless mini-dress in her favorite color: Barbie Dream-House Pink. She ran her hands down the smooth satin, then lifted it out of the box.
"What's this?"
Her mom's smile was fierce. "That is a promise, from me to you. You will be able to wear that dress to graduation, in front of everyone, because you will be beautiful, you will be confident, and you will be symptom-free."
* * *
Mike didn't call on Christmas day. Or the next day. Or the next. A quick walk by his house—with Fey, Jake, and pepper spray in her pocket, and a promise to her mother that she wouldn't be gone more than an hour, and all of this after an hour of begging that she was going crazy and just needed to get outside for a while—revealed Devon's car in the driveway, but not his mom's car. Ani didn't think Fey noticed her looking.
* * *
She got home and moped in her room while her mom ran to the store. He said he'd call. She picked up the phone, dialed his number, and hit END. She put the phone back in the cradle
"Uh..." Ani said. Her mom frowned at her from across the room. "Um..." Her mom shook her head. She looked at Mike. I can't say no to those eyes. She held up a finger. "Don't go anywhere. I'll be right back."
She rushed to the study, pulled a Christmas card from the file, and wrote in it. This card good for ten hours of lessons at Ani's house. She popped it into an envelope, sealed it, walked back to the couch and held it out to Mike. "Give her that."
He took the envelope, looked at it, then looked at Ani. "Okay, thanks." She stood in front of him, and they stared at each other. He looked at his knees. "Um, I got to get going." She took a step back as he stood. She noticed him wince as he got to his feet.
"Thanks again, Mike. For everything."
He hugged her, and held it for a bit longer than was proper for a boy with a girlfriend. His whisper in her ear was fierce. "They'll catch him, Ani." He stepped back, put on his boots, and was gone.
The moment the door closed her mother slammed the notebook shut. "You are not going to that boy's house for piano lessons."
Ani suppressed the urge to roll her eyes. "I know, Mom. I'm giving her ten hours of lessons here. I had to do something." I wanted to do something.
Her mom frowned at the door. "Yes. I suppose you did."
Ani approached the gold-wrapped box like it was a rattlesnake. She picked it up, bit her bottom lip, and looked at her mom. It was light and made no noise when she shook it.
"Oh, sweetie, you're a basket case. Christmas Eve is close enough."
She tore off the wrapping paper, revealing a white box. She pulled off the lid and a card fell to the floor. Underneath was a pewter ring of tiny skulls with red glass for eyes. Engraved on the inside it said, For Ani. Forever your friend. Mike. She put it on her middle finger and held it out to her mom, who smiled up at her.
"It's vile," Ani said. "I love it." She put a hand to her mouth, reached down and picked up the envelope. Inside was a handwritten note on plain stationery.
* * *
Dear Ani,
I didn't realize how much you still meant to me until last week. I'm so sorry I couldn't hold on to him. I'm sorry that I pushed you away. I'll call you tomorrow. Please don't show this to anyone.
Forever your friend,
Mike.
* * *
Her mom held out her hand, and Ani handed her the note. Her eyes scanned it twice, three, four times. Finally, she looked up. "I know that look, Ani. Be smart."
Ani swallowed. "I will, Mom."
"I mean it."
"So do I." She almost believed herself.
* * *
Christmas morning, her mom unwrapped her presents. She seemed to enjoy the sweater and the earrings Ani had made in art class. How do you shop for someone whose only hobby is cutting off parts of her daughter's flesh and performing experiments?
Ani shredded the pink wrapping paper on her gift from her mother and pulled the top off the cardboard garment box. Inside was a strapless mini-dress in her favorite color: Barbie Dream-House Pink. She ran her hands down the smooth satin, then lifted it out of the box.
"What's this?"
Her mom's smile was fierce. "That is a promise, from me to you. You will be able to wear that dress to graduation, in front of everyone, because you will be beautiful, you will be confident, and you will be symptom-free."
* * *
Mike didn't call on Christmas day. Or the next day. Or the next. A quick walk by his house—with Fey, Jake, and pepper spray in her pocket, and a promise to her mother that she wouldn't be gone more than an hour, and all of this after an hour of begging that she was going crazy and just needed to get outside for a while—revealed Devon's car in the driveway, but not his mom's car. Ani didn't think Fey noticed her looking.
* * *
She got home and moped in her room while her mom ran to the store. He said he'd call. She picked up the phone, dialed his number, and hit END. She put the phone back in the cradle
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