Chapter 25

I hadn’t laughed like that in a long time—the bent-over, tear-jerking, rib-aching laugh that was pure joy and absolutely infectious. I hadn’t felt that. It felt foreign to me. Yet here I was, laughing my ass off with Nana Hellen by my side. Henry had lost the first round in the video game. Benny proceeded to grace the room with a performance of his I Win dance, which was composed of a lot of sing-song tunes, hand raises, a hopeless moonwalk, and giggles as he shook his booty. His large, dense eyeglasses were practically falling off his face. He had to push them up with his elbow.

Henry was a sulking mess next to him, while the other teenagers in the room were just itching to get their chance. After sneaking out of the furniture shop through the back because of the commotion, hundreds of people had gathered, waiting to get a glimpse of me. It was unnerving, the thought of people waiting to see me. It made