I wake up to the smell of bacon and the expectation for Greg to be sitting on his bed, waiting to be a dick to me, but I find myself alone in the room. Glad I won't have to deal with him the daylight, I swing my legs out of bed, rub my eyes, and decide to get dressed for the day. I'm actually motivated to get out of the house because I want to see Cora again today. She asked me to join her to walk her dog this morning, and--I check the time, it's only 9:00 am--I am going to go. I contemplate texting Kyle and saying, "You'll never guess who I met last night," but I know he'll just troll both of us even harder then. I get dressed and keep everything to myself.

Downstairs, the whole family is sitting at the table for breakfast, quiet since my first creak of the stairs, and waiting with anticipation for me to say or do something. After a few awkward moments of the five of us staring at one another, Aunt Lorie asks, "How'd you sleep?"

Greg glares at me, and while I'd love to spite him in this moment, I don't want to be near him either, so I say, "Not great, actually. I'm used to sleeping by myself. Usually in my own house even, so is there another space in the house where I can stay?"

Wes thinks it over, but Lorie shakes her head as she takes a sip of coffee.

"There's the basement," Wes offers.

"It isn't finished," Lorie says.

"But we can set up a bed down there and make a space for him."

"That's terrible. I'm not putting my nephew in the cold, concrete basement away from us."

Wes gestures to me and says, "He said that's what he'd prefer."

"I'm fine with the basement," I add.

Lorie stands up, obviously frustrated, and heads to the kitchen. "Let me get you a plate. Greg, pull up a chair for Everett."

Greg rolls his eyes but does as she asks, pulling an upholstered chair from the corner where there seems to be a reading nook or something up to the table between him and Selina, the only space available. Lorie brings out a plate with eggs, a couple of pancakes, and bacon, and says, "On the weekends, we do big breakfasts."

"On weekdays, it's cereal," Selina says with a smile.

"We're a busy family," Lorie replies.

"You get what you get, kid," Wes seems to joke, and Selina responds with a giggle. I personally don't find it funny to joke about food or lack thereof, but whatever. I keep it to myself. I want to eat and get the hell out of this house.

"This looks great, thanks," I say and begin to eat.

"So, whose turn was it?" Selina asks the table.

"I got the last one," Greg replies.

"Okay, your turn."

"Okay, I'm thinking of an animal," he says.

Greg looks up to the ceiling in thought, a smirk on his face. I can't tell if he's thinking of a way to describe me as an animal or if he's actually trying to play the game.

"It is a mammal," he finishes.

"Land or water?" Lorie asks.

"Land."

"Does it walk on four legs or two?" Selina asks, her eyebrows raised.

"Two."

I swear, if it's me, I'm going to punch him right here at the table. I clench my jaw.

"Where does it live?" Wes asks.

Here we go, I think. He'll say something like, "no where, he's homeless," and then Lorie will yell at him and send him up to his room and he'll laugh thinking that he's gotten me.

"Africa," Greg answers.

Or maybe it's not me.

"A chimp," I guess.

Greg looks at me, his smirk fallen. "Yes. Now it's your turn."

The four of them look at me in anticipation, though Greg's look has a hint of annoyance in it as well. Selina takes a sip of her orange juice and then says, "Go ahead and think of an animal, and we will guess it."

This game is corny and I don't really want to participate. I just want to eat and get out.

"You can have my turn," I tell her.

"No, that's not how the rules work," Lorie protests.

I shrug. "I'm not going to play."

"Wow," Greg says under his breath as he takes a bite of his breakfast.

"I'm not feeling well," I lie. "I'm going to take my food outside."

"Okay, are you sure?" Lorie asks.

"Yeah, I'm sure."

"Hey, um," Lorie starts. "So, this afternoon we have an appointment for you to meet with the lawyers and see your mom. I know you probably don't want to go, but it's hard to reschedule, so... try to rest if you're not feeling well. We need to leave around noon."

Cold sludge fills my body, and I nearly freeze. "Sure," I say as I manage to yank my weighted limbs from the floor to go outside with my plate. The thought of seeing Janette today and talking with her lawyer makes everything inside me freeze. I don't want to see her. I don't want to be associated with her. I want nothing to do with this case. I just want to go away and have everyone leave me alone.

