Page 25 of Shattered

It started when I slammed the bathroom door into my pinky toe—which I’m pretty sure was now broken if the swelling and bruising were any indication. Then the smoke detector went off when I was frying up a pound of bacon to go along with the pancakes I made for Jett’s birthday breakfast. So the oven catastrophe came as no surprise.

Luckily, the rest of the food we were having didn’t need to be heated, except the wings which—thank baby Jesus—could be put in an air fryer. Otherwise, we’d be screwed. Ofcourse, Jett and Phoebe, who’d spent the night, found it all to be hysterical.

“Anything we can help with, Miss Jade?”

“Yes, please. If you two could chop the veggies and cheese for the charcuterie boards while I straighten the house, it’d be a huge help.”

“Wait a second. It’s my birthday. Isn’t this supposed to be a day of rest?”

Phoebe rolled her eyes at my brother. “As far as I’m aware, you’re not an all-powerful deity.”

“What the fu—” He peeked at me. “udge does that have to do with anything?”

“Nice save.” I knocked his shoulder with mine.

Limping toward the hall closet to grab the vacuum cleaner, I left the two of them to argue over whether God was the only infinite being who deserved a day of rest. Without a doubt, Pheebs would win him over to her way of thinking. She always did.

That girl had my unwavering gratitude. She was, by far, one of the bright spots in both of our lives. Jett had been withdrawn when we first moved, to the point Gran and I considered seeking professional help. We yanked him out of Chesapeake Middle and tried the homeschooling route, thinking a break from society would do him good. When he started dropping weight he couldn’t afford to lose, we switched tactics, immediately enrolling him in Huntington Middle. Two days later, she followed him home from school and they’ve been plastered to each other’s sides ever since.

Jett would be hard pressed to find a more sincere, more loyal friend than Phoebe Jenkins. She reminded me a lot of Henley and Lanie.

Speaking of Henley…

Me: Do you have an air fryer?

Henley: I’ve got two, actually.

Me: Why the hell do you have two?

Henley: Long story. Don’t ask.

Me: You’re still coming over early, right? Can you bring both?

Henley: Yes, and yes. Keaton hitched a ride with Noah this morning so I’d have his car.

Me: Thank you so much. This has been a morning from hell.

Henley: I’ll hop in the shower now, then be on my way.

Me: Perfect, see you soon.

My toe was freaking killing me. It throbbed in sync to the beat of my heart and rubbed against the side of my shoe with every step. I tried to go barefoot; however, it became quickly apparent my sneakers were actually helping to keep it secure. It was a worry for another time.

Tossing back two Motrin, I double-timed my efforts to tidy up, ignoring the pain to the best of my ability. It wasn’t as if this was the worst injury I’d ever had to endure.

“Jade,” my mother screamed, waking me from a fitful sleep. “Get your lazy ass down here.”

They’d been up late partying all night, which meant her being conscious at this hour didn’t bode well for me. Thankfully, Jett wasn’t due home from his friend’s until tomorrow.It was much easier to deal with their wrath when I didn’t have to worry about him trying to intervene.

On more than one occasion recently, my brother had tried to swing our parents' attention toward him when they were in a mood. While I appreciated his efforts, they were in vain. It was my job as the oldest to protect him. That would never change.

Shuffling down the half-broken steps in my pajamas, I nearly gagged as the stench of vomit wafted through the air.

“What took you so long?” Her speech was clearer than I expected it to be, given the number of empty liquor bottles covering the floor. She took a menacing step toward me, swaying a bit to the left with the movement. “You’ve got one hour to get this shithole cleaned up.”

“There’s no way.” I winced as soon as the words left my mouth.

Covering my head with my arms, I prepared for the repercussions of my snarky response, but the blow to my stomach was unexpected. It dropped me to the floor and knocked the wind from my lungs. When her booted foot slammed down on my shin over and over again, I couldn’t even scream.

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