Page 109 of Don't Let Go

“Let’s go to the cafeteria. The coffee up here sucks,” Lorenzo said, hitting Tyler on the shoulder.

I flashed them a brief smile as Lorenzo and Tyler left the ICU with Carmen and Franco behind them.

I opened Mamma’s door. “Hey, Mamma. I’m back.”

“Come here, fiore mio,” she said softly, patting the bed beside her.

I rushed to my mamma’s side, tears already spilling over, and snuggled against her, feeling the comfort in her warmth as she held me tight.

“Mr. Dickson wasn’t upset about Paolo and Vincenzo. He seemed more interested in their affairs with the cartel,” I said, resting my head on her chest.

“Shh, we can talk about that later. I just want to hug you.”

She kissed my forehead. I felt like a little girl again, wanting to sleep in her bed to hide from the monsters in my closet.

“I can do that,” I said, yawning.

My mamma brushed my eyebrows gently and slowly with her fingertip. It made me sleepy. I haven’t slept much since losing Lizzy. My body ran on anger and frustration. Now with that gone, I could rest safely in my mamma’s arms.

Tomorrow was another day to deal with the mob and all the problems stemming from that. Right at this moment, I wanted to pretend to be that little girl again whose mamma could chase away the monsters with a stern word and a loving hug.

42

Tyler

We’ve been living in white noise. Tuned to radio silence. Reduced to black and white snow that once danced across TV sets with no signal. It’s been almost a month, and the mob hasn’t done anything to Rory for shooting Paolo’s cousin. Sofia has been released from the hospital and placed on bed rest at home. Franco and Lorenzo glued themselves to her side, making sure she had everything she needed. Carmen and Rory hovered over their mother too, when they weren’t in school. There was nothing in this world Sofia couldn’t have if it were up to her children.

“It’s prom week!” a girl cheered when I stepped into my English class. She clapped her hands as her best friend ran over. Their happy banter killed my thoughts.

“I know! I already have my dress. What about you?” the girl’s friend said.

“Of course. The limo has been rented. We have cute dates. I think we’re set.”

I rolled my eyes and slumped into my chair. I had no idea prom was this week. It was plastered all over school, yet I was blind to it.

Did Rory want to go to prom and forget about her life for a night? Maybe I could ask her friend Chloe if she knew if Rory felt up to going. I didn’t want to make it awkward by asking Rory out and shutting me down.

After class, I exchanged my English textbook for my math one at my locker when I spotted Chloe walking to lunch. “Chloe,” I said, waving at her.

She stopped, giving me a quizzical look before coming over. “Yeah?”

“Have you talked to Rory?”

Chloe shifted her weight from one foot to the other. She blew a piece of blue-streaked hair out of her face. “As much as I can. She doesn’t like talking.”

I nodded. “Umm.” I scratched my leg with the top of my shoe. “I was wondering if I should ask Rory to prom. Do you think she’d be up for that?”

She squished her lips over to the side. “Are you serious?”

My stomach knotted itself into a pretzel as she looked at me like I was crazed. “You… you don’t think it’s a good idea?”

She shook her head, and her blonde hair whipped around her shoulders. “Prom is lame. We don’t do typical things like that around here.” She leaned forward, whispering, “At least not the cool people.”

I pressed my lips into a firm line. “Okay… so whatdoyou do?”

Chloe shrugged, fixing the strap on her backpack from falling down her arm. “The anti-prom.”

I rubbed the back of my neck, mildly confused. “That’s a thing?”

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