15
ARIELLA
The Pinup Paradise Diner in Briarville was the place I’d stand outside of as a kid, watching what normal families looked like through the window. I’d walk past on the way home to the trailer park adjacent to the dairy-cow fields and fairgrounds and peer through the glass. The creepy little kid guessing at what happiness looked like.
Those were some f****d-up days. That was perfectly clear as I sat in the same diner now, devouring my crêpes with Nutella and sliced banana, washing it all down with hot cocoa and marshmallows.
Eric shoved a half a slice of bacon in his mouth and spoke around it while he chewed. “I want you to stay away from that chump Jason from now on. He’s an entitled brat at best and a bully at worst. Trust me, Ariella, you don’t want to mess with him. He has
