18
My eardrum was broken.
If I did nothing, my hearing would get worse.
Dad didn’t believe it.
He said, “How could this happen?”
“Sarah just slapped her! How hard can a
woman hit?”
The doctor was angry.
I don’t know what he said, but Dad looked
defeated.
Tears fell.
I should have said, “It’s okay, Dad.”
But he didn’t trust me.
I didn’t say anything.
I was angry.
Leaving the hospital, he cried, “Sorry, Ashley.‘
I didn’t react.
Home, Brittany was asleep.
Sarah wasn’t there.
ᄀ
Kevin said, “Brittany was scared, Mom’s with
her.”
“Dad, Ashley, what did the doctor say?”
He was asking about me.
I ignored him, went upstairs.
I needed rest.
After hearing damage, I gave up.
I stayed home.
Jessica sent notes.
Kevin and Brittany came home, and I stayed
in my room.
Г
Dad tried to talk to me.
Kevin came to my door, but he didn’t come in.
Sometimes, there were snacks on the
doorknob.
I didn’t touch them.
Someone put new things there every day.
Until the day of surgery.
Dad was scared.
“Don’t worry.”
Kevin sent a text, “Don’t be nervous.”
I closed my eyes.
Not scared.
It was a small surgery.
Compared to what happened before, it was
nothing.
After the surgery, I recovered.
I heard things better.
I heard Kevin talking to Dad.
“Dad, I saw the tape, Brittany grabbed
Ashley’s salad, and made stuff up. It was
awful.”
“We were wrong about Ashley ”
“We were wrong about Ashley.”
He said my name differently.
Sometimes, “Ashley.”
Sometimes, “Sis.”
When Brittany wasn’t there.
It didn’t matter what he said.
Silence.
Dad sighed, “We spoiled Brittany.”
“But forget it!
“We’ll be nice to Ashley.”
<
I smiled.
You better.
The day I went back to school, Dad took me.
Just me.
No matter how Brittany asked, Dad and Kevin
said no.
He apologized.
“I don’t know you well. But it’s not too late,
right?”
“What do you like?”
“Nothing.”
10 eat? ̈
“Anything.”
He paused, “Any friends? I’ll have them over.”
“No.”
I closed my eyes.
He knew I didn’t want to talk.
We were silent until school.
He walked me to class.
He talked to the teacher.
After he left, everyone was talking.
“Brittany! Was that your dad?”
“Why did he bring Ashley to school? Talk to
the teacher?”
Brittany’s face broke.
“Leave me alone!”
She ran out.
Someone said, “She’s crazy.”
“She thinks she’s a princess.”
The next day, they knew.
Kevin came to class.
く
Someone yelled, “Brittany, your brother’s
here!”
Brittany ran, then walked to my seat, “He
wants you.”
I looked at her, didn’t move.
Kevin sighed, and walked in.
He stopped at my desk.
“Ashley, Dad wants you home, for a checkup.”
Someone gasped.
It was important.
I nodded.
く
I left with him.
