Eunice
The front door clicked shut behind me, the brass latch catching in the frame with a sound that felt absurdly loud in the quiet house.
"Eunice?" Mom called from the kitchen.
The steady, rhythmic of her chopping knife on the wooden board came to a sudden halt. "Is that you? Are you leaving already?"
I squeezed my eyes shut, my hand freezing cold against the doorknob.
My stomach twisted into a tight, miserable knot.
The lies tasted like dry ash on the back of my tongue.
"Yeah, Mom," I said, trying to force my voice into a relaxed, casual rhythm.
I poked my head around the doorframe. "I'm heading over to Sarah's place now. We're... we're trying to finish up the presentation for that stupid group project before morning."
She stepped into the hallway, wiping her hands on a fa
