Chapter 242: Elijah

"All right, Brooksy, truth time," Elijah said bluntly. His daughter's feet were hanging off the edge of the five-gallon bucket, not quite reaching the ground as they sat and ate lunch in his closet. The smell of cleaning supplies was overpowering but as Elijah figured, it was just part of putting the screws into his daughter. Maybe she'd be more likely to talk to him if she wasn't happy about being cooped up in there with him.

"I talked to Miss Lambert yesterday," he continued, "and she told me about you kicking Dayton. She says he doesn't know what the hell is going on – why you're mad at him – and that you aren't talking either."

Silence.

"Brooksy, you gotta talk to me. Is Dayton beating you up after school? Is he teasing you while you're standing in line? Is he pulling your hair? You gotta tell me what's going on."

"He ain't bein' mean to me," Brooksy burst out and then clamped her mouth shut so tight, he wondered if he'd have to use a crowbar to get it open again.