Page 408 of Tis the Season to be Bullied

Ding dong.

Jesus. Are me and the person ringing the doorbell the only survivors of a zombie apocalypse? It’s bad enough I’m forced to endure the ramblings of an 1850’s puritan on a soapbox, without being interrupted every five seconds and having to restart the chapter.

First, Rosie interrupted me. Granted, I’m the furthest thing from pissed off about her asking me to watch her swim. Nothing makes me happier than watching her splash around in her water wings. When I know Dad won’t catch us, like today, I take her to the deep end and keep a hand under her belly so she can swim like a grown-up.

Rosie’s swimming lesson lasted an hour. Harper’s been sleeping off her wild night at Sean’s house. She didn’t even go to school. During the week, Dad doesn’t see any of us beforehe leaves for work. Honestly, the few times I’ve happened to cross his path in the early mornings, I wish I hadn’t. He’s not a morning person. Except on weekends—but I guess that’s because he gets to sleep in.

And since Diana leaves with Dad after he got her that job at corporate, it’s just me and Harper in the house after Rosie’s special needs bus picks her up at seven. I’m the only one who knows Harper didn’t go to school today.

I understand why she’s staying home, but she’s not in a coma. The least she could do was answer the?—

Ding—

“For fuck’s sake!” I hurry downstairs and rip open the door.

Marissa Hawthorn’s mouth goes wide, her upraised hand dropping to her side. She’s in some of Harper’s classes. The only reason I know her name is that she sent me a valentine's back in middle school.

“Hi,” she breathes, fluttering her eyelashes at me as if she doesn’t notice the scowl on my face.

“What?” I snap.

She messes with her hair and then starts adjusting her clothing as if she wishes she wore something more scandalous today. “I…uh…it’s good to see you, Jude.”

“Can I help you?” I show her my teeth. There’s no way she could possibly mistake it for a smile, but she grins anyway.

“Yeah, uh…Is Harper home?”

“She’s sick.”

“Yeah, I thought so.” Marissa twists around and digs around in her backpack as I drum my fingers on the lintel. A moment later, she flourishes a thin stack of lined paper. “She’s going to need these notes. We’ve got a test?—”

“Thanks,” I say, snatching the papers from her and slamming the door in her face.

“Asshole,” comes Marissa’s muffled voice from the other side of the door.

I’m about to toss the stack of papers on the entrance table when something pink catches my eye.

!! 4 TEST !!

Fuck. Marissa highlighted a bunch of stuff on these notes. I’d get into a world of shit if Harper didn’t get this. After all, it’s not as if she’sactuallysick. She’s detoxing from her party last night and probably wallowing in self-pity. I get it—what happened sucks. But if there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s not to linger on the past, but merely to glance back every now and then so you know how to avoid making fuck ups in the present.

Thank God I had the presence of mind to take all the booze out of the pool house. God knows how much worse this weekend would have been if I’d left in there. I still haven’t figured out what to tell Dad if he asks about it, but I went and put it up in the attic so I could always move it back if he bitches.

Harper is asleep with her back to me, but jerks at the noise when I ram open her bedroom door. There’s an underlying hint of booze hanging in the air like it started seeping out of her pores after her liver couldn’t soak up any more. I don’t remember that smell being in here last night. Last night all I could smell wasHarper.

I fell asleep beside her, even though I swore I wouldn’t. And I didn’t touch her either. Other than letting her rest her head in the cradle of my arm, and despite the urges raging through my body. I watched her until she fell asleep, and then before I could extricate my arm, I managed to doze off too.

None of that should have happened, but I had a moment of weakness when I saw the fear in her eyes. I took drugs once, first and last time ever. I had a bad trip, and I know exactly how powerless you feel in that moment. Nothing to do but ride it out.I had to endure that alone…and it’s something I would never wish on my worst enemy.

Even Harper.

But what happened? It changes nothing. She fucked up…she fucked upbad.If she thinks I’m going to forgive and forget, she’s got a nasty surprise headed her way.

“Morning, Sis.” I toss her notes onto her nightstand before going over to the window. She groans when I yank open the curtains, pulling the sheet over her head like she wants to burrow into the mattress to get away from the light. I throw open the window, inhaling the fresh air that blasts into the house. Dearth Manor was built on a rise, so we get the brunt of the weather when it’s windy outside.

“Close it,” she whines.

“It stinks in here.”

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