"So, River and Logan, huh?"
"Yeah, they're really nice," I tell my mom.
"I'll look in the contact book and try to email their parents," Mom says.
It's Saturday morning, and I'm in the living room on the gray couch with a soft fluffy blanket covering me and texting Logan and River.
Brooklyn: I just asked my mom. She said she'll reach out to your parents.
Logan: Yayyyy!
River: Yasss! Hopefully we can see each other this weekend!
A few hours later, Mom comes into my room to tell me that she heard back from River's mom and Logan's dad.
"Yay! So, did they say yes?"
"You guys have a sleepover planned for this Saturday."
I jump out of my chair with excitement.
"Yes!" But then I notice that my mom has some sort of confused-sad face, and I don't know why. "Uh, Mom? Is everything okay?"
"Yeah. But River's mom said that...she had no idea why you called him River. She says his name is Ryan, and she's very confused."
"But...they told me their name is River."
"Look, I'm not sure what's going on, but if his—sorry, their mom says that it's Ryan, then I'm sure that's true and that there's something suspicious going on."
My heart sinks to my feet.
Why would River's mom say that? I always did have a suspicion because of how unusual the name "River" is, but why would River lie about their own name? It makes no sense!
YOU ARE READING
Mental.
Teen FictionBrooklyn, a 13 year old girl obsessed with time and clocks, is starting middle school after being home schooled her whole life. Something horrible happens on her first day that will change her life forever. She also learns to navigate queerness in h...
