I was in my room, contemplating the atomical structure of a flower petal when Dad called me from downstairs.
Once I went down, I came face to face with him, Greta, and Talia sitting at the dining room table. Waiting for me.
"Is this supposed to be an intervention?" I asked.
"It's not the time to make jokes," Talia said, and the disappointment on her face got under my skin far more than my parents' did. "You illegally raced. Someone crashed their car. Someone could've died. It could've been you."
"Always wanted to go out with a bang," I said. Mostly to relish in the looks my family gave me then, but even that didn't cut through the heavy cloud hanging over me. I didn't know whether to be my usual defensive self or tell them to leave me alone.
"We're here to tell you you're on your own in paying the fine," Dad said.
Guess defensive it was. "Oh, yeah? And why didn't you tell me Grace was working at the shop now?"
"She paid for all the repairs."
"I thought we had donations."
"She's... paying for our new location. We have so many new customers now."
Leave it to Grace to save our dying business. I couldn't say Grace wasn't good with finance and numbers. Knowing the system in and out was what let her exploit it at her corporate job.
"So you're basically saying she bought her way in," I said, turning to Greta this time. "Didn't think you were motivated by money."
"The flower shop is my life's passion," Greta said. "We were struggling so much before Grace came to help."
"Watch her run it to the ground. You think she's not jealous of you? She'll take over your business first, then your husband."
Worry flickered through Greta's face. Like she'd been in deep denial until now, her composure cracking.
"I am just trying to give everyone a fair chance," she said quietly.
"Just know Jack and I aren't coming back unless she's gone."
"Jack isn't coming back?" Talia asked.
I hoped not. He had come in the flower shop today wanting to work but then followed me out. That had to mean something, right? He wouldn't just start working there knowing about my beef with Grace. Which would be considerate of him.
The type of consideration I'd never shown anyone.
"Can we get back to the topic?" Dad said. "Romy has to pay the fine. We're lucky she didn't get sent to juvie again."
Great. Back with the juvie talk.
"Why don't we get mommy to pay for it if she's swimming in money?" I asked. "Let it be the consolation gift. Maybe I won't try to make her life hell if she bails me out."
And that was basically the end of the conversation. I'd gotten my way. I won by standing my ground, being aggressive, making Dad and Greta quiet. Worked like a charm.
Later, Talia cornered me in my room.
"Are you okay?" she asked.
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"What actually happened last night?"
"Exactly what you think happened. I illegally raced. Left your car there. At least I didn't crash it. But these frat boys crashed their car, and that's how everyone got in trouble."
Talia's eyes widened. I almost thought she'd pull the same line as Dad and Greta: We thought you were doing so much better. Talia had been a goody two shoes throughout high school and even now. She couldn't fathom half of my reckless decisions.
YOU ARE READING
The One Without Words
Teen Fiction"Go ahead," I said, backing up against the pink wall of the shop. "Do something other than glare at me." I waited. One, two, three seconds... and nothing. I raised my chin at him. "You're boring me, mute boy." He stepped closer. Leaned toward me as...
