Chapter 5

When I was in middle school, there was a parent-teacher conference.

The homeroom teacher sent out a notice a week in advance. It said parents had to come.

I stood in the living room for a long moment, holding that notice.

My dad was upstairs. My mom was on the phone. Alex was playing video games. Chloe was doing a face mask.

I took a deep breath and walked up to my mom. "Mom, there's a parent-teacher conference next week. Can you come?"

She covered the phone and gave me a glance. "What day?"

"Next Wednesday afternoon," I replied.

She…