My Sister Stole My Second Life novel · Chapter 18 of 24

Chapter 18: The Crossing

Thatcher parked half on the curb across from the high school at nine minutes to seven.

Neither of us had said a word since the dorm.

The street ran downhill past the front of the school, two lanes and a painted crosswalk.

The sky was barely gray.

Kids were already coming up the sidewalk in clumps, hoods up, backpacks hanging off one shoulder.

Parents' cars idled along the curb in a line, wipers ticking.

And in the middle of it all, at the edge of the crosswalk, stood my sister.

She was wearing Lyle's orange vest.

It came down past her hips.

She held his red stop sign on its pole in both hands.

There was no sign of Lyle.

No sign of the white truck.

"She's alone," Thatcher said.

"She's not."

I was out of the car before he'd turned off the engine.

The cold hit my face.

Dena saw me coming across the lot and her whole body went rigid.

"What are you doing here?"

"Where is he?"

"Parking the truck. He said to start without him." Her lips were blue. "He said everybody should see me helping. He said it'll look good for the Stanhopes."

"Give me the sign."

"I can't. He'll..."

A bell rang inside the school.

A group of freshmen bunched up at the curb behind her, stamping their feet.

"Miss? Can we go?"

Dena looked up the hill.

Then down.

She stepped out into the road and held the sign up high, and the kids streamed across behind her, shoving and laughing.

A mother in a minivan waved at her.

Dena waved back with her free hand.

The last kid reached the far curb.

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