Chapter 4

Dad shot back, "No buts. How could she be into women? Guess we'll have to rely on Mindy from now on.

"There's no way our family can have this kind of disgrace."

Did they give my release notice to Mindy too?

So that was what happened. My parents gave up on me a long time ago. That was why they didn't come to pick me up.

I curled up in the corner. Lily handed me a tissue.

My voice was hoarse. "Where were you?"

"Don't cry." Lily gently wrapped her arms around me, and I breathed in her familiar fragrance.

The pain in my chest was slowly overflowing. It felt like a knife was carving out my heart.

The pain was so bad I could barely breathe.

My breathing was like a broken bellows, struggling for air in the darkness.

"Lily, am I going to die?" My voice was barely audible.

Lily wrapped her arms around me, soothingly rubbing my shoulder.

She murmured softly, "Don't be scared. I'm right here, and I'm not leaving you."

I endured wave after wave of pain.

Finally, dawn broke. Strangely, my head felt clear, my body was light, and for once, I felt almost carefree.

It felt like I was back three years ago. I could actually sense a bit of excitement and happiness stirring inside me.

I slipped on my favorite dress from three years ago and threw on a jacket.

Lily and I got ready to head out.

"Didn't you always say you wanted to see the ocean?" I asked. "The ocean's too far, but there's a big lake nearby. We can check it out together."

Mindy walked up, her expression strange. "Who are you talking to?"

I almost never smiled at Mindy, but today I did. "Lily," I replied.

Mindy looked confused, like she'd seen a ghost, but I wasn't about to explain.

I grabbed my bag and walked downstairs.

"Where are you going?" Mindy asked.

"I'm going to see the ocean," I replied.

"Kara, are you crazy? There's no ocean anywhere around here," Mindy said, looking at me like I'd lost it.

I took a cab downtown and bought two ice creams. I handed one to Lily.

She accidentally dropped hers, so I went back and got her another one from the shop.

"This time, hold on tight," I said.

The people nearby were looking at me funny, like I was out of my mind.

I ate my ice cream, my whole body trembling, but somehow, I could actually taste a bit of sweetness.

I stopped by a bakery and picked up two pieces of cake. Lily loved anything with blueberry flavor.

Finally, we went to her favorite restaurant.

Lily was all about steak, but I didn't have enough money, so I just ordered two servings of pasta and two orders of shrimp.

Back at Brookdale Juvenile Center, I'd told her that if I ever got the chance, I'd take her out for a nice meal.

And I did it.

As we passed by an ice cream vendor, I bought Lily an orange-flavored ice cream.

She loved orange-flavored ice cream.

Meanwhile, I bought Lily a cute pink bunny plushie.

I never would've thought that someone who always acted tough would actually like bunnies.

When I looked down, I realized my arms were full of stuff.

Lily's hand was still injured from saving me last time, so I made sure she didn't have to carry anything.

I was skipping all the way. I'd never felt this happy before.

Lily teased me, "You're twenty-one now. Can't you act a little more grown-up?"

"Then you act like a twenty-eight-year-old big sis," I shot back.

Lily just smiled and stayed quiet.

She was actually a year younger than me. But she always seemed so much more mature and put-together.

The sunset painted the sky crimson as I sat by the lake, the sound of the water muffling the city's chaos.

I grabbed her favorite soda. I even bought a postcard of her favorite idol.

Lily always said the lead singer of her favorite band was the coolest, and someday, she wanted to be a frontwoman just like them.

The breeze brought with it the lake's sweet, briny air.

I let out a gentle sigh. "Everything I promised you, I made it happen."

Lily eyes slowly reddened, full of compassion. "You promised me you'd keep going," she whispered.

I took a sip of Coke. The bubbles danced on my tongue, but I couldn't taste a thing. 'I'm not going to college. There's nothing left for me,' I thought.

My phone buzzed. Lily's grandma, who I'd been following online, had started a live stream.

Her grandma, hair white as snow, was crying her heart out on camera. "My granddaughter died at Brookdale Juvenile Center, her body covered in wounds.

"I beg the authorities to investigate and make things right for her.

"Her parents gave up on her, but I could never let her go. Her name is Lily Barnett."

The can of soda slipped from my hand and hit the ground, fizzing loudly.

The sunlight on the lake's waves was harsh, almost painful to look at.

I slowly turned my head, but the spot beside me was empty.

The familiar pain in my chest pierced right through me, deep into my core.

A shrill screech filled my ears. My phone kept buzzing nonstop.

Numbly, I picked up and answered.