Chapter 1

"Henry, come out and have some fruit."

A knock on my door pulled me back to reality.

Mom stood in the doorway, smiling warmly with a plate of freshly sliced apples in her hands.

"It's okay if you didn't do well. Don't stay cooped up in your room."

I quickly closed the post on my phone and walked out to the living room.

Mom handed the sweetest apple slice to my younger brother, Jeff Scott, before turning to me with a gentle smile.

"Even if you end up going to a community college, we won't look down on you. We can afford it."

My phone screen was still lit.

[Henry, congratulations! I can’t believe you got a 1590! That's an outstanding SAT score.]

I locked the screen and placed my phone face down on the coffee table.

"I know." My voice was barely above a whisper.

Dad was flipping through a thick college admissions guide while my older sister, Ann, helped Jeff compare universities.

"Jeff really did great this time. A 1420 on the SAT should get him into one of the state's top schools. So, are you planning to apply to colleges in Northbridge or Brookhaven?" Ann sounded incredibly proud.

"Definitely Northbridge. I heard Whitney's applying there, too." Jeff leaned against Mom with a bright grin.

None of them asked me the obvious, simple question, ‘Henry, what did you get?’

Dad closed the admissions guide with a satisfied smile and clapped his hands. "All right. We've got plenty of time to figure out the applications.

"As a reward for Jeff, I'm taking both of you boys to Sunridge Mall today to pick out graduation gifts. Whatever you want, I'll pay for it. Go get changed."

My heart gave a tiny, almost unnoticed leap.

I had not been given the privilege of picking out a gift at the mall ever since Jeff got seriously sick when he was twelve.

"Okay!"

I stood up and hurried back to my room.

I changed into a clean white T-shirt that had been through the laundry so many times that it was worn thin and soft. I even ran a hand through my hair, something I almost never bothered to do.

Staring at my reflection in the mirror, I took a deep breath.

Maybe...

Maybe there was still a place for me in their hearts.

Ten minutes later, I opened my bedroom door. The living room was empty. My parents' and Ann's shoes were no longer at the front entrance.

I stood there frozen, like a clown who had dressed up for a performance only to find out the show had been canceled without him.

My phone buzzed. It was a social media post Jeff had made three minutes earlier.

[Family outing! Off to the mall to pick out my graduation gift!]

The attached photo was a selfie taken inside the car.

Dad was behind the wheel, Ann sat beside him, and Mom and Jeff were in the back seat. Together, they smiled brightly at the camera.

It was a five-seater car, but they took up every seat. There was no place for me. My fingers went numb as I called Mom.

"Hello? Henry? What's up?"

The line was noisy. I could faintly hear music playing inside the mall.

"You guys already left?" My voice came out almost inaudible.

"Oh! I forgot to tell you!" She sounded completely casual, almost cheerful. "You stayed in your room so long that I figured you didn't want to go out in this heat.

"Just stay home and enjoy the air conditioning. There's still half a watermelon in the fridge."

She did not even ask what I wanted. Instead, she had simply made the decision for me.

"Mom! I want those limited-edition sneakers!" Jeff's excited voice rang through the phone.

"Of course! We'll get you the most expensive pair." Mom laughed before speaking to me again. "All right, Henry, I've got to go. We're helping your brother pick out his shoes."

Click.

The call ended.