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MY WHITE BALLOON THAT NIGHT, I dream that the house breathes with me. I exhale and the walls contract like a pinpricked balloon, crushing me as it deflates. I inhale and the walls expand. A single breath more and my life will finally, finally explode.
NEIGHBORHOOD WATCH HIS MOM’S SCHEDULE 6:35 AM - Arrives on porch with a steaming cup of something hot. Coffee? 6:36 AM - Stares off into empty lot across the way while sipping her drink. Tea? 7:00 AM - Reenters the house. 7:15 AM - Back on porch. Kisses husband good-bye. Watches as his car drives away. 9:30 AM - Gardens. Looks for, finds, and discards cigarette butts. 1:00 PM - Leaves house in car. Errands? 5:00 PM - Pleads with Kara and Olly to begin chores “before your father gets home.” KARA’S (SISTER) SCHEDULE 10:00 AM - Stomps outside wearing black boots and a fuzzy brown bathrobe. 10:01 AM - Checks cell phone messages. She gets a lot of messages. 10:06 AM - Smokes three cigarettes in the garden between our two houses. 10:20 AM - Digs a hole with the toe of her boots and buries cigarette carcasses. 10:25 AM–5 :00 PM - Texts or talks on the phone. 5:25 PM - Chores. HIS DAD’S SCHEDULE 7:15 AM - Leaves for work. 6:00 PM - Arrives home from work. 6:20 PM - Sits on porch with drink #1. 6:30 PM - Reenters the house for dinner. 7:00 PM - Back on porch with drink #2. 7:25 PM - Drink #3. 7:45 PM - Yelling at family begins.
- Page 3 and 4: This is a work of fiction. Names, c
- Page 5 and 6: C O N T E N T S Cover Title Page Co
- Page 7 and 8: More Than This Nurse Evil Neighborh
- Page 9 and 10: Takeoff Forgiveness Life is Short T
- Page 11 and 12: THE WHITE ROOM I’VE READ MANY mor
- Page 13: SCID ROW MY DISEASE IS as rare as i
- Page 19 and 20: “Perfect.” My mom peers over my
- Page 21 and 22: STAYS THE SAME I’M READING ON my
- Page 23 and 24: ALIEN INVASION, PART 2 I’M UP TO
- Page 27: THE WELCOME COMMITTEE “CARLA,”
- Page 31 and 32: I SPY HIS FAMILY CALLS him Olly. We
- Page 33 and 34: The bell rings again. My mom half r
- Page 35 and 36: PIÈCE DE REJECTION BACK IN MY room
- Page 37 and 38: I don’t think Carla has ever said
- Page 39 and 40: FIRST CONTACT TWO DAYS PASS and I
- Page 41 and 42: NIGHT FOUR I CAN’T STAND it. I pe
- Page 43 and 44: NIGHT SIX THE BUNDT IS lying on a w
- Page 45 and 46: FIRST CONTACT, PART TWO From: Madel
- Page 47 and 48: Wednesday, 8:15 P.M. FIRST CONTACT,
- Page 49 and 50: Olly: curiouser and curiouser madel
- Page 51 and 52: Madeline: She must love somebody. I
- Page 53 and 54: Olly: no. he made me quit the mathl
- Page 55 and 56: Olly: come to the window Madeline:
- Page 57 and 58: figure is different. This time he
- Page 59 and 60: “Well, if I didn’t know before
- Page 61 and 62: TWO HOURS LATER I TRY AGAIN. “It
- Page 63 and 64: LATER STILL “PLEASE, CARLA—”
- Page 65 and 66: “You trying to talk me out of it?
- Page 67 and 68: OLLY THE SUNROOM IS my favorite roo
- Page 69 and 70: he’s still, I can feel the need t
- Page 71 and 72: DIAGNOSIS
- Page 74 and 75: WONDERLAND AND IT’S THE wanting t
- Page 76 and 77: MAKES YOU STRONGER THERE’S NO E-M
NEIGHBORHOOD WATCH<br />
HIS MOM’S SCHEDULE<br />
6:35 AM - Arrives on porch with a steaming cup of something hot. Coffee?<br />
6:36 AM - Stares off into empty lot across the way while sipping her drink. Tea?<br />
7:00 AM - Reenters the house.<br />
7:15 AM - Back on porch. Kisses husband good-bye. Watches as his car drives away.<br />
9:30 AM - Gardens. Looks for, finds, and discards cigarette butts.<br />
1:00 PM - Leaves house in car. Errands?<br />
5:00 PM - Pleads with Kara and Olly to begin chores “before your father gets home.”<br />
KARA’S (SISTER) SCHEDULE<br />
10:00 AM - Stomps outside wearing black boots and a fuzzy brown bathrobe.<br />
10:01 AM - Checks cell phone messages. She gets a lot of messages.<br />
10:06 AM - Smokes three cigarettes in the garden between our two houses.<br />
10:20 AM - Digs a hole with the toe of her boots and buries cigarette carcasses.<br />
10:25 AM–5 :00 PM - Texts or talks on the phone.<br />
5:25 PM - Chores.<br />
HIS DAD’S SCHEDULE<br />
7:15 AM - Leaves for work.<br />
6:00 PM - Arrives home from work.<br />
6:20 PM - Sits on porch with drink #1.<br />
6:30 PM - Reenters the house for dinner.<br />
7:00 PM - Back on porch with drink #2.<br />
7:25 PM - Drink #3.<br />
7:45 PM - Yelling at family begins.
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