Chapter 4

Just as prom was about to begin, everyone realized I had not gotten in the car.

My mom called me.

“You’re holding us back again. Hurry up and take a cab over here.”

I did not say a word. Instead, I hailed a cab and headed to the celebration.

As I pushed open the door to the banquet hall, my head buzzed in shock.

My diary entries were playing on a loop on the big screen in the banquet hall.

[Today, Brannon gave the last bowl of soup to Luna, even though I’m clearly his girlfriend.]

[Ever since Luna came to live with us when she was eight, Mom and Dad don’t seem to love me as much anymore.]

…

My scalp prickled, and I rushed over to unplug the projector.

“That’s my diary!”

Luna’s eyes suddenly welled up with tears. She bit her lip.

“I thought it was a speech my sister had written specifically for the prom. So, I played it to buy you some time and keep the guests calm.”

Before I could say a word, my parents glared at me warily.

“It’s just a few pages of a diary. Is it really worth yelling at your little sister over?”

Then, they glanced at the big screen.

“No wonder your SAT scores were so poor. It turns out you’ve been wasting all your energy on being petty. Since when did you become so spoiled?

“If it weren’t for those two going out of their way to accommodate you, you’d be attending college all by yourself in some remote area. I’d love to see if you’d be crying then.”

The guests at the event began to whisper among themselves.

“Such a young high school girl was writing so much about love and romance. She really wasn’t focusing on her studies.”

When Brannon heard that, his face instantly turned red from embarrassment.

“Did you skip on your studies just to write such sappy stuff?”

I saw it clearly.

His face was filled with embarrassment.

It was as if he felt embarrassed to be loved by a girl he was not proud of.

I swallowed the bitterness in my throat and looked across each of them.

“You’re the ones who read my diary without permission. It’s not my fault.”

Luna wept as tears streamed down her face. She grabbed my hand and slapped herself with it.

“Meglena, I know it’s my fault.

“Don’t blame Mom, Dad, or Brannon. They don’t know anything…”

The next second, a strong force shoved me aside.

Mom and Dad both stepped in front of her to shield her.

Brannon’s gaze toward me was filled with disappointment.

“Do you have to make a fool of yourself in front of strangers? Get out first.”

Mom and Dad chimed in.

“That’s right. Go home right away and calm down. Think about how you’re going to apologize to your sister.

“How could I have such an irresponsible daughter like you?”

I did not argue any longer. I took one last look at them. Then, I grabbed my diary and ran out of the banquet hall.

Back home, I listed all the unused items I could not take with me on a secondhand marketplace.

As for the things I could bring, a small 12-inch suitcase was enough to hold them all.

On my way to the airport, a message from Brannon popped up on my phone.

[When your parents have both calmed down, hurry over and grab a bite. No one’s going to cook a special meal for you tonight.]

[Luna plans to head to the area near Southshire University a few days early to hang out. Come back soon so we can discuss when to leave. Don’t go off on your own again.]

Right up until the very second before the plane took off, I typed out a reply.

[I’m not going to Southshire University.]

After a moment’s thought, I added, [Brannon, let’s break up.]

I hit send, then blocked all four of their contact numbers.

…

After prom ended, the guests gradually began to leave.

Brannon stared at the unanswered message on his phone. He felt inexplicably restless.

Ms. Sutton called to congratulate. When Mom answered, her voice rose an octave in shock.

“What? Meglena is going to… Attarport University?”

Just then, Brannon’s phone vibrated, and two messages popped up.

When he read the messages, all the color drained from his face.