Under Her Skin

Chapter 13

Police Officer: Did Lyssa and Hiram know about the Kitties?

Me: They were too caught up in the craze for wealth—too busy, they didn't take a good look at the daughter they were losing.

Police Officer: But why? The Wong's were so close.

Me: Under the Fort Mac spell, they're not as innocent as they look. The whole town smells of money.

***

The bus coughed and rumbled, then spat Sunny out onto the streets, where the Kitties stood wearing pink crop tops and Levis jeans in the minus ten weather.

"Hi," she said, hesitantly still unadjusted to such a privileged welcoming.

"Hey chink," they all said together. The city bus picked up its wheels and rolled off into the white horizon, letting out an agonizing industrial hum. Selena looked at Sunny and frowned. "You've gotta be kidding me. Are you seriously wearing a jacket already? I mean it just looks so bulky and big."

"It's almost December," Sunny said, her eyelashes starting to freeze. Selena raised her eyebrows, clearly unsatisfied with her response.

"We gotta take you shopping... soon, or else... it's just such an emergency," said Tate. Sunny looked around, noting how Callie was still nowhere to be found.

"Yeah. I totally agree," said Selena. The grazing of a metal shovel in the distance, scraping against the cement, made Sunny jump. It was freezing down here, like a storage facility. To keep warm, the girls linked arms to walk across the street. 

Sunny trailed behind, but even then, she noticed how the stares were different. A group of jocks glanced over at her, not any more out of detest, but with a smirky look of praise. She was not used to be recognized as worthy in public.

The day unfolded with the girls comparing price-tags and chattering a thousand million miles per minute as they went linking arms down the hall. They spoke every little thought that came into their brains and it seemed to really irritate Sunny. Two steps away from first period, Selena grabbed Sunny's arm and pulled her to the side.

"Remember what I said about the black girl," she said, with a firm voice.

"What?"

"Devon. You know what to do." She paused, looked around. "Get rid of her."

***

When Sunny arrived home, she clicked her boots together at the front porch to kick off the snow. Winter had made its grand arrival, which meant she needed to do a good job at keeping the front mats clean in order to encourage Lyssa's flattery. She typed in the 6-digit passcode and the door let her in.

Surprise.

Her parents were home, and standing there waiting for her. Together.

Sunny swallowed. Two adults staring intensely and standing stiffly at the door was perhaps the greatest invitation for anxiety.

"Hi?" She shut the door and raised her eyebrows.

"You still have snow on your boots," said Lyssa, buttoning her brown wool cardigan over her black cotton cardigan, which had been buttoned ten minutes earlier.

"That's why you're standing here?"

"Well, we've been waiting," said Lyssa, giving a horrid smile. She looked full of plentitude, preparedness, and had a material well of empathy.