Chapter 2
Chapter 2
Tiger’s eyebrows scrunched together and he made this annoyed “tch” sound.
“What’s the deal? Kid, you want me to feed you too?”
His voice got loud and Mom flinched.
She immediately switched to this fake smile, bent down, and used this sweet voice I’d never heard before.
“Mia, sweetie, the nice man bought you food. Go ahead and eat. Say thank you to the man.”
She pushed the small plate closer to me while talking, but under the table, her fingers dug hard into my thigh.
It hurt.
Tears shot up to my eyes, but I didn’t dare cry.
I looked down and used every bit of strength I had to keep the tears from falling into my food.
Then I picked up my fork, grabbed a piece of beef, and shoved it in my mouth fast.
It was so good…
I never knew Dad’s beef could taste this amazing!
And I didn’t want to swallow it. I rolled it around in my mouth, tasting every bit.
Tiger watched me wolf it down and his mouth twitched a little, then he turned away and dug into his own burger.
That day, I finished the whole plate of beef and the fried egg, even licked the sauce clean.
My belly was round and full. I’d never been this stuffed before.
Tiger finished eating, got up, and walked out without paying like always.
The second he was out the door, Mom’s smile vanished.
She slammed my plate away and threw it in the sink with a loud crash.
“Eat! Eat! You’re like some damn pig!” She pointed right at my nose and screamed.
“You little brat! Taking handouts from anyone? You trying to make the whole neighborhood think we starve you? That we’re terrible parents?”
Then my little brother Cole ran out from the back room, holding this huge chicken drumstick that Dad had saved just for him.
10:25
A Missing Key, 218 Missed Calls, One Family Secret
24.8%
Chapter 2
He ran to Mom and tattled in his baby voice, “Mommy, sissy stole meat!”
Mom immediately squatted down and hugged him, her voice getting all soft.
“Baby, that’s just sissy being naughty. Mommy already yelled at her. You eat yours-there’s more in the kitchen if you want.”
She looked at me with these mean eyes that made me scared.
“No dinner for you tonight,” she said.
“You ate so much at lunch, you won’t starve. We’ll save that food so your brother can have an extra egg tomorrow.”
That night I was too hungry to sleep. I hid under my blanket and cried quietly.
I just didn’t get why Cole could eat chicken drumsticks, but me eating one piece of beef someone gave me was some kind of sin.
From then on, every time Tiger came, he ordered extra beef and a fried egg and pushed it right in front of me.
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