Lili was cornered.
She stood on the front steps of school on Friday afternoon and gaped at her father, standing two steps away on the sidewalk. What was he doing here? Around them, students streamed past on their way to buses and cars. He’d picked his ambush location well. She couldn’t exactly shout at him here.
“Hi, Lili.” Dad’s smile had “fake” written all over it.
Lili folded her arms against her black tunic and leveled a glare. “What are you doing here?”
“I came to give you a lift home.” His tone was lighter than whipped meringue.
She clenched her jaw and glanced around. If only Grace was still here with her beat-up Honda. Not that they were talking at the moment, anyway. Grace had gotten sick of Lili’s evasive answers and blown up at her five days ago. Not one message since.
And since she hadn’t spoken to Nick since last Friday’s fight, her list of friends was shrinking.
Lili shuffled to the edge of the stairs to let other students past. But she kept her distance from her father. “I don’t want to talk to you.”
“This is important. And if you want to yell at me, at least come to the park where your friends won’t hear you.” He strolled toward the street, a leafy park on the other side.
After a moment she scurried down the stairs. “What’s so important that Mom can’t tell me tomorrow? She’s taking me out to lunch. I thought she told you I needed space.” It had been six weeks since she’d trashed Dad’s office, but each time she saw him the rage bubbled up again.
There was a break in traffic, and Dad headed across the road.
She huffed and followed.
In the park he sat on a sunny bench and indicated the seat next to him.
She stayed standing.
“Mom is helping Sam prepare for his next Wildfire tour,” Dad said, elbows resting on the pinstriped knees of his suit pants. “But we wanted to discuss this with you before we went to Jem tomorrow, so she asked me to come see you this afternoon.”
“What are you discussing with Jem?” Lili’s insides seized like plaster of Paris.
Dad held her gaze. “It’s time for you to come home.”
She stepped back. “I don’t want to.”
He flinched like she’d struck him. “I know you’re mad.”
“Mad? You think I’m just mad?” A buzz started in her ears. He acted like this was an emotion she’d just get over.
“But whatever you feel, this isn’t about us. It’s about Jem. He’s had you for more than two months now. He needs his home back.”
A tidal wave of despair washed over Lili and leaked from her tear ducts. Her one happy-ish refuge was about to disappear.
Dad’s voice turned pleading. “Come on, Lili. What are people going to start thinking about our family if you stay there much longer?” He stood and rested a hand on Lili’s shoulder.
She jerked away.
“We wanted to warn you before we talk to him. Pack your things tonight, and we’ll collect you tomorrow.” He opened his mouth like he wanted to say something, then sighed. “Do you want a lift back to Jem’s, or would you rather take the bus?”
Lili shook her head and stormed off. He hadn’t even said he missed her.
She stomped for five steps. Dad would stop her at any moment.
Nothing happened.
She twisted to look back. He walked in the opposite direction, shoulders slumped and hands in his pockets.
Her hands trembled as the beast inside strained to break loose from its chains. Were Dad within reach, she’d pound at him with all she had.
Instead she stumbled forward a few more steps and dropped down, sitting on the curb. Hidden from the school by a blue Fiat, she bawled. The gut-wrenching sobs built until they almost cut off her breath.
She couldn’t go back to that house, couldn’t live with her parents, couldn’t help them pretend to the world that everything was okay.
They were liars.
And it seemed Mom and Dad cared more about their pretend life than they did about what it was doing to her.
Lili leaned her forehead against the cold metal of the car and fought for control.
Breathe. Just breathe.
A glint of metal caught her eye. She lifted her head, slid her hand into the wheel rim of the Fiat, and pulled out a hide-a-key.
She turned it over in her hand. She’d seen a similar one before, tucked under the flowerpot at Miss Kent’s—
Wait. She tipped her head back and scanned the car again.
Miss Kent’s car.
She scrubbed a hand over her face, jumped to her feet, and checked the street. The after-school rush had cleared, and no one was paying her any attention.
No one but her and that baby-blue Fiat, calling her name.
She slid the key into the lock and turned it. The mechanism clicked beneath her hand.
Her lips pulled into a smile.
* * *
It wouldn’t be long before someone caught her snooping.
