The Daughter They Erased

"Caleb, are we going to the beach? That's awesome!"

I grinned and called out to my older brother.

I remembered Mom saying last month that once the entrance exams were over, the whole family would take a trip to the coast.

But Caleb gave me a look of utter disappointment.

"Lily, you're hopeless."

Bang!

The front door slammed in my face.

I stood alone in the empty hallway, a dull ache spreading through my chest.

I didn't understand.

Why were Caleb and Mom so angry?

Had I said something wrong just now and upset them?

All I'd done was ask if we were going to the beach.

I tried hard to piece together the scattered fragments of memory in my head.

But the harder I tried, the worse my head hurt.

Ding!

The elevator doors opened, and the motion-sensor lights flickered back on.

Jason Parker, my childhood friend, stepped out holding a bouquet of sunflowers.

When he saw me crouched outside the door, he stopped, his brows drawing together.

"Emma says you upset your mom again?"

I froze, then shook my head desperately.

"I didn't..."

Jason looked at my red-rimmed eyes, and his expression softened.

He walked over and held out his hand, the way he used to when we were kids. His voice gentled.

"The floor's cold. Get up. Whatever happened, just go in, tell your mom you're sorry, and it'll be fine."

Looking at his outstretched hand, I felt a bittersweet warmth well up inside me.

I put my hand in his and nodded hard. "Okay."

Jason turned and punched in the code on our door lock for me.

The door opened.

In the living room, Mom was already wearing her favorite dark green silk dress.

Caleb and my younger sister, Emma, had changed into new clothes too.

"Jason, you came!"

Emma's eyes lit up when she saw him at the door, and she flew over to him like a happy little bird.

Jason walked right past me and placed the sunflowers in her arms.

"Emma, congratulations on scoring 680."

680...

Hearing that number, my brain finally kicked into gear.

Oh, right! Today was results day for the entrance exam.

Then... then what had I scored?

"All right, everyone's here. The restaurant's holding our table. Let's go."

Caleb grabbed the car keys and headed out, tossing the words over his shoulder.

Mom picked up her clutch too. Then she reached the entryway and saw me.

The smile vanished from her face.

"You stay home!

"With a score like yours, you think you deserve a fancy dinner? How is that fair to your sister?"

I opened my mouth, but "Where are you going?" caught in my throat.

So they were taking Emma out to celebrate.

The whole family.

Everyone except me.

Jason stood to one side, looking from the dressed-up Carters to me, fidgeting awkwardly.

Something complicated flickered in his eyes.

While Mom and Caleb went to call the elevator, he pulled a crumpled ten-dollar bill from his pocket and slipped it into my palm.

"Go downstairs and get yourself something good to eat.

"Don't come along today. You'll only make your mom angry again."

"Jason, the elevator's here!"

Emma called happily from the end of the hall.

"Coming!"

Jason turned and answered, then walked toward them without looking back.

The elevator doors slid shut, cutting off their happy laughter.

Clutching the ten dollars Jason had given me, I wandered aimlessly down the busy street.

Smoke drifted up from a food stand across the road. I was about to go over and buy something to eat.

In the next second, a sharp ringing pierced my head.

I stopped dead in the middle of the crosswalk.

I blinked. The street in front of me suddenly looked completely unfamiliar.

I looked down at the slippers on my feet, then at the ten-dollar bill, warm and crumpled in my hand.

I froze.

Why... had I come downstairs?