Page 163 of The Glass Girl

“Bella?” Ricci says, turning to me from the couch. “Come sit, okay?”

There’s a piece of pepperoni sticking to her bottom lip.

I walk over and very gently wipe it away.

“Sure, Ricci,” I say. “I’m just going to grab something from my bedroom real quick.”

“Bella?” Vanessa says. As I’m walking away, I can hear her speaking in low tones to my dad.

What was it the girl in the group meeting said?

Sometimes you have to lie to save yourself.

In our room, I grab my phone and my house keys. That’s all I need for right now.

“Hey, Dad?” I say when I walk back into the front room. Vanessa’s in the kitchen.

“Yeah?” He’s changed the station to a police show. Ricci’s fidgeting and bored. Good, that will help. Hoyt is perched on the edge of the couch, eating a piece of pizza.

“I’m feeling a little overwhelmed, so I’m going take a quick walk around the block to get some air, okay?”

From the corner of my eye, I can see Vanessa watching me.

“Sure. We’ll save you some pizza.”

“Cool,” I say. “Well, I’ll see you in a few.”

I’m just about to shut the door behind me when Hoyt gives me an apologetic wave.Sorry,he mouths.

“Hey, Hoyt?”

“Yeah?”

“Can you not call me Belly anymore? It makes me uncomfortable. Maybe it was funny when I was kid, but I don’t find it funny anymore.”

He pauses midchew. “Yeah, sure thing, Bella.”

I close the door behind me.

The air is crisp outside. The sun’s already gone down.

I have a couple of bucks in my pocket. I could get a soda somewhere and then wait for the bus. The ride will be nice. I know it’s weird, but I’ve always liked the insides of busses at night. The yellowy interior lights, the way the neon signs of stores flash by through the window. Might be nice to get away from people I know for a while.

“Bella, wait!” Vanessa is jogging down the steps.

I turn around. She’s got my backpack in her hand.

“I’m sorry, Vanessa,” I tell her. “I can’t stay.”

“I know. Let me give you a ride.”

—

In her car, Vanessa says, “That was not good. I’m sorry. I talked to him about it, before you came back, and I thought…I thought he was on board.”

I pick at my fingernails. “I don’t think I can stay there for awhile.”

She’s quiet for a bit as she drives.

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