Chapter 2 - The Email
Dad waited until Lauren and Mia were downstairs before he showed me his phone.
The email was addressed to Mrs. Alvarez, my guidance counselor.
It came from my school account.
Thank you for everything, but I have decided not to attend the scholarship interview. My family situation has changed and I no longer plan to enroll this fall.
My knees went weak.
"I never sent that."
"I know," Dad said.
"How?"
"Because Mrs. Alvarez called to ask why you were giving up a full-tuition interview twelve hours before graduation."
I grabbed my laptop.
My password no longer worked.
Dad's jaw tightened.
"Who knows your password?"
"Nobody."
Then I remembered.
Three months earlier, Lauren had insisted we keep emergency login information in a folder in the kitchen because "families shouldn't have secrets."
I had written down my school email and temporary recovery code.
Mia knew exactly where the folder was.
Dad sat on the edge of my desk.
"What scholarship?"
That question stunned me.
"The Harper Foundation. I told you."
His face changed.
"You told me you didn't get it."
"No. Lauren told me you said not to get my hopes up because the competition was too strong."
He slowly stood.
"I never said that."
The hallway went silent.
Downstairs, a suitcase zipper scraped loudly.
Dad looked toward the door.
I suddenly remembered every college conversation that had somehow passed through Lauren first.
Every time Dad was "too busy."
Every form that disappeared.
Every deadline I almost missed.
I whispered, "Dad, I think this has been going on longer than today."
His phone rang.
Mrs. Alvarez.
Dad answered on speaker.
"Michael, I'm sorry to pile this on, but I checked Claire's file. There were three messages from her account this semester asking us not to contact you directly."
I stopped breathing.
Mrs. Alvarez continued.
"Claire, did you send those?"
"No."
Another pause.
"Then someone has been speaking for you for months."
May you like
Dad looked at the stairs.
And downstairs, Lauren suddenly stopped packing.
