Chapter 18

“You’re going,” I say, clenching my fists in his shirt. “I need you with me, Dan, you know that. Don’t make me face them all alone.”

He rubs my back in a soothing, caring gesture. “I won’t,” he assures me. 6: Road Trip

My dad was up before any of us, getting the car serviced. “You should get yours looked at, Michael!” Mom hollers up the stairs. “You don’t want it to break down between here and Sugar Creek. They don’t have a Jiffy Lube, you know.”

“Close the door,” I tell Dan. We’re in my room, repacking everything I diligently unpacked yesterday, when I thought we would be staying for the next few days.

“Michael?” My mom comes up a few steps. “Did you hear me?”

As Dan eases the door shut, I call out, “Yeah! We’re busy here, Mom. I’ll be down in a minute.” I toss clothes from my closet onto the bed and sigh heavily. Can I just skip to the end of the week? “God.”

Dan takes the hangers from me and says, “Sit down, babe. Don’t let her get to you like this.”