Chapter 17 - Brittany’s Choice
Grace did not sit down.
Neither did Brittany.
For several seconds they faced each other across the cafeteria table where everything had started.
“You expect me to trust you?” Grace asked.
“No.”
“Good.”
Brittany swallowed.
“My dad says Ms. Crane acted alone.”
Grace laughed once. “Your dad is on tape.”
“He says the recording was taken out of context.”
“And what do you say?”
Brittany looked toward the doors.
“My whole life, he fixed things.”
Grace said nothing.
“If I failed a class, he called someone. If I got caught drinking, he called someone. If I hurt someone...”
Her voice broke.
“He called Crane.”
Grace’s anger did not disappear.
But it changed shape.
Brittany reached into her bag and pulled out a small notebook.
“I wrote down every time.”
Grace stared at it.
“Why?”
“At first because I thought it was funny.”
That answer was honest enough to hurt.
“Later because I started forgetting who we’d done what to.”
Grace almost walked away.
Then Brittany said, “There are names that weren’t in Maya’s spreadsheet.”
Grace stopped.
“How many?”
Brittany looked ashamed.
“Fourteen.”
Grace’s stomach turned.
“Give it to Officer Reed.”
“I tried. He told me to bring a lawyer and my mother.”
“Then do that.”
“My mother left my dad last night.”
Grace stared.
Brittany pushed the notebook across the table.
“I’m not asking you to forgive me.”
“Good.”
“I’m asking you to make sure these names don’t disappear.”
Grace did not touch the notebook.
Then Officer Reed entered the cafeteria with two district investigators.
Brittany turned toward them.
Her father appeared behind them.
Charles Vale’s face was red with rage.
“Brittany,” he said, “step away from that girl.”
Brittany looked at Grace.
Then at the notebook.
Then back at her father.
May you like
For the first time in her life, she said one word he could not buy.
“No.”
