Chapter 4: Lunch Rush

"Move," I said.

Dad did not move.

He stood in the study door with the folded folder behind his back, and he waited for me to ask nicely.

I had asked nicely my whole life.

"Mr. Carroway?" a voice said from the hall.

Noah appeared at my shoulder with a box on his hip.

"Chloe, the truck's loaded. Your mom says there's coffee if you want it."

He smiled at my father politely.

He did not leave.

Dad looked at him, and then at the open front door behind him, where the neighbor was still pretending to water her planter.

He stepped aside.

"We'll talk about this later," he said.

"No, we won't."

I walked out past him with my birth certificate against my ribs.

On the porch, Mom pressed a hand to her heart for the street.

"She'll come around," she called to nobody. "She's just upset."

I got into the truck.

Noah pulled out of the driveway slowly, and in the side mirror I saw Chase at the window, holding his cereal bowl and laughing.

"Are you okay?" Noah said.

"No."

"Okay."

"I will be."

"Okay," he said again, and turned on the radio low.

At twelve-thirty I stood behind the diner counter in a gray apron.

The Sunday church crowd had filled every booth, and the whole room smelled of syrup and bacon.

I had a pot of coffee in each hand when the bell on the door rang.

Mom came in wearing her good coat.

She had Penelope by the elbow and a white bakery box in her other hand.

She stopped in the middle of the room and made sure everybody could see her.

"Hello, everyone," she said. "Sorry to interrupt your lunch."

Forks paused.

The old men at the counter turned on their stools.

Keep reading free with an account. Start You Ignored My Birthday So I Erased Myself From The Family from Chapter 1, then sign up free to read the rest of this chapter.