Chapter 22

Selena! I need you!” It was my mom. A side effect none of us had expected was that Mom was now cranky as hell. She’d never been like that before. Everything seemed to bother her. How messy the house was getting, what Dad would make her to eat, the smells coming from Pat’s bedroom. I had always been Mom’s girl, her baby, but even I wasn’t immune. She flipped out when I put some special sweater of hers through the laundry.

Honestly, I was a little afraid of her.

“One sec!” I shouted upstairs. And then to Rennie I said, “Can you come over?” I hoped it was obvious in my voice. I didn’t want to be alone with my mom. I needed her.

“Um . . .” I could hear her switching the phone from one ear to the other. “Actually, my mom needs my help with taking down some wallpaper. Sorry. I’ll call you later!”

I was mad. I was so mad. But not at Rennie. At my mom. I blamed her for making my friend not want to come over, not Rennie for being a sucky friend. I trudged upstairs.

Mom was in bed. Her eyes wer