I breathe a sigh of relief.He’s not mad.
Me
Silence your phone! Don’t mess with the poor kid’s dreams
Zayne
I wouldn’t dare
Me
You know, I have a brother too
Zayne
I know. I met him when you came to eat at the restaurant, remember?
Me
Oh yeah. Have I told you he used to call me Bar Dot when we were younger, instead of silencing the t at the end? It’s how I got my nickname
Zayne
Really? That’s hilarious. How old is he?
Me
13
Zayne
Only a year younger than Lenny
Me
Yep. He tries to act like he’s older than me sometimes
It’s so annoying
He never used to until my mom got sent away.
I inhale sharply as soon as I press send.Too late to take it back now.I don’t know why I sent it. It’s not like Zayne is someone I should be confiding in. But I can’t help it—this sudden desire I have to tell him more about me. There’s no way I’d ever talk about something like this with him in person. It would feel too vulnerable. But here, in my dimly lit bedroom during the silence of night, there’s a safeness I can’t explain.
Zayne
Your mom got sent away?
Me
Yeah. She was supposed to go to rehab, but she couldn’t stand the idea of not being able to communicate with us. To come and go as she pleased.
It’s a long story
Zayne
If you want to tell me, I have time.
And I did just tell you all about my criminal past, to be fair
