Private (Private 1)

“She hates me for being here, for having a life, for being young, for birthdays, vacations, Christmases. At my eighth grade graduation, being healthy. She was in a car accident when I was eight and her my father ended up falling asleep with the video camera in his

back is all screwed up from it. Still. That’s when it all started.

hands and fell out of his chair into the aisle, then yelled at the head-Anyway, one time, when she was on a particularly nasty bender, she master for the faulty seats. That made for a stellar little piece of film actually told me all this. How she despises me.”

nostalgia. And don’t even get me started on my mother.”

Thomas looked at me, deep into my eyes, and nodded. And that

I felt my hear

t tighten in my chest. I recognized his tone. Fed up.

one tiny nod said everything. His eyes looked sad, but not because Sad. Disappointed. Embarrassed.

he was pitying me.

“They come up here every year and the whole school kisses their He understood.

asses because of their money. They get to act all high and mighty for After all this time of keeping it in, I’d finally told someone. My two days and order me around and act the perfect parents and it just heart flooded with relief.

makes me sick,” Thomas said, blinking back tears. He looked up

“What about your dad?”

again and took a deep breath, blowing it out. “This place is mine,

“Oh, I love my dad. Dad’s the best,” I said. “But my mom, forget you know. And they come here and they just . . . they ruin it for me.”

about it. If she comes here for parents’ weekend, she’ll humiliate He sighed and stared past me.

me just for fun. It’ll be miserable.”

I sat there for a moment, feeling for him. Feeling for me.

“So don’t ask them to come,” he said simply.

“Your turn,” he said.

I laughed. “You don’t ask your parents to come.”

Oh, God. I looked him in the eye. Hoped I could trust him. Here

“Touché.” Thomas smiled slightly. Then he reached out and

we go.

took my hand with his good one. “We’re pretty screwed up, huh?”

“For me it’s just my mom,” I said, then couldn’t believe I had

“We make a good pair,” I said.

actually said it. “Except she likes pills with her bourbon.

“Have I told you I’m glad you came here?”

Prescription ones. All kinds. So, depending on what color she’s