Truth or Dare by Delilah Dawson

Author:Delilah Dawson
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: St. Martin's Publishing Group
Published: 2006-10-15T00:00:00+00:00

The dream was muffled and obscure, the way those memories always were. Her momma was talking to the kind old lady with the white and pink flowered apron. The one who had brought Sonya oatmeal raisin cookies and cold, cold milk.

It was the gentle pat on her shoulders that the lady gave Sonya, along with the timid smile, that had made her bow her head, the weight of something uncomfortable and heavy in her chest. Why couldn’t she just be a good girl?

“Quit squirming, Sonya. Do you need to use the restroom?” It was her cue to say yes, but she kept her gaze on her shoes.

“She’s still shy for a seven-year-old,” Momma explained in the awkward pause. “Do you have to go or not, sugar?”

The warning was enough for Sonya to nod and listen to the elderly lady give instructions.

Sonya moved as if on the moon. Long floating steps took her through the endless dark hallway where the photos watched her from their frames on the walls. She felt as if they would reach out through the filtered light and pinch her ears.

Just like Momma said, she’d found the old lady’s purse in the bedroom, and she took the credit cards into the bathroom, where she copied them the way she’d been taught.

Place the paper over the card. Use the pencil lightly over it. Careful, now. Fold the paper for later and wipe your prints clean off it, girl, you got that?

There were so many cards! She’d hurried and done just like Momma said. Paper. Pencil. Wipe. Paper. Pencil. Wipe. Hurry, hurry. . . .

When they left, the old lady had touched Sonya’s head with tenderness and it had made her want to cry.

But two days later Momma had been the one crying. She’d been furious, yelling and saying it was Sonya’s fault the whole thing had failed.

Sonya had cowered, but Momma’s hand was wide and as hard as a skillet. Bolting for the fire escape had been another mistake. Momma yanked her back by the pigtails and Sonya had fought in a blind panic, using her thin arms to block her face, shouting and—

“It’s OK. . . . It’s OK. . . . Shh, babe. It’s going to be OK. . . .” Kai’s voice finally began to make sense, the words tumbling together, then wrapping around her like his arms, warm and strong and comforting.

When had she climbed on him? Clutching him?! Damn, there were stupid tears sliding down her cheeks.

“Just a bad dream,” she mumbled, but his arms held her, not letting her move away.

“Want to talk about it?”

She shook her head. What was there to tell? That she’d really been a con artist at one time? That she’d helped steal credit card information from anyone kind enough to fall for her mother’s scam? After all these years, Sonya still felt like the malicious little girl who exploited people’s kindness.

Baby girl, didn’t Momma tell you to wipe the cards, goddammit! You goddamned stupid girl!

Her family had fallen apart.

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