it’s not only Isaiah that needs help. I grip his arm tighter and in return he’s gripping me and Rachel is now hugging her brother.
“She’s coming back,” I say, and I hate how my voice comes out hoarse. “She’s coming back and she’s coming back to stay.”
“God, I hope so,” mutters Isaiah.
She will. Abby will because she loves us...because I bought her a bunny.
Emails
To: Abby
From: Logan
Re: I dare you
Date: August 24
Abby,
Dare accepted. Twenty-five new things in three weeks. I’m feeling good on this dare. I’m not the one behind walls. My possibilities are more endless.
I’m attaching a pic of your Grams. She asked for you today. Didn’t say much else, but she did say your name. Isaiah and West checked out some nursing homes for when the money runs out. Chris knows someone who works at a good place. All three are headed there this weekend. Mac put the house up for sale so he’ll have the money for it.
Be prepared to lose the dare.
Logan
To: Logan
From: Abby
Re: I dare you
Date: August 26
Logan,
Sorry about your luck, but trying out for your new school’s baseball team doesn’t count. You’ve already played baseball before. This has to be something totally new and different. And yes, I am cheating with our program of trying twenty-five new things in three weeks and that’s okay. I’m the one serving a life sentence in girl hell. My roommate needs to stop crying or having emotions or maybe she has broken tear ducts—just saying.
I tried crocheting last night. I decided I would have died before industrialization from exposure. Crocheting is impossible. There’s a girl here who is good at it. She scares me a little. I’m going to eat lunch with her tomorrow. :-)
I’m in the lead!
Abby
To: Abby
From: Logan
Found something I like
Date: September 6
Abby,
Try new things number twenty-three—working on the dairy farm with Chris. And before you laugh, yes, I was running out of ideas for new things to try. Did it just to check the box, but I liked it. Kept me busy, cows had the right amount of conversational skills that I prefer, and I saw how much money Chris will be making off of it when he inherits the farm. Not bad.
Baseball is good. Team is good enough to go to state. I’ll play for the rest of the year, but I told the coach I’m not interested in a college scholarship. Something like that needs to go to someone who is passionate about it. A couple of schools are showing interest in me from those summer sessions. I think I’ll peruse those places for admission and money.
Your rabbit took a dump on my bed last night. You should be happy Thumper is yours.
Logan
To: Logan
From: Abby
Re: Found something I like
Date: September 6
Logan,
Have you thought of doing it? Being a cattle farmer? If that’s what it’s called? I think we should do that, but replace cattle with bunnies and then we don’t milk or eat the bunnies. We just let them multiply. Then we’ll take over the world. Me the queen. You the king. Our bunnies the army nobody can defeat.
Mac told me they have someone interested in buying the house and that the seller has agreed to not move in until the day the money runs out for the nurses. Not sure how I feel about this. Sort of sad. Sort of...I don’t know.
Tell Ryan thanks for the nursing home recommendation. Guess he got the name of this place from his mom. I emailed him a thanks, but I’d like you to thank him for me, too.
Everyone has emailed and said they like it the best. It’s weird to think all of you spent time researching this stuff. I guess tell them all thank you.
In case you’re wondering, I won. Completed my twenty-fifth new thing last night. I cooked. A cake. I guess that’s baking, but still. I’ve never cooked or baked and I liked it. This lady came in, a volunteer, and I was one of the people chosen to do it. She taught me how to make a flower out of frosting. I want to do more of this.
Everyone has emailed me now and I mean everyone, even Denny and Houston. Not sure how Houston knew I was sent to juvie or how he found me here, but he’s claiming he means the whole friend thing and wanted to make sure I was fine. He sent a picture of him holding a Hallmark card in a grocery store that said, Get Better Soon.