four

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⌜ chapter four ⌟


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"No, Joyce, please don't put that in your mouth." Letty rushes over and takes her hairbrush away from the toddler. "Go play with your toys." She turns her in the direction that Faith's in, and she walks away from her.

The phone rings then and the teenager walks over and answers it. "Ms. Black?"

"Oh. Hi, Mr. Feeny." She greets. "Did you get that copy of my paper that I sent you?"

"Yes, I did. It was very well written, some of your best work." He tells her. "I especially liked the title — Beautiful Tragedy. I rather admire the way you've found the light in the dark."

"Thank you." She smiles. "Hey, Faith, no hitting!"

"Is now not a good time?"

"I'm watching the girls." She tells him as she holds the phone between her ear and shoulder so that she can turn on the tv for the twins. "Hope and Jason are both at work."

"I need to talk to you about Shawn."

"Look, my babies, watch Bear." She sets them down with their fruit, and they both stare at the tv as she walks a little ways away. "Sorry, Mr. Feeny. Is everything okay?"

"No, unfortunately everything is not okay. I had to suspend Shawn from school today." He tells her, and her eyebrows furrow.

"What?"

"He's been skipping class, and he was mouthing off to me." He says. "I didn't have a choice."

"No. Yeah, I, uh... Mhm." She nods. "I'll talk to him."

"I do hope you understand."

"No, of course. I understand, Mr. Feeny. I'm not upset with you, I know that you were just doing your job. I'm angry with Shawn." She tells him. "I have to watch the girls until Hope gets home, but I'll talk to him tonight."

That night, Letty walks into the boys' apartment, and Eric and Jack look up from where they're sitting on the couch, watching tv. "Hey, come sit." The former moves over to make room for his girlfriend.

"Can't." She shuts the door and moves past them and heads for the steps. "Shawn!"

"He's not here." Jack tells her just as the door opens again.

Letty turns, and the younger boy sighs when he sees her. "Nope." He turns to head back out, but she grabs the railing and jumps over it before crossing the room faster than he moves. Her hand shoots past him and she shuts the door, leaning against it so that he can't reopen it. "Lay off."

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