CHAPTER 27

I knew going home for the weekend would be a minefield, but it"s even more treacherous than I imagined. All my dad"s friends are in one house to celebrate his award, and the table is full of friends bursting with well-intention and dangerous curiosity. "How"re classes?" Nina, my dad"s former tour manager, asks me over dinner Saturday night. "Hard, but at least they"re interesting," I say. "I have two essays and a project due before midterms." So far, so good. I take a congratulatory bite of fettucine, cooked to perfection by the chef Dad and Haley hired when Sophia hit two and Haley started working again full-time. "How"s Avery?" Haley asks. My stomach untwists a little. "Already planning her platform for student government. And shopping like crazy." "You"re