Twelve Steps to Normal(50)

Lin glances up from her flashcards. “You’re not exactly running the entire school—”

In typical Raegan fashion, she ignores this. “It’s exhausting. Plus, I’ve been YouTubing birthing videos—”

Breck plugs his ears. “I don’t want to hear about the placenta!”

I raise my eyebrows. “Who said anything about a placenta?”

He points a finger at Raegan. “She was about to!”

“I wasn’t, but you shouldn’t be so squeamish. It’s a natural part of the birthing process.”

Colton looks genuinely confused. “What’s a placenta?”

“Dude.” Jay shakes his head, then leans over and quietly explains in what I can only imagine is the worst kind of detail.

“And people eat that?” Colton says in the middle of swiping one of Whitney’s fries.

She glares at him. “You would probably eat it, Colton.”

He freezes mid-chew. “That’s disgusting.”

Breck glares at Whitney. “Dude, stop talking about it.”

“You’re going to make some woman very happy one day,” she remarks. “Especially if you keep calling them dude.”

Lin laughs. “Who wouldn’t vote for him for Homecoming King?”

I pull my water bottle away from my lips. “You’re nominated?”

“I can’t help that the people like what they see.” Breck grins. “Beauty and brains, right, L?”

“Dear god,” Lin mumbles, shaking her head.

“Get you a man who has both.”

“Your narcissism is up here.” Lin raises her hand above her head. “And I’m going to need you to bring it down here.” She gestures, lowering it near her shoulder.

I almost forgot about homecoming. It’s a few weeks away, but still. I haven’t mentally prepared myself for flying solo.

I catch myself glancing over at Jay, wondering if he’s regretting going to homecoming with Whitney this year now that I’ve returned. A twinge of loneliness flickers inside me when I remember him whispering how beautiful I looked in my gold gown the night of the homecoming dance, and how he held the small of my back when we posed for pictures together. I wonder if he misses those moments, too.

He takes a huge bite of his sandwich, and a few crumbs stick to the bottom of his lip. When he catches me staring, he gives me a perplexed look like, What?

I sigh. I sincerely doubt it.





There is no one in the house when I come home after Wavettes practice. A note from Peach sits on the counter, saying she’s taking the late bus back from Claremore because she’s catching up with some old friends. My dad is most likely working late. I have no clue where Nonnie could be, and I’m betting Saylor is working a shift at 7-Eleven.

It’s quiet. Oddly quiet. I can’t remember when the kitchen and living room were void of any type of commotion.

I heat up a plate of pizza rolls and watch an old episode of Crime Boss. I find myself wishing my dad were around to make fun of Agent Dane Lizar’s soul patch or how corny the explosions are in the early seasons due to low budgets. Instead Wallis thumps his tail on the rug, watching me with bated breath as I finish off my pizza rolls.

My cell phone rings. Margaret—Social Worker flashes across the screen. A rush of panic envelops me as I pause the TV. My first thought is She knows. I don’t know how, but someone must have alerted her about the recoverees. Dread overpowers the panic. What if she’s calling to send me back?

I try and keep my voice level when I answer. “Hello?”

“Kira, hi! This is Margaret Garcia.” Nothing about her tone seems off. “I just wanted to call for a quick check-in. How is the transition going?”

“Oh! It’s good! Great!” I blurt, then quickly want to smack myself. I need to bring down my enthusiasm. I don’t want to give her any red flags. “My dad really seems to be keeping his promise about getting back on track.”

“I’m very glad to hear that,” Margaret says. “Now, we usually schedule an in-house check-in. Just to drop by and make sure you’re in a good environment.”

I force myself to keep calm. I cannot, cannot allow her over here while Nonnie, Peach, and Saylor are still around. There’s no way she’ll believe that them being here is a good environment for me.

“Oh, I’d say my environment is more than good. My dad’s been working back at Cedarville Elementary, and I’ve been getting back in the swing of things at school. And with dance, too. We’ve got a lot of stuff keeping us busy.”

There’s a pause at the other end of the line. “It’s great to hear you’re adjusting so well.”

I hold my breath, waiting for her to continue.

“Well, you’ve been through a lot, and I want this transition to continue to be smooth. You know you can call me if you suspect any signs of trouble?”

“Yes. Yes, I do. And I will.” I’m eager for this call to end. “Thank you.”

“Of course,” she replies. “Don’t be a stranger. I’ll follow up soon, okay?”

I tell her okay, and we both hang up. My heart pounds all the way through the end of the Crime Boss episode. It’s not that I’m lying to her. I’m just not sharing the entire truth. Everyone here has remained sober, and I don’t need to worry her, or worse, get myself sent away again when I’m only trying to bring things back to the way they were.