Chapter 20

By the time the school day ended, I felt like a train had hit me. The day had been so long and chock-full of planning and talking. If I wasn’t telling Lana every single anti-climactic detail of my night with Bratt, then I was telling Paulette about the break-in. If I wasn’t doing that, then I was making arrangements with Bratt for the new equipment for the house—including him asking about colors for fixtures he supposedly already had.

I didn’t like the idea of him spending money on me, but I tried my best to think of the numerous times he’d promised that he liked taking care of people. Still, Lana’s words—about him never working for free—made me nervous. I hoped I wasn’t writing a check I couldn’t cash.

The kids were especially rowdy all day, too. It was a common thing after the first day of school. They’d gotten their nerves out of the way the previous day and were now fearless and confident that they had already learned everything. I’d always taken exception to the idea that teena