“MOMMY! Thatdy’s DEAD!”


    My forehead cracked against the curb and blood started gushing.


    Scared the hell out of some little kid nearby.


    His Coke went sshing everywhere.


    1 desperately needed sugar, so I started crawling toward it on my hands, inch by inch.


    Saw all that Coke on the ground and just went for it-started licking it right off the pavement.


    In that moment, I had one thought: I cannot die before next week’s finals.


    “Jesus CHRIST, Skr-look at yourself. Licking soda off the ground?”


    A ck Te pulled up and ke’s face was crystal clear in the tinted window.


    This is exactly why you’ll never beat me.”


    ke sounded smug but his eyes had this weird look I couldn’t read.


    All I could do was keeppping up that Coke, trying to get my blood sugar back up.


    Skr, when the charity scam didn’t work you went straight to begging on the street. And I used to think you were actuallypetition.”


    ke looked disgusted and disappointed, throwing a bunch of twenties at me.


    Take the cash and get lost. Stop embarrassing West Valley.”


    I numbly reached for the bills.


    This could buy me more drawing paper to finish my design.


    But that made him even more pissed:


    Skr, do you have ANY self-respect left? You really gonna act like a damn DOG?”


    “Wanna be a dog so bad? Be MY dog!” He started getting out to drag me up but Brittany stopped him.


    “Maybe Skr’s going through something. I’ll handle this.”


    “Don’t you want to study Genesis’s portfolio?”


    I heard Genesis entered thispetition too. Go work on your designs-I’ve got Skr.”


    At Genesis’s name, ke’s whole face lit up.


    “Meeting Genesis in person… I’d literally die happy.”


    Then he looked at me and snorted.


    This pathetic loser isn’t worth my time.”


    Skr, you better get on your knees and thank Brittany.”


    Soon as their car disappeared, Brittany’s sweet act droppedpletely.


    She crouched down and grabbed my chin, eyes full of pure venom.


    If you hadn’t posted ke’s DMs and gotten him suspended, we would’ve been together YEARS ago.”


    I actually startedughing.


    ke spent junior year simping for her and she never gave him the time of day.


    Iughed mockingly. “Who was it that said ‘simps don’t deserve sympathy?”


    “Who trashed ke’s gifts and made him look like a total idiot in front of everyone?”


    “Now that ke’s doing well you’re gonna pin this shit on me? You’re sick.”


    “BITCH, shut your mouth!”


    Shepletely snapped.


    Her Louboutin came down HARD on my hand.


    Pain exploded through me-I heard my fingers crack.


    Then she got this sick smile:


    “Love your Coke so much, huh?”


    “Let me hook you UP!”


    My stomach dropped. I tried fighting back.


    But my muscles were too far gone.


    Brittany had her friends hold me down while she grabbed a whole case of Coke from someone’s car.


    “Dump it ALL down her throat. Let our old buddy drink up!”


    They forced massive amounts of liquid down my throat and up my nose. My stomach felt like it was full of broken ss.


    I coughed until I was puking blood.


    Kept trying to stand but my hands and legs felt like they belonged to someone else.


    Over and over, I’d push myself up just to copse again.


    I couldn’t take anymore and passed out. <fn8774> Readplete version only at Find?Novel</fn8774>


    When I woke up, I was back in the hospital bed.


    “Ms. West, your ALS is moving fast, and what happened today just made everything worse.”


    “I’m afraid… you’ve got maybe a week. Tops.”


    “If there’s anything you gotta do, do it now.”


    With that, the doctor couldn’t handle looking at me anymore and just walked out.


    Anything I gotta do?


    Thinking about that crumbling old building, ke’s cold stare as he walked away…


    My determination only got stronger.


    I was gonna win onest time.