6.
After the ambulance came, the Johnsons
ignored me and went to the hospital.
I pulled out a cigarette, but it started to rain.
Great.
Ashley was cold.
I smiled to myself.
We were enemies, but I respected her.
My scars showed her that she had to make
her wounds even more painful. Otherwise,
she’d never be able to keep her place in this
family.
She was trying to trap me.
And it worked.
The next day, the Johnsons came back
exhausted.
Dad was rumpled. Mom had been crying. Josh.
gave me a look of hate.
He grabbed my arm and threw me on the
floor angry
<
“Harmony, you’re lucky Ashley’s not dead.
She’s got a concussion and a broken leg, she
can’t take the exams.
“We were wrong about you. You’re
ungrateful! Ashley didn’t even see her mom!
How could you hurt her?
“You’re going to the hospital to apologize to Ashley!”
I almost laughed.
“Wait, you want me to apologize to Ashley?
Why don’t you make Heather Smith apologize
to me?”
Josh looked cold.
“That’s between you and Heather Smith, it’s
none of our business. But you hurt Ashley, so
it’s our business.”
I nodded.
“Okay, I get it. But I don’t want to apologize.”
Even Mom got angry. She pointed at me, her
voice shaking.
<
“Harmony, you’re not my daughter. My
daughter wouldn’t do this.”
I nodded.
Dad sat there, thinking.
I didn’t want to talk to them, so I pulled out
the agreement I prepared.
“Sign it, give me ,000, and I’ll leave you alone. You never raised me. That’s ten
thousand a year. And I’d have to spend
thousands just to get the scars removed.” Mom turned away, like I was hurting her.
Everyone was silent.
My dad grabbed the agreement and signed it.
Then, he threw me a card.
“There’s two million in there, don’t come
back.”
Mom and Josh looked at him disapprovingly,
but he was done with me.
I grabbed the agreement and card, picked up
my bag, and left the house.
く
I didn’t look back once.
I had given the Johnsons chances.
The first time we met, at the party, and right
now.
But three strikes, you’re out.