Chapter 20

I follow Vivianne to her bedroom upstairs as her mom continues to talk things through with my own. Vivianne's room is neat and tidy. The books on her bookshelf are ordered by color, and under her bed are baskets labeled according to their contents. I sit down on a chair that hangs from the ceiling while she crashes onto her bed, covering her head with a fluffy pillow. I stare up at the chair's connection to the ceiling above and feel as if the thing is going to pop right out and send me tumbling to the ground.

"This is all my fault," Vivianne whines, her voice muffled. "How could I be so reckless? So stupid? I shouted in front of everyone!"

"Yeah, I know," I say, getting up from the chair. "Did you mean what you said about me? Do you really think of me that way?"

Vivianne comes up for