Page 42 of The Glass Girl

Points off

Points off

Bella, do it

Bella, do it

Bella, do it

—

I pull out my phone.

Text Kristen.What r u doing

Hey!!!!!

Hey

I had a feeling you might ping me

…

You wanna go out

Okay. My dad’s mad, tho, I don’t know if he’ll let me go

Ugh. Just tell him I broke up with my boyfriend orsomething

…

And that I’m crying

…

And you need to help me for a little while. Dads can’t handle crying girls.

…

Okay

My dad is snoring softly on the couch. I push his shoulder a little. “Dad,” I say. Then, louder,“Dad.”

His eyes shoot open. “What? How long have I been sleeping?” He looks at the television. “Who’s winning?”

“Dad, can I go to Kristen’s? Her boyfriend broke up with her. She’s really upset.”

He blinks at me. He’s confused.

“Kristen?” He asks. “Red-bow girl?” Unlike my mom, my dad likes Kristen. Says she has a “passion for life.”

“Yeah. She’s really upset. And crying.”

“Oh, that’s too bad,” he says, rearranging the couch pillow under his head. “Okay. Sure. Wait, how are you getting there and back? I don’t…I’m pretty tired. Where’s Vanessa?”

He’s buzzed from the beers.

“Vanessa is still at the park with Ricci. Kristen’s coming to get me,” I tell him. “I’ll text you later.”

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