BooksBarbecue
Back Scars Like Wings Save as PDF
Chapters (55)
  1. Cover
  2. Dedication
  3. 1
  4. 2
  5. 3
  6. 4
  7. 5
  8. 6
  9. 7
  10. 8
  11. 9
  12. 10
  13. 11
  14. 12
  15. 13
  16. 14
  17. 15
  18. 16
  19. 17
  20. 18
  21. 19
  22. 20
  23. 21
  24. 22
  25. 23
  26. 24
  27. 25
  28. 26
  29. 27
  30. 28
  31. 29
  32. 30
  33. 31
  34. 32
  35. 33
  36. 34
  37. 35
  38. 36
  39. 37
  40. 38
  41. 39
  42. 40
  43. 41
  44. 42
  45. 43
  46. 44
  47. 45
  48. 46
  49. 47
  50. 48
  51. 49
  52. 50
  53. Acknowledgments
  54. About the Author
  55. What’s next onyour reading list?

“Oh, you so belong here. Face it, these melodramatic thespians are your people.” He holds out his hand, palm up, toward me. “We’ll do it together.”

The assurance in his dark eyes calms my buzzing skin. I slip my hand into his and try to ignore the voices around me as I make my way to the front. When we get to the stage, Asad talks up to the boy in black.

“This is Ava. She’s new.”

When the boy reaches out his hand for me, I make sure to reach only my right hand back, keeping my flipper hidden at my side. He hesitates for a split second when he sees my compression garments, but before I can explain, he grabs me and pulls me forcefully onto the stage.

“Hello, new Ava. Welcome to Oz.”

March 16

I wake to beeping.

And a balloon.

"Get Well Soon."

Someone is sick.

Who?

Beep.

Beep.

Beep.

A woman in blue scrubs.

"You're in a hospital."

Why?

I can almost remember.

Something happened. Something bad.

Car accident?

"We've been waiting for you."

Where have I been?

Why is it so hard to breathe?

Something hard blocks my voice.

I'm mute.

Something white covers my face.

I'm mummified.

Why can't I move?

Little white footballs where my hands should be.

"You've been in a fire," a nurse says.

Sixty percent of me burned up.

Sixty percent?

What's left?

Cora by my bed

crying

always crying.

Pain

always pain.

Then sleep

beautiful sleep.

You were in a fire.

You've been asleep

for two months.

Reality flits away like a butterfly.

Only pieces appear:

Fire

Smoke

Flesh

Dad pushes me.

The stars save me.

Through the fog, I understand one thing:

Life has changed—

Forever.

12

For the first time since the fire, I wake up excited.

The house is quiet, just like last night after Glenn drove me home from school. Cora had gone to bed