Page 108 of The Glass Girl

Beside me, Brandy sighs. “What isupwith everyone today?”

I walk away from her, into a nest of goats, petting as many soft heads as I can.

Tracy walks up to the gate, two cups of coffee in her hand.

“Ready?” she calls to me. “It’s time.”

“It’s time,” Charlotte singsongs. “It’s time for emotional vomiting!”

I ignore her, opening the gate.

Tracy hands me one of the coffees. “Lots of creamer, just the way you like it.”

“Two peas in a pod,” Charlotte mutters under her breath as I walk away with Tracy.

—

We don’t sit on the boulder this time. She walks us farther, to a cluster of mesquite trees. There’s a cement bench beneath one. We sit down.

“Your mother called me,” she says. “And your father.”

“Great,” I say, taking a big swig of coffee, hoping it burns my mouth. It doesn’t. “Am I in trouble now?”

“No,” she says. “She said you don’t want them to come for parents day.”

“I don’t. but I’m guessing you’re going to make me. Whatever.”

“Actually, I’m not.”

“What?” I turn to her.

She’s gazing at a hummingbird twitching by a feeder.

“If you don’t want them here, they don’t come here. This place is for you, not them. I’m glad you spoke up. I’ll bet it hurt, whatever you said to your mother, but that means it needed to be said.”

I’m kind of stunned. I don’t know what to say.

“If you change your mind, that’s fine, too. And if you stick with it, I stand with you.”

“Okay,” I say slowly. “Thank you.”

“It takes a lot of courage to tell people what we need, even when we know it might hurt their feelings.”

I look over at the goat pen in the distance. Gideon is leading Holly around gently, helping her toss feed.

I hesitate. I should tell Tracy about Holly. Ishouldtell her. Holly could really hurt herself.

Gideon glances in our direction. Ever so slightly, she shakes her head.

I look down at the coffee cup in my hand.

I can’t tell. Holly doesn’t want to go to Seg. That might be even worse for her. And didn’t Phil say we have to help our friends? Gideon and I can take care of Holly. Ride or die, Brandy told me.

“Is there something on your mind, Bella?” Tracy asks.

“No,” I say quickly. “What are we going to talk about today? Should we get started?”

“This is it,” Tracy says. “We’re done. Standing up to your parents was enough for a little bit, don’t you think? We can just sit here and enjoy the morning. Oh, and I have this foryou.”

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