When I step onto the side porch and look up at the cemetery in the backyard, I remember that I don't want to be totally alone. I'd like to be around Cora again, but it's only 9:45 am now and we aren't supposed to meet for another forty-five minutes.

My body dethaws listening to the birds and quiet of Lorie's neighborhood, so different than Country Meadow Village. Slowly, the weight in my limbs lifts, and I can focus on my anger towards Janette again. For putting me in this situation, for putting herself in that situation, and for whatever will happen to me as a result. Nan's dead, so if Janette goes to jail, will I be a ward of the state? Or will Lorie take me in? Do I want to be taken in? I wish I could just be by myself. I wish I could be like an easement and never be anyone's property but my own.

The door opens and Lorie's old dog hobbles out, followed by Selina.

"Could you take Rufus for a walk?" she asks.

"No."

She pouts. "Please? It's my turn to do it, but he's been stopping in the middle of our walks and I can't carry him back on my own."

"So what if I take him and he stops for me?"

She presses her palms together at her heart. "You carry him?"

"No. Didn't you say you have a wagon or something for when he stops walking? Take that."

Her smile falls in disappointment. "Okay," she says, turning around slowly.

I might need this family to like me if Janette doesn't get out. I might need them to want me around.

"Hold up," I say. "We can walk him together. You can show me how," I concede.

"Yay," Selina cries, apparently getting what she wanted.

She hands me the leash and tells me to follow her off of the patio and down the side yard, past the sign for "Violet Hill" and through the gate to where their driveway is. She opens the garage door and returns with a red wagon, the kind that are always in picturesque suburban images, and the three of us walk to the end of the driveway and onto the quiet street, the large dog guiding my way. I hate dogs. Kyle would laugh if he saw me walking a dog, especially some old, stinky one.

"Let's go this way," Selina says, following the dog who has obviously already started walking the way she's suggesting. I can't help but laugh a little at my cousin, so bubbly and goofy, so unchanged by the world still. "We can go past Cora's house."

I shoot her a glance and see she's smiling at me.

"My bedroom window looks out over the backyard and I couldn't sleep last night after Greg and Mom's fight. Greg is not a nice brother. You're already nicer than he is and you've barely spoken to me."

"Maybe that's why I seem nicer," I suggest, but she shakes her head.

"No, you're nicer. Greg doesn't like me."

"Well, siblings, right? He played that animal game with you."

"He likes to win."

I look around and decide to give up. "Yeah, he wasn't nice to me last night."

"He doesn't want you in his room."

"He doesn't."

"So where will you sleep?"

I shrug. "Who knows. Maybe I'll curl up next to this guy," I say, pointing my chin to Rufus.

Selina laughs with a brightness that makes me smile too. "We have some space in the basement. I'll ask Mom if I can help decorate it for you. What colors do you like?"

"I really don't care, so whatever colors you like."

"Pink and purple, got it."

"That would be perfect," I say, and she laughs again. This time, her laugh brings me to laugh.

She catches her breath. "You're funny."

We walk a bit further without saying anything until we pass a line of hedges to our left and Selina whispers, "This is Cora's house. Earlier in the summer, Greg and his friends egged it. They are all really mean. Layla is the worst. I think it was her idea. Cora is nice, though. She babysat me when a few times last year and she likes The Game of Life like I do."

"I think I've played that game."

"It's so fun, want to play?"

"Sure."

I allow myself a moment to check out Cora's house. Tall, dark bricks with gray stones outlining windows and doorways. Tall, perfectly shaped shrubs on either side of walkways. Her parents must have money. Not surprised, her being a Riversidian. Lorie's house is a lot more humble, but I guess the amount of land she has brings up the value.

"I like Cora," Selina says. "If you stay here for school and stuff, too... you should be her friend. She doesn't have many people who are nice to her, which is dumb."

"Okay, I can do that. I'm going to go with her to walk her dog in a bit."

Selina raises her eyebrow. "She's pretty, too, huh?"

I hate that I might be blushing, but I think I am.

"Don't worry, I won't say anything."

I like Selina. I don't think I would hate living here if I interacted with her the most out of all the people in the house. So I decide to make amends for earlier.

"Hey Selina."

"Yeah?"

"I'm thinking of an animal."