I'll never let it happen. I'll do everything in my power to keep my sister at home.I don't want to have a civilized discussion. My parents want to send my sister to a facility behind my back and my head feels like it's about to split open. Leave me alone, okay?Something is sticking out of my pocket. It's Alex's bandanna. Isabel isn't a friend, yet she helped me. And Alex, a boy who cared about me last night more than my own boyfriend did, acted as my hero and is urging me to be real. Do I even know how to be real?I clutch the bandanna to my chest.And I allow myself to cry.

~ Simone Elkeles

Simone Elkeles Alex Fuentes Bandanna Brittany Ellis Cry Emotional Shelley Ellis Sister

Shelley, you think she'll take me back? Alex asks her, his hair dangerously close to her fingers. She doesn't pull his hair . . . just pats his head gently. I feel the tears running down my cheeks at full speed.Yeah! Shelley yells with a goofy, gummy grin. She looks happier and more content than she's been in a long time. Both of my favorite people are with me right here; what more could I ask for?

~ Simone Elkeles

Simone Elkeles Alex Fuentes Brittany Ellis Emotional Favorite People Happier Shelley Ellis Take Me Back