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Jujube. “This is the most awesome-looking muck I’ve ever seen.”
    What choice did I have? I opened my mouth. Jujube fed me the food, bite by bite. It was peas and carrots, potatoes and meat. She wouldn’t tell me what it was, so I had toguess by tasting. But I wasn’t really thinking about what I was eating. I was trying to think up something to tell Ms. Lee. She wouldn’t believe me if I said I fell out of my bedroom window. I would need broken bones for a story like that.
    I thought, chewed and swallowed. Jujube started shoving the food into my mouth faster and faster. It was hard to keep up.
    “Hey,” I said. “Slow down. I’ll choke to death.”
    “Not funny,” said Jujube. She sniffed, and I realized she was crying again. “I wish they’d come, those aliens,” she said. “But I don’t think they’re real anymore. I just don’t think so.”
    I didn’t say anything. Welcome to real life , I thought.
    “Hello, Sophie,” said a voice from the doorway. Right away my heart started pounding again. I didn’t have to see this person to know who she was — trouble with a capital T. Ms. Lee .
    “Hi,” I said and stared at the ceiling.
    “Jujube,” she said, “I want you to leave the room. I need to talk to Sophie alone.”
    I couldn’t see Jujube as she walked out, but I could guess what she was doing — crying her eyes out. I hated Ms. Lee for sending her away.
    “How are you, Sophie?” Ms. Lee came over and stood by my bed where I could see her.
    What a stupid question , I thought. Stupid question, stupid answer .
    “Fine,” I said.
    “The doctor tells me they should be able to remove the brace in a few days,” she said.
    “That’s good,” I said. “Then I can go back to school.”
    Make it look good , I thought.
    “Yes,” said Ms. Lee. “We need to talk about that and a few other things.”
    “What other things?” I asked quickly. I could hear it in her voice — trouble was coming. But maybe I could talk my way out of it. This time the problem was just my backand some bruises — not something important like stealing.
    “Sophie, what happened to you?” asked Ms. Lee.
    I lay there, just thinking and thinking. I could say a car hit me. That would explain the bruises and my sore back and neck. But there would have been cuts and scrapes too. No matter how hard I thought, I couldn’t think of anything that made sense. I decided to keep my mouth shut and say nothing. I just lay there and stared at her.
    Ms. Lee sighed. “Sophie,” she said, “I don’t know how to help you. You’re going to have to tell me sooner or later. The life you’re living right now isn’t safe for you.”
    I couldn’t turn my head to get her out of my face, so I closed my eyes. But she kept talking.
    “Your mother and father are out in the hall,” she said quietly. “Because I don’t know what happened, they’re not allowed to be alone with you. I’m going to let them into theroom now, but remember — I’ll be here the whole time. I want to be sure you’re safe.”
    I heard her walk away. Even though I didn’t say so, I was glad she wasn’t going to leave me alone with my dad. I didn’t think he’d do anything in the hospital, but I still didn’t want to be alone with him.
    Footsteps came into the room. Slowly I opened my eyes. My parents were leaning over me. My mom’s eyes were red. My dad’s were black.
    I felt it happen then, the way it always did around my dad. All the power went out of me — the power to figure out things, to talk. It disappeared, and all that was left was a dead, empty space inside me. My dad always made me feel like that — as if I couldn’t do anything. There was no point in even trying.
    My dad was hanging onto his shirt collar with one hand. One finger was pressed across his throat. It was such a little thing, Ms. Lee wouldn’t notice it. Even if she did,she wouldn’t know what it meant. But I did. It meant, You’re dead meat if you tell .
    My dad