Page 311 of Releasing 10
“What can they say, Hugh?” she drawled, entirely unperturbed by the notion. “Stop going to the library?”
The bell sounded then, signaling the end of lunch break.
“You better get going,” Liz muttered, flicking over another page of her book. “Don’t you have rugby training after big lunch on Fridays?”
“I do,” I replied slowly. “Don’t you have your weekly session with the school counselor after big lunch on Fridays?”
“I do,” she replied, not giving an inch.
“And are you planning on attending?”
Her response was to flip to the next page.
I sighed heavily. “Liz.”
“I’m not going today, Hugh.”
“Why not?”
“Because, thanks to you, I spent all weekend holed up in the hospital being grilled by a revolving door of medical professionals that don’t know me and can’t fix me. So excuse me if I’m tired oftalking,” she strangled out, voice thick with emotion. “And even if I weren’t sick to death of having peoplepoke holes in my sanity, there’s no goddamn way I would let that nosy bitch of a guidance counselor root around in my head like I’m her special project.” Reaching up, she swiped a tear off her cheek before adding, “But I don’t expect you to understand that, considering you’re pro-counseling, pro-medication, pro-fucking-everything-that-makes-me-feel-dead-inside!”
WE’RE LIKE BIRDS, HUGH
Lizzie
OCTOBER 27, 2003
TODAY WAS THEBESTDAY.
I didn’t feel an ounce of anger.
Not one little bit.
Instead, I feltenchanted.
Like the world was glowing with sunbeams.
Everything was blissful and glorious.
No fear.
No sorrow.
Justeverything.
“This is where it happened,” I declared, stopping midpoint on the bridge. “Over here.” Gripping the metal bars of the railing, I leaned over the side to glance at the river below. “This exact spot.”
Loud swishing.
Lustrous water.
Absolute revelry.
“This is where she went over.” Glancing over my shoulder at my boyfriend, I inclined my head to him. “Come see.”
Reluctantly, he did.
Closing the space between us, Hugh pressed his chest to my back and looked over my shoulder. “You think this is where she fell in?”
