BABY GIRL

8.

Maggie

The alarm goes off at six-thirty.

I don’t even wait for Ana’s phone to start screaming.

“Dude.”

Nothing.

I poke her shoulder.

“Dude.”

She groans and pulls the blanket over her head.

“No…”

I laugh quietly.

“You literally told me to wake you up if your alarm failed.”

“It didn’t fail,” she mumbles into the pillow. “It just… hasn’t had a chance yet.”

“It has. Twice.”

A single hand emerges from beneath the blanket, giving me a dramatic thumbs-up before disappearing again.

“I’m alive.”

“Barely.”

After another minute of relentless pestering, she finally drags herself upright, hair sticking in every direction.

“I hate mornings.”

“You say that every morning.”

“Because every morning deserves to hear it.”

I toss her hoodie across the room.

“Come on. We have school.”

She catches it without looking.

“I also hate school.”

***

By seven-fifteen we’re both dressed and downstairs.

The smell of toasted bread and coffee fills the kitchen.

David is already there, standing at the stove making scrambled eggs.

“Morning, girls.”

“Morning,” we answer together.

He smiles.

“I’ll take that as proof neither of you murdered each other overnight.”

Ana opens the fridge.

“She snores.”

“I do not.”

“You absolutely do.”

“I breathe enthusiastically.”

David chuckles under his breath.

“I’m staying out of this one.”

I grin despite myself.

It feels…

Normal.

For the first time since I moved in, the house almost feels like one.

Until footsteps sound on the stairs.

The conversation dies instantly.

Nate walks into the kitchen wearing a black hoodie and gray sweatpants. His hood isn’t up today.

There are dark circles beneath his eyes.

He looks like he slept even less than I did.

He notices me.

His expression doesn’t change.

Not even slightly.

He walks straight to the refrigerator, grabs a bottle of orange juice and drinks straight from the carton.

Ana wrinkles her nose.

“Ew.”

He ignores her.

David turns off the stove.

“There’s eggs.”

“I’m not hungry.”

“You need to eat.”

“I’m not five.”

“No,” David replies evenly.

“You’re not.”

A silence settles over the kitchen.

No one seems interested in breaking it.

I keep my attention on my toast.

Last night’s kiss flashes through my mind without warning.

My stomach twists.

Don’t.

Just…

Don’t think about it.

“Nate.”

David’s voice is calm.

“What are your plans today?”

Nate shrugs.

“Nothing.”

“I’ve called Dr. Patel.”

His hand freezes around the juice carton.

“We’ve got an appointment this afternoon.”

“I’m not going.”

“You are.”

“I’m fine.”

“You’ve been saying that for days.”

“Because I am.”

“You stopped taking your medication.”

“I don’t need it.”

David doesn’t raise his voice.

“That’s not your decision to make alone.”

Nate lets out a humorless laugh.

“It literally is.”

He sets the carton down harder than necessary.

“I’m going upstairs.”

“Nathaniel.”

He doesn’t stop.

A second later his bedroom door slams shut.

Ana sighs.

“I’ll talk to him later.”

David nods, though he doesn’t look convinced.

“I’d appreciate that.”

No one says much after that.

Breakfast ends quietly.

***

The drive to school is strangely peaceful.

Ana spends most of it complaining about a chemistry quiz she forgot to study for.

“I swear Mr. Ron wakes up every morning wondering how to ruin my week.”

“You say that about every teacher,” I point out.

“Because they all deserve it.”

David laughs from the driver’s seat.

“I’m sensing a pattern.”

“There is.”

Ana folds her arms dramatically.

“The education system is personally attacking me.”

I shake my head.

“You’ll survive.”

“I don’t want survival.”

She points toward the school building coming into view.

“I want freedom.”

David pulls up beside the sidewalk.

“Have a good day.”

“You too, Dad.”

I climb out after Ana.

“Thanks for the ride.”

“My pleasure.”

As the car drives away, Ana bumps my shoulder.

“You’ve been weird.”

“What?”

“Weird.”

“I’m always weird.”

“No.”

She studies me for a moment.

“This is different weird.”

I force a smile.

“I’m just tired.”

She narrows her eyes.

“You sure?”

“Positive.”

She doesn’t look convinced.

Thankfully, the first bell rings before she can interrogate me any further.

***

By lunch, half the school has heard about Nate.

Some say he broke the other boy’s arm.

Someone else claims he punched a teacher.

Another insists he got expelled.

None of it is true.

Teenagers really do treat gossip like an Olympic sport.

Ana groans after overhearing another exaggerated version.

“They make him sound like some escaped serial killer.”

“They weren’t there,” I say quietly.

“They never are.”

She sighs.

“I just wish people would leave him alone.”

I know what she means.

Even if he made a terrible mistake…

He’s still someone’s brother.

Someone’s son.

Someone who’s clearly struggling.

My phone vibrates inside my blazer pocket.

Mom.

I stare at the screen for a second before answering.

“Hello?”

“Maggie, I hope I’m not interrupting class.”

“It’s lunch.”

“Oh.”

A brief silence settles between us.

“I wanted to tell you something.”

I lean against the hallway wall.

“Theo got sent overseas this morning. Work.”

I don’t say anything.

“He’ll be gone for about two weeks.”

Another pause.

“So… it’ll just be me at the house.”

I frown slightly, already knowing where this is going.

“You could come stay with me while he’s away.” Silence stretches between us. “It’ll just be the two of us,” she adds quietly.

“I’ll think about it.”

“That’s all I’m asking.”

Neither of us says anything for a moment.

“I should get back,” I finally say.

“Alright.”

“I’ll call you.”

“Okay.”

The line goes dead.

I lower my phone slowly.

I don’t know what surprises me more.

The invitation…

Or the fact that she called at all.

As I turn back toward the cafeteria, I notice someone standing at the far end of the hallway.

Nate.

He must’ve come to collect his assignments from the office.

For a brief second, our eyes meet.

Neither of us speaks.

He looks away first.

Then quietly walks in the opposite direction.