Chapter 2
I forced a smile, pretending to be helpless.
“Honey, you’re sixteen years old,” I said,
trying to sound patient.
“I know you’re not that dumb.
“Your real mom had already moved on and started another family when your dad and I
tied the knot.”
Aunt Carol’s smile faltered a little.
“You’re getting older now, and I need to
respect your choices,” I continued, laying it
<
on thick.
“You don’t want me at the school? Fine.
“Let’s make a deal right now, okay?”
Brittany, thinking she had me cornered,
smirked.
“You better mean that,” she said.
“Absolutely,” I said, all sunshine and rainbows.
“We have a room full of witnesses here!”
Just like that, the busybodies knew I was the
underdog in my own house.
く
My sister–in–law, hearing me agree to let
Brittany live without me, was visibly
frustrated.
“Sarah, she’s just a kid, you can’t take her
seriously! You can’t let her run wild.
“Are you an idiot, too?”
I cut her off.
“Tonight is Brittany’s night,” I said, waving my
hand dismissively.
“We’ll do whatever Brittany wants.
く
“Everybody, raise your glass! To Brittany, the
smartest girl in town!”
What does being a high school “dorm mom”
even mean?
Early mornings, late nights, schlepping her to SAT prep classes, forcing her to eat healthy,
all while getting a constant stream of teenage attitude.
Last time around, I aged ten years in three.
She got into Yale, and I got a nervous breakdown.
Yeah, no thanks.
く
Especially since I’d died because of her.
Chapter 3
