Cori observed Mariah as she packed her makeup bag, hair supplies, and a few odds and ends she didn’t have at her parents’ house. Part of her envied her best friend for being able to go home and spend her Christmas break with her family. Cori had looked forward to doing the same. Now, her father hated her, regardless of what her mother and Cassie said. She missed talking to both, but she was tired of hearing them make excuses for him.
“You know you’re more than welcome to stay with me and my parents,” Mariah spoke as she folded a sweater. “Mom said my brother isn’t coming until New Year’s Eve. For Christmas, he’s going to New York City to meet his girlfriend’s family. You can take his room, or you can stay in my room, just like you did when we were in school.”
She loved Mariah’s folks. Th
