Chapter 16 - Sadie’s POV
“Dad, do I really have to go to school today? I barely slept all weekend!”
“Education is important. You’re going.”
“Ugh.” I grab my backpack. “Fine.”
“You have to deliver a speech about suicide and Mrs. Yancy.”
“I hate you, Dad.”
“Love you too, sweetie.” I smile and roll my eyes. It’s the first time I’ve smiled since the hospital. It’s the first time I’ve smiled in forever, it feels like, even though it was only yesterday.
We drive down to Silas’s house to pick him up. He climbs into the backseat and groans.
“God, sometimes I hate parents.”
“Still grounded?”
“Still grounded. Probably for the rest of my life.”
“It’s better than telling them the truth.”
“That’s definitely true.”
“Man, if they knew the shit we did, I would not be grounded.”
“No, you’d be in a mental hospital.”
“True.”
“You know what?” I muse. “I have never been in a hospital for a serious injury since fifth grade. Not counting yesterday.”
“Ugh. Can we just forget yesterday?”
“Fine by me. Actually, let’s forget the past few.”
“Even better.”
“So can we kick Matthew’s ass now?” Silas’s eyes glittered hopefully.
“Seriously?”
“You promised.”
“Did I?”
“Yes.”
“I don’t think I did. Anyway, when’s the last time you were in a hospital? I know you broke your arm in fourth grade playing basketball. What happened to you in fifth grade, man? You were out for like, half the year. You went from straight As to straight Fs.”
“I don’t really want to talk about it.” My dad parks the car and Silas gets out.
“Thanks, Mr. Heathrow,” he says. Dad waves and drives away.
“Okay, so now you have to talk about it.”
“You never knew me before fifth grade, did you?”
“Nope.”
“Well, if you had, you would know that I had a brother. His name was Max. He had a bright future and a full scholarship to Harvard.”
“Damn. So what happened to him?”
“You know why I missed a lot of school?”
“I think your mom said you had caught the flu.”
“I did. Because I refused to get the shots.”
“Why?”
“Because I was terrified of needles. I haven’t gotten a flu shot since the day my brother died.”
“How did he die?”
“Overdosed. On cocaine.”
“That’s awful. I would apologize but I know you hate pity.”
“Thank you for sparing me that pain.”
“That’s what friends are for. So anyway, what was the last time you were in a hospital?”
“For my brother’s death.”
“Cheerful.”
“That’s life for you. Anyway, I guess I can’t blame my parents for being overprotective.”
“If they weren’t, you’d be long dead, my friend.”
“Exactly.”
“You’d get killed in a gang fight.”
“Like those freaking dickwads in my neighborhood who roam around at night?”
“Yep.”
“Nah. I could take them.”
“You sure?”
“Pretty sure.”
“I don’t know, man.”
“Unless they had knives.”
“Of course they have knives, dummy! All gangs have knives! That’s just common sense!”
“Oh.”
“Bam. I’m right.”
“You’re always right, except when you’re not.”
“Exactly. See, you are smart.”
“I’m not sure that qualifies as smart.”
“Come on, smarty-pants. Let’s go to class.” I put my arm over his shoulders and walk into the school building.