I have NEVER felt super... incredibly... GROSSLY humiliated like THIS before! Until our dinner at the infamous Long-f*ckin-horn Cafe!

I felt disgusted by the attitude of those small-town kids. To think that I've been from a city LARGER than this, and yet they've got the nerves — THE NERVES to make fun of me and Papa Dan in public is soooooooo damn SH*TTY!

As soon as we got home, I quickly ran upstairs to and search for Henry's watch which I left earlier and wound it. I pop open the cover, and when the minute hand points straight up, I punch Hailey's number into my cell phone. Geez~ I can't wait to speak with her. To tell her everything that had happened in this god-forsaken town. And the gross behavior of those feeling-rich cowboy kids! After the tenth ring, I end the call and dial her landline. Mrs. Fremont picks up right away.

"Hi, this is Tansy," I say. It's great to hear her voice. I like Mrs. Fremont. She's an old-fashioned stay-at-home mom who makes the best brownies ever. We talk about the trip and Cedar Canyon for a little while, then I ask if Hailey can come to the phone.

"I'm sorry, Tansy," Mrs. Fremont says. "Hailey went to a concert."

"A concert?" I sit up. I'm having a bad feeling about this.

"Yes, with that boy from school. Corey—no, that's not right, it's—"

"Colin?" I can't believe what am hearing. Then, my stomach drops.

"Yes, that's his name. They went to see a local group… Filthy Red?"

"Blue," I murmur. "Filthy Blue?!" But that is Colin's favorite band! What on earth is happening? Is my bestfriend and boyfriend, stabbing me at the back? I could not believe this. I SWEAR I CANNOT BELIEVE THIIIIS! Colin? Hailey? SERIOUSLY?! WHAT ON EARTH ARE UP WITH YOU GUYS!?

"Hailey won't be home for a while. I know she'll be sorry she missed you. I'll tell her to call you tomorrow."

My throat hardens, and I can barely choke out a good-bye. All Hailey's warnings about Colin being bad news echo through my mind, followed by her promises. Call me your first night there. I promise I'll be home…. I don't care how far apart we live, you're my best friend. Nothing will change that. Yeah, right. I've only been gone a few days and she not only couldn't care less if she talks to me, she's going out with the guy I like. I can't believe Hailey would do this to me. I TRUSTED HER! I mean, she's like a sister to me. And Colin, I've trusted him too! So how could they do it to me?! How long they've been doing this to me?

GOSH! How could I have been so stupid?!

The dawn has come. And the wind has given way to a gentle breeze, and the sunshine and bright blue sky make the events last night seem like a bad dream. A terrible dream. I force my thoughts to other things, but when I picture Hailey with Colin at the Filthy Blue concert, I feel worse than ever. No, Tansy, don't you cry! I tell myself. Atleast not over them. Who are they to begin with? They're just the two most unlikely people in the planet to me right now. I'm done with them.

My bae with my bestfriend...

I'm up before seven, wide awake in spite of my restless night. I pass Mom's bedroom on my way to the stairs. I tried to push back everything that I have dealt with yesterday. Clearly it wasn't a good day for a fresh starters like us. I went downstairs and joined Mom and Papa Dan in the kitchen. Looking forward to a bountiful breakfast!

Papa Dan sits looking out the side window at the mulberry tree, a pile of shredded paper napkin on the table in front of him. He glances my way and a smile flickers at the corners of his mouth. His eyes are bloodshot, his face ashen, his thick silver hair a tangled mess. This morning, he wears wrinkled pajamas, and his feet are bare. I kiss his head on my way to the refrigerator. "Morning."

Top o' the morning to you, Tansy girl. The words echo from mornings long past, an Irish greeting spoken with the slight Texas drawl he never quite shed.

Mom walks in and opens the refrigerator. "Good morning, early bird," she says.

"The early bird was outside my window last night. It woke me up after midnight and kept singing off and on until morning." I sit back and look at her, hoping she doesn't notice I'm emotional. "Didn't you hear it?"

"No. Are you sure it was a bird?" She takes out the juice pitcher, then faces me. "That's odd for one to sing during the night."

"I didn't see it, but I know what a bird sounds like. I'm surprised all the birds around here haven't been blown to Oklahoma, there's so much wind."

Mom frowns. "Is something wrong?"

Thinking about the events yesterday, and then just there, I remember my conversation with Hailey's mother, AGAIN.

My bae with my bestfriend... on a date together. Watching his favorite band perform live. A feat he never did with me when we were together.

I wonder what else they could be doing without me...

I shake my head.

Dread sinks like a stone to the bottom of my stomach as I lift a pitcher of orange juice from the refrigerator.

"Tansy? Is there something wrong?"

Papa Dan's blank expression shifts to one of worried confusion. He touches my cheek, and I realize then that he only understands one thing—that I'm upset.

"What are you thinking about?" Mom asks me as she leans against the counter, her back to the sink.

"Papa Dan. He seriously hates it here." Avoiding the topic that plays into my head since last night.

"Not this again." She sighs. "How do you know?"

I widen my eyes, hiss, "Look at him. He didn't get dressed before he came down."

Papa Dan's chair scrapes the floor as he pushes away from the table and stands. "Don't you want some toast, Dan?" Mom asks him, but he turns toward the door that leads to the living room and leaves without acknowledging either one of us.

"We shouldn't talk about him like he's not even in the room!" I screamed. And I don't know why.

"I know." She touches my arm. "The move has thrown him off, that's all. The doctor warned us that things like this could likely happen, even without the move."

"I heard him talking in his sleep."

Her eyes widen. "Talking?"

I nod. "Full sentences. He sounded upset."

"What did he say?"

"I couldn't hear all of it." I don't mention that he spoke in two different voices or that they seemed to overlap. She would either think I was dreaming or worry that I'm going peanutty because of the move. This morning, I'm not so sure I don't agree with her.

The toast pops up. Mom places the slices on a plate and takes them to the table. "He may be a little stressed out from the trip."

"Maybe." I cross my arms. "Or maybe this place gives him the creeps."

I sit down across the table from my grandfather and lift my glass, then set it down again without drinking. Leaning toward him, I say, "Why did you have a picture of this house? Did you used to come here when you were a kid?" He only blinks at me, and I'm not sure he understands my question.

Reaching across the small table, I take his hand and whisper, "You talked last night…I heard you. Why won't you talk to me now?" I smile at him, tears blurring my vision. "I'm okay," I say, my voice too high. Sitting back, I reach for the fruit bowl and pluck a grape from the stem.

I squeeze my eyes shut. "I hate what's happening to him. I hate it."

"I know, Tansy. I hate it, too."

"It's like he isn't even here sometimes. Just his body. And even it—" The words catch in my throat. I open my eyes and look at her. "It's so weird. He looks the same on the outside, but he's getting all shaky. And when he holds my hand, he doesn't feel as strong."

"He's always taken care of us. Now it's our turn to take care of him," Mom says softly.

Fighting tears, I say, "I miss him, Mom. I miss him so much."