The Secret Sister by M. DeLuca (classic novels for teens txt) 📕

cold sober. “Actually I brought it up, Gord. I know how passionate Guy is about the program.”

Guy was already glaring at me and Nancy’s hand hovered in the air, holding the cream jug.

“I should get a refill,” she blurted, but Gord’s hand clamped down on her wrist and she sank back into her chair.

“Anna, my darling daughter-in-law. You must learn very quickly if you want to get along with this family that charity and passion don’t pay the rent. Guy’s condo, his import car and your designer wardrobe are out of reach on a professor’s pittance. He knows and Nancy knows that you don’t get all that from doing goddamn charitable deeds for deprived street kids. All this good stuff comes courtesy of my goddamn business savvy.” He spat the words out as he jabbed at the side of his temple with his forefinger. “Capiche.”

My mouth was dry. I nodded. He wanted to own all of us. Guy and me included. Suddenly he reminded me of Loni who’d sunk her talons into Birdie and never let go until she’d dragged her away from me. I dug my fingernails into my thighs just to let the sharp stab of pain bring me back to the present.

“I put a lot of work into setting up that project, Dad,” said Guy. “I just wanted to keep in touch with Brian – get some updates, that’s all.”

Gord glared at me, then reached for the Drambuie and poured a glass. As he sipped, the anger seemed to drain away. We all held our breath.

“Okay, I guess that can’t hurt. But keep it at arm’s length, son. Karrass advised us not to get in too deep with those kids. Too many problems. All kinds of liabilities and too many other do-gooders with fingers in the pie.”

“Karrass?” I blurted, unable to stop myself. Gord glanced over at me, squinting as if to measure up what I knew.

“You know him?”

I shrugged. “Not really. But some of my students may be on his caseload. Down-on-their-luck teens looking to make money from unsavory characters down by the riverbanks.”

Nancy’s face almost went purple and Guy choked on his coffee. Gord’s eyes flicked back and forth between them. He fixed a forced smile on his face.

“Please keep that to yourself, dear. Peter is a respected social worker. I’m sure he wouldn’t choose to be referred to as the old guy working the underage hookers.”

He winked at me and my stomach lurched. But I forced a fake smile and busied myself stacking dirty plates. Gord stood up, beckoning for Guy to join him in his study for a private word. Nancy silently cleared off the supper dishes, her bandaged fingers waving away my offer of help. I sat there wondering exactly what I’d stirred up with my impulsive comments.

Before swishing off into the kitchen she’d passed me the TV remote and curtly ordered me to put my feet up since I’d been at work all day. I guessed she was still embarrassed about Gord’s ass-grabbing exploits and the kitchen incident, so I flipped through the channels unable to settle on anything but the Shopping Channel where someone was trying to push today’s showstopper product – a ninety-four-dollar, nine-piece, skin hydration set.

I was just considering the idea of pulling out my credit card and ordering a set when Nancy bustled back in to collect the dirty serving dishes. She mouthed everything okay at me and I nodded. Leaning my head back against the couch I put the sound on mute and closed my eyes. Let my mind wander to thoughts about Colby and Birdie. Always Birdie.

Colby actually came through with a rescue plan in the end. Reid, one of his gamer buddies, had his own house with a spare room that he was willing to let Birdie and me stay in until we got ourselves sorted. All we had to do was find the right time to sneak out with our few belongings. Birdie said she was working on her own escape plan and didn’t need my help, but I convinced her Colby and his buddy would come through with their promise. We just had to wait until Patti and Lester were both out of the house, which was virtually never, since Patti was a permanent fixture on that grungy couch.

She sometimes ventured out for medical appointments or when the two of them made a trip to the Treasure Island Casino just outside of the city. But the last time they’d gone, they must’ve lost a bundle because they came back yelling at each other, then slammed the front door so hard the walls shook. We ate instant noodles for days after that.

That entire week after Colby came up with the escape plan, I stuck close by Patti and Lester, listening in to their conversations by pretending to do homework at the kitchen table. I checked out the calendar on the fridge to see if Patti had scrawled down any appointment times.

By that time Patti had slipped into her usual lethargy and had lost interest in forcing medication down Birdie’s throat. Instead she shoved the pill cup into my hand and told me to give her the damned shit instead. So I switched Birdie’s pills for junior aspirins and vitamin capsules that I jacked from the drugstore. I wanted her alert when the time came. There’s no way I could drag her drugged body from that apartment. So after a few days Birdie’s head cleared, but it seemed like our plan was on hold until I could get Birdie to school with me and Patti and Lester wouldn’t allow that.

I went to find Colby at the mall to tell him I still didn’t have any idea when we could leave. But really I just wanted to see him and touch him. Since the incident under the bridge we’d acted like there was an electric force field between us. At school when our fingertips touched, jolts crackled across our skin. Our desire for each