Chapter 2

Annie cut the cake in half. "Valerie, let's share."

I turned and headed for my room. "No thanks."

Vincent's voice came from behind me almost immediately. "Ignore her. She's always been weird like that."

I went back to my room and locked the door. All the laughter and chatter outside were instantly shut out.

I pulled open the bottom drawer of my desk. This was where I kept every gift my family had ever given me over the years.

There was the cheap keychain Dad had grabbed for me on a business trip. The night he tossed it to me, I was so happy I could barely sleep. Only later did I find out he'd gotten Annie a bracelet.

There was also the old scarf Mom no longer wanted and threw my way, and Vincent's old phone after he upgraded.

Every time they bought something for Annie, they would toss me scraps like these to keep me quiet.

At the very bottom was an old photo album. In every single family photo, Annie wore the prettiest dress and stood right in the middle, surrounded by Mom, Dad, and Vincent.

I could only stand off to the side. In some shots, I was half-blocked by someone else, my face blurred and cut off.

These were things I'd once treasured like they were priceless, but I now swept them all into a trash bag.

…

Early the next morning, Mom knocked on my door.

"The semester's about to start. We'll swing by the mall later and see what you and Annie are missing so we can buy them."

This was supposedly a trip to shop for both Annie and me, but from the way my family acted, I might as well not have been there.

At the skincare counter, Mom held on to Annie's hand. "Annie, Harbury's pretty humid, and you have sensitive skin. I stayed up last night comparing products and picked this brand out just for you."

A little later, Dad handed Annie several sets of silk pajamas. "Once you're away from home, it won't be the same as here. Don't you dare shortchange yourself—anything that touches your skin has to be the most comfortable."

By the time we left the mall, Vincent was pushing two enormous new suitcases they'd bought for Annie, with countless shopping bags hanging from both wrists.

All I had was a baseball cap. I'd paid for it myself because Mom had said, "Annie has so many hats that she doesn't wear anymore. Can't you just take one of those? Why buy a new one?"

At the mall entrance, the sweet aroma from a crepe stand drifted over toward us. Annie suddenly stopped walking, and her eyes lit up. "That smells so good."

Vincent immediately shoved the suitcases toward me. "Valerie, keep an eye on the luggage. I'm gonna get crepes for Annie."

The suitcases and even Annie's purse ended up in my hands.

She reached out to take one of the suitcases. "Vince, I can take this myself. Valerie is holding stuff, too."

She didn't hold on tight, though. The heaviest suitcase started sliding down the ramp, and I was standing right at the edge of the steps.

"Move!" Vincent shouted.

But it was too late. I lost my balance and pitched backward, my spine cracking against the steps as my palm scraped along the edge of the flowerbed.

Pain exploded through me, and my vision went dark for a second.

The suitcase yanked Annie off balance, and she stumbled, twisting her ankle before landing hard on the ground. Her eyes instantly went red. "Valerie, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to…"

Almost as soon as it happened, everyone shot past me and rushed to her.

Mom crouched down, her hands shaking as she rolled up Annie's pant leg. "Oh, no. Your ankle's already swollen! Does it hurt? Why did you try to tough it out?"

Dad looked grim as he bent down to help Annie up. "Don't move yet. Let me make sure nothing's broken."

Vincent ran back over. He didn't even spare me a glance as he hoisted Annie onto his back, shouting, "We're going to the hospital. Now!"

I sat on the steps, my pants torn from the fall. The skin on my palm was torn open, and blood welled up nonstop.

"Mom…" I called softly.

Her head snapped up, and she glared at me. "What now? Can't you see how badly Annie's hurt? Do you have to make everything about you?"

Vincent carried Annie to the car and snarled coldly, "All I told you to do was watch the luggage, and you couldn't even get that right. If you hadn't been standing there in the way, would Annie have fallen?"

Annie lay on his back, tears clinging to her lashes. "Vince, don't be mad at Valerie. It was my fault. I wasn't careful…"

The second she said that, Mom only fussed over her even more. "I can't believe you're still defending her! You're too considerate for your own good. That's why she keeps walking all over you."

Dad had already opened the car door and was helping Annie inside like she was made of glass. Only then did he turn back to me and say, "Just grab a cab home. We're taking Annie to the hospital."

My face had gone pale from the pain. I whispered, "My hand really hurts, too."

The car door slammed shut with a bang, swallowing my voice. They left me alone on the curb.