Page 13 of Unloved

Way to make her proud.

“Okay.” I nod, folding the schedule and tucking it around my tutoring papers. “Yeah, I got you.”

“You’ll be fine,” Rodger sighs. “Your new tutor is great. You’ll like her.”

CHAPTER 5Ro

“You have to actually tell me if I pull too hard, Ro.”

A wince breaks my smile for a millisecond, but I catch myself in the mirror and erase the pain before she sees. I love that she’s doing this for me too much to mention how often she yanks on the pieces.

“I’m good,” I say happily.

Sadie Brown has been my best friend since freshman year. My only friend, really, but there is a strange comfort in not being alone in that, in knowing I am also her only real friend. We have isolated ourselves in a lot of ways, but I wouldn’t trade a second of it—the messiness, the chaos, her brothers, my loneliness. I’d endure it all again for a friend as loyal and strong as her.

But nights like this are few and far between. We both work at Brew Haven, but Sadie works two more jobs on top of figure skating competitively for our school. Add to that her most important job—taking care of her little brothers—and she’s almost always gone.

I miss her. But I understand wholeheartedly. I’ve been the caretaker before. I’ll never make this friendship something that weighs on her. There’s only room for me to help when I can.

Sadie bites one butterfly clip while using both hands to carefully place another in a twist of my curls. “Almost done.”

“It looks amazing.”

It does. She’s used nearly all my multicolored tiny plastic clips, butmostly the ones that match my striped lilac knitted set—something I made myself sophomore year but haven’t had the courage to wear yet.

I check my phone again, seeing the same glaring message announcing it was read ten minutes ago. Which means Tyler will decidedly not be responding.

RO

Going to a small party with Sadie tonight. Hope that’s okay! Girls’ night :)

TYLER

Doesn’t sound like you’re giving me a choice.

RO

Are you going to be mad if I go?

TYLER

Are you really just with Sadie? Send me a picture of you.

I had: a quick mirror selfie with a shaky smile and my roommate wearing her signature frown and gray silk dress.

TYLER

Whatever. Do what you want.

RO

Tyler, please, I’m just hanging out with my roommate.

TYLER

Ok.

RO

---