She was thirteen, angry at her parents, trying hard to be popular by taking risks—no, not taking, throwing herself against them like waves against a rock—seeing a boy who cared nothing for her and knew exactly how to take advantage of her. What happened next was almost inevitable.

* * *

When Sutton missed her period, she didn’t think anything of it.

The second month without one she blamed on jogging, which she’d taken up with a vengeance in lieu of throwing herself at bad choices. She might even go out for track. Wouldn’t that be fun?

The third month, when she was feeling sick and sore, she bought a test. Two pink lines. Her first thought: I’m going to die. The second: They’re going to kill me.

Once she couldn’t deny it anymore, she did her best not to panic. She knew exactly what had happened that night, even though she couldn’t remember it all in detail. She’d gone in wanting to be the cool party girl, and wow, had she ever gotten her wish. And now she was going to pay the price.

But she was going to handle things herself. She knew what she needed to do. Get rid of it, and fast. There was no way in hell she was going to face any of the boys who’d been there that night, especially Hayden, that prick, and tell them she was in trouble. Hell, no.

But Joe Schmo kept a purple Crown Royal bag full of cash in a barrel in the garage. She’d seen him sneaking bills into and from it plenty of times. He’d catch her eventually, notice the missing money—$300 was a lot, even to a man who had a good job—and she’d be punished, badly, but at least she’d be in the clear. Her life wouldn’t be ruined. No more than it already was, of course.

The day she threw up for the first time, she skipped seventh period, the first time she’d cut since the party, and snuck out to the parking deck where the kids assembled to smoke or make out or catch a quick high. The sun was blasting, the day so hot and humid that she felt like she was going to melt into the pavement and die.

She’d been feeling like she might die a lot, lately. She was such an idiot. What a huge, stupid mistake.