Dionne
As we reached the driveway, I spotted Marcus chatting with a few men I recognized as his friends. He looked calm, but my mom, standing off to the side, was visibly upset. Even from a distance, I could see it in the way her arms were crossed tightly over her chest, her eyes fixed somewhere far away. My stomach twisted as I started to think about how I was going to explain all of this. I was in serious trouble now all thanks to Landry and his scene.
We walked up to the cars. Marcus climbing into the front seat of the vehicle he and my mom had arrived in, while my stepbrothers headed toward the SUV we always took to school. I instinctively turned to follow them, but as I drew closer, almost before I could take another step, my mom’s hand clamped around my wrist, her voice barely abov