Lili rummaged around the car’s console with one hand and with the other poked another piece of chicken from her uneaten sandwich through the air vent of Miss Kent’s car. She didn’t dare risk taking the vehicle for a joyride, not with a police captain for a grandfather. But this was better. Another chance to snoop, plus the decaying meat should provide a nice counterbalance to the car’s usual too sweet air freshener.
The console revealed nothing but Nickelback albums and lip balm. Disappointing. She went for the glove box next. Might be a good place to stash the remains of her chicken sandwich.
As she tugged it open, a lemon-yellow box tumbled out. With its wide satin ribbon, it looked like a present. A quick tug loosened the ribbon, and Lili flicked the lid of the box away. She frowned at the contents.
Who gift-wrapped a thermometer?
She plucked the thin piece of plastic from the box and turned it over. There was no screen for the numbers, just a strip of white with two blue lines on it.
Her fingers shook as her vision tunneled onto those two thin lines.
Miss Kent was pregnant.
Lili dropped the pregnancy test like it burned her and flung the box into the back seat. She rubbed her hands on her plum jeggings.
A baby. Her teacher was going to have a baby. With Dad.
Possibilities tumbled through Lili’s mind. Had Dad known? Had this happened on purpose?
The world spun as she hyperventilated. Pins and needles ran through her hands and feet.
“Lili? What are you doing?”
She jolted at the voice next to the car and jerked her gaze to the driver-side window.
Nick tapped on the glass, a frown denting his forehead. His button-down shirt and tie looked out of place with his unruly brown hair.
She grabbed her backpack and the pregnancy test and thrust the door open. He jumped back to avoid it.
“Did you know about this?”
“What?” Nick focused on what she held beneath his nose. Color drained from his face. “Oh, God.” The words didn’t sound like profanity, more of a plea.
“She’s pregnant. She’s pregnant.”
“Trish, what have you done?” He ran his hands through his hair.
Lili’s ire toward him eased. At least he looked upset.
“I can’t believe she didn’t tell me.” Nick mumbled the words to the plastic stick in her hand.
It fell to her side. “You’ve been talking to her?”
“I had dinner at her house last night.”
Lili’s stomach twisted. So he’d chosen sides too.
Nick pulled his gaze from the pregnancy test to her face. “What’s with that look?”
She shook her head, felt her face contort in an effort to keep tears away. “Nothing. You made your choice.” She threw the test at him. “I hope you’re all very happy together.”
Grabbing her backpack, she took off down the sidewalk.
“Lili, wait!”
She kept on, fury giving her speed.
Behind her, footsteps slapped on the path, then a car door slammed. The familiar sound of Nick’s pickup roared to life, and moments later his vehicle slowed to a jogging pace beside her. “Where are you going?”
“Anywhere but here.”
“I don’t have long. I’m on my way to my Wildfire scholarship interview. But I can give you a ride home.”
“I don’t have a home anymore.” As she said the words, their truth sank deep into her soul.
Traffic backed up behind Nick as his pickup crawled beside her. “Lili, please. I have to go. Let me take you to Jem’s.”
“No.” She slowed to a walk, tight bands around her chest. If only Grace was in town. Then she could at least crash at her place for a couple of days.
Cars zoomed past Nick, beeping. He ignored them. “Then where are you going?”
An idea formed in Lili’s brain. She walked on, shaking her head.
“Lili.”
“I told you, anywhere but here. Now leave me alone.” She picked up her pace but veered right, into the park, away from the road.
She stayed there till Nick’s pickup rumbled away, scanned the road to make sure he’d really gone, then backtracked and headed southwest. Just because Grace was out of town didn’t mean she was out of reach. Maybe it was time she told her friend what was really going on.
Lili pulled out her phone and checked her banking app. Just enough money, if her calculations were correct.
Legs pumping, she reached the bus station in ten minutes. She stood outside its glass doors and stared at the square brick building.
Her plan wasn’t a great one—her parents would be furious, and God wouldn’t be real impressed either.
But the alternative was returning home. And that was unthinkable.
She pushed through the doors and approached the counter.
“How much is a ticket to Raleigh, North Carolina?”