The Education of Kia Greer by Alanna Bennett

Author:Alanna Bennett [Bennett, Alanna]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Random House Children's Books
Published: 2025-05-13T00:00:00+00:00

* * *

Mom’s speech brought the house down. She’d grown up the kind of kid the Stork Foundation had been founded to aid, and she had the audience hanging on her every word as she recalled being the seventh grader who’d always fallen asleep in school because there hadn’t been enough food at home.

“No child should go without the things they need,” she said. “Every person in this world deserves the chance to survive and succeed on their own terms, and I am so proud of the Stork Foundation for helping make that a reality, one kid at a time.”

Lark, Dad, Cass, and I stood to applaud, and the rest of the audience joined our standing ovation. She held up her award and everyone cheered louder. When she got back to our table, she melted into her seat, chest rising and falling rapidly. She rubbed her temples, overwhelmed.

“Aw, Mom, I’ve never seen you nervous!” Lark said, looking a little moved.

“You killed it!” I exclaimed. Dad sloped an arm around her shoulders, and she relaxed into him. I smiled, watching them. Affection between my parents wasn’t unheard of; they were just so rarely in the same place that I didn’t get to see it often.

“That was incredible, Mrs. Greer,” Cass said from the seat next to me. “I never knew that part of your story. You’ve lived quite an impressive life.”

“Yes, well, I don’t love to relive it,” Mom said, fanning herself with her program. “For a good cause, though? Anything.”

I scanned my mother’s face. I’d expected her to spend the night falling all over Cass, given how instrumental he’d been in distracting from the Levi scandal. Her reaction to his praise was polite but muted—almost curt, if you really knew her.

My dad separated himself from my mom and leaned both arms on the table. “Well, now that we’re all here together…”

“We don’t have to do this,” I said. My dad was the quiet one of my two parents—he was where I got it from. He didn’t like being out on the town, preferring to spend his nights immersed in a good book or an incredibly boring documentary. But Dad also had what Cass did: that inner electricity that crackled wherever he went. He’d always channeled this intensity into his work, but when the full force of his charm was focused on you? You had no choice but to play along. And right now, apparently, Raymond Greer wanted to play.

“I’m talking to Cassius, not you, darling,” he chided.

“Yes, sir, hello,” Cass said, straightening in his chair.

“My Kia doesn’t bring a lot of guys around—”

“Dad, leave them alone!” Lark said with a roll of the eyes.

“She’s told me about you on our FaceTimes, and you seem like a good guy,” he said. “But what exactly are your intentions with our sweet, precious Kia? Please tell me you’re not another musician fuckboy—we have had enough of those in this family.”

“He’s not!” Lark protested.

Our mom shushed her. “I’d like to hear this.”

Cass took my hand.

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