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” If BrookLyn had her way she wouldn’t ever go back to her house.
    “Let me call Max again and see if he’s close. Then I’ll get the house together for tonight, okay?”
    “Okay , Gabriella .” BrookLyn leaned in and kissed her on the lips. “Thanks.”
    “You know everyone calls me Gabby, right? So, you should too. ”
    “Okay ... Gabby.” BrookLyn felt the intimate sound of it as it fell off her tongue. She liked it.
     
    ***
     
    Max pulled up in front of the house and leaned on the horn , beckoning the girls outside . Back to reality.
    BrookLyn didn’t say anything as they drove. She just silently took in the moment of closeness with Gabby . She would soon be back in hell and dealing with her parents .
    Outside the window the clear blue sky h ung over Scotchtown , and BrookLyn wish ed this feeling could last forever . The n the y made the turn onto Patio Road and she shivered . She started chewing on her lip after surveying the damage she ’d already caused her nails. It was time.
    Gab by squeezed BrookLyn ’s hand. “I’ll see you tonight.”
    BrookLyn moved to ward the car door. “So you say.” She smiled.
    S cared about now , but excited about later , BrookLyn struggled with saying goodbye. Her parents were probably watching out the window and she didn’t want to give them any more reasons to criticize her, so she jumped out of the car.
    “Thanks Max. ”
    “No problem,” he replied. Max turned his attention to the radio, likely to give her and Gabby a little privacy. He couldn’t know her parents would not give her that, making the gesture pointless.
    BrookLyn offered a secret look to her, one she hoped would convey her feelings. “ See ya , Gab by .”
    She shut the door and strode toward the house with a hint of a different swagger than she’d had yesterday. As she trotted up the steps, her mother stood there, waiting impatiently , hands on her hips and eyebrows drawing close together .
    To BrookLyn, the blue sky had suddenly given way to gray clouds that seemed to hover over her house only , confirm ing that she was in big trouble. She walked toward her mother, feeling a range of emotions . F ear was at the forefront, but mingled with excitement , so BrookLyn tried to use her anticipation about seeing Gabby later to temper that dread.
    “So, what took you so long?”
    “Well, I had to wait for M a— umm Tiffany’s dad, to come and give me a ride. He was working and had to leave his job to bring me home.” It startled her that the lies were becoming effortless , because that one came out pretty quick.
    “Wait until your father comes home.”
    “I already know I’m grounded. ” BrookLyn thought of Gabby and stood a little taller. “ I tried to get in but you wouldn’t let me in. How is that my fault?”
    She just looked at BrookLyn as her stance shifted from side to side. “Don’t question me, chile . ” She pointed a stern finger toward the house. “ Now go to your room.”
    BrookLyn knew she was already in a world of trouble. She stared at her mother and then walked away.
    Getting a whipping was imminent . S he saw that in her mother’s smirk. BrookLyn hoped Gabby would come —she needed to be away from here , if only for a moment.
    As she walked toward her bedroom door , BrookLyn heard a phone ringing. Where is that coming from? She didn’t have a phone in her room since privacy was not allowed here , didn’t have a computer , or lock on the door either. Her mother strode past the staircase , pulling the cordless phone out of her apron then she walked away talk ing on the phone .
    BrookLyn continued to hear a soft chirping sound. She scanned the room , but quickly realized the noise was coming out of her jacket pocket. She pulled out a small cell phone, glad her mother was distracted talking on the house phone . She didn’t hear BrookLyn’s pocket ringing . She rush ed to close her bedroom door , and answered in a hushed tone. “Hello?”
    “Hey . Why do you sound