18

ELISE

Alia was already asleep in her bedroom when Brandon called. As I put the phone to my ear, I was distracted. I just had the call from the family, and I could still hear my mother’s frustrated crying after finding out about my beating last night. Of course, Gian felt obligated to report. It was something he thought my parents had a right to know, and he would do the right thing even if it would make him look bad.

Classic Gian!

But there it went, and I felt as distraught as my mother, sister, and my stepfather were as I assured them all that what they could see on the video call wasn’t as painful as it looked. I was grateful… well, it wasn’t a deadly sickness, that Anna had the flu and she acted nauseous (maybe she was indeed that after the shock of seeing my black eye?) so it wasn’t a long call. I also told them my meds had made me sleepy and that I needed to rest. Also, Anna being sick meant my mother would not catch the first ferry ride from the beach resort to get to my side.

M