Up High in the Trees by Kiara Brinkman Read Free Book Online Page A

your clothes on.
    I look at my bed. All the blankets are gone. There’s a dark wet stain on the blue mattress.

    At lunch, Ronny’s telling how you can make yourself faint. Katya and I don’t sit at his table, but we’re listening to him.
    You have to breathe in and out really fast for thirty seconds, Ronny says, and then you stand up against a wall and someone has to push hard against your chest.
    Katya’s eating her apple slices. She eats just the white part and leaves the red skin. I don’t feel very hungry. I’m holding my sandwich but not taking any bites.
    I was passed out for almost a minute, Ronny says. He closes his eyes and falls forward on the table, like he’s fainting.
    Stupid, Katya whispers to me. She spits out a piece of apple skin and wipes her mouth on the back of her hand.
    Ronny sits up again and laughs. He looks around at everybody watching him.
    My sandwich drops out of my hand.
    You don’t like it? Katya asks and picks it up for me.
    I shake my head. I remember the air in Grandmother’s house and how it made Mother faint. I don’t want to be sad in front of everyone, but my eyes are filling up and that feels like burning. I close my eyes and try to push it back down. Then I’m crying.
    Sebby, Katya says.
    I’m crying without making any noise. Katya pulls my glasses off.
    Sebby, she says, what do you want?
    The other kids are quiet now. I know they see me.
    Hey, Katya, Andy says, what’s the matter with the crybaby? A balled-up napkin hits my cheek and lands in my lap. Katya picks it up and throws it back at Ronny’s table.
    What? Katya asks me. Sebby, she says, what do you want? She keeps asking me.
    I’m looking at her skinny, pretty shoulder. Her yellow sweater is too small. The sleeves are short and tight. I lean forward and bite her shoulder as hard as I can. Katya doesn’t move. Her yellow sweater tastes like soap.
    Stop it, she says.
    I stop and now Katya is crying, too.
    The lunch-duty lady runs over to us.
    What’s going on here? she asks.
    Ronny and one of the girls at his table tell her what I did.

    I have to go home early from school. Dad’s on his way to get me. I’m waiting for him in the principal’s office.
    Are you feeling okay? Dr. Fischer asks me again. He’s sitting in a big, brown chair with his arms folded on the desk.
    I look at him and nod.
    When Dad comes, Dr. Fischer asks him to sit. In the chair next to mine, Dad stretches out his legs and crosses his ankles.
    How’re you? Dad asks.
    Just fine, Dr. Fischer says. How are you and Sebastian doing?
    Dad switches and crosses his ankles the other way. Then he looks up and says, I think we’re all right.
    Teaching’s going well? Dr. Fischer asks.
    Dad teaches at a college that’s only for girls, but the teachers can be boys.
    I’m on leave, Dad says, finishing my book.
    Dr. Fischer nods and says, It might be best for Sebastian to stay home a few days.
    Dad coughs and clears his throat.
    Okay, Dad says, he may just need some extra rest.
    I start to swing my feet. Without even looking, Dad reaches over and puts his hand on my knees to stop my feet.
    I have to go to the bathroom, I say.
    Hold on a minute, Dad says. He looks at Dr. Fischer and waits.
    I’ll give you a call on Friday, Dr. Fischer says, and we’ll see how Sebastian’s feeling then.
    Friday’s in two days, I say.
    That’s right, says Dr. Fischer. He looks down at the desk and moves some papers around. Very well, he says.

    On Mother’s funeral day, Leo helped me get dressed in a new suit that Cass bought for me. The light blue tie had tiny white stars all over it. Leo stood behind me in front of the mirror and tried to put the tie on me, but he couldn’t do it right.
    I have to get Dad, he said.
    He left me in my room in front of the mirror. I was looking at my face and it was hard to breathe. I put my hand on the mirror to cover my face,