Chapter 4

But Katie had won the gold prize at a piano competition, so they went to the awards ceremony instead.

I waited at school until dark, and they never came.

On the way home, I got so hungry I couldn't stand it, so I went to the mall for something to eat. That was where I ran into them, after they'd finally remembered me.

Mom turned and stomped toward my room.

She pulled open my desk drawer and started rummaging through it. She pulled out a black hardcover notebook. It was the diary I'd hidden there.

She flipped to the first page, skimmed it, and sneered. "Writing this garbage again."

She tossed the notebook onto the dining table. "Look, here we go again. 'Katie had a fever, and Mom took her to the hospital. I had a fever and took medicine by myself.' Is that really worth writing down?

"'Katie tore up my drawing. Katie wanted my sweater.' Little things like that, and she's filled half a notebook. She doesn't put her mind into her studies. She puts all of it into competing with her little sister."

But, Mom, Dad, what you never knew was how long those things hurt me. I was so sad I couldn't eat. So sad I couldn't sleep.

Mom snorted coldly. "She just can't stand to see Katie doing well. They're sisters, and she still has to fight her tooth and nail over everything.

"Katie has a heart condition. Can't Amanda show a little understanding? Haven't we treated her well enough? Is there anything she's asked for that we didn't give her?"

Mom picked up the notebook and kept flipping, faster and faster, her fingers crumpling the pages.

"'Katie's pill bottle was empty, and she accused me of swapping her medicine.' Isn't this complete nonsense? Why would Katie falsely accuse you? What would she gain from it?"

"'I overheard Katie on the phone saying the medicine was useless and she'd thrown it out ages ago.'"

A look of sudden understanding crossed Mom's face, and she slammed the notebook shut in a rage. "So that's why she won't come home. She's been setting this up for us all along!

"Amanda, can't you at least make up a more believable story? Why would Katie throw out her medicine? Doesn't she want to get better?"

Mom slammed the notebook down on the table, stood, and paced around the dining room.

"She's too scheming. Amanda is far too scheming. She's only sixteen, and she can already make up something like this. What's she going to be like when she grows up?"

Dad was silent for a moment, then said, "When she gets back, we need to have a serious talk with her."

Mom sneered. "Talk? Like she'll listen? Ask her ten questions and you won't get a single answer. The moment she's unhappy, she slams the door. Last time she tore up Katie's homework, I said a few words to her, and the look she gave me..."

The doorbell rang.

Mom paused, then went to answer it, cursing under her breath. "You little brat, so you finally decided to come home. I'm going to beat you within an inch of your life."

But standing outside was Mom's younger sister, my aunt Kimberly Johnson. Her face was pale, and she was clutching her phone.

Aunt Kimberly's voice shook a little. "Jennie, why haven't either of you been answering your phones?"

Mom frowned. "Phones? Mine died yesterday. I haven't turned it back on since. What's going on?"

Aunt Kimberly glanced into the house, then back at Mom. Her lips moved.

"The police station just called me. They said they couldn't reach you and asked me to pass a message along..."

Aunt Kimberly took a deep breath.

"They said they found a girl's body in the river. They want you to... come and identify her."

The air went suddenly still.

Mom stood rooted to the spot, silent and unmoving.

Dad had come up behind her. He gripped the edge of the open door, his knuckles turning white.

Aunt Kimberly turned her phone around. On the screen was a text message.

Westbrook Police Station: [Family of Amanda Weber, please come at once to identify the body.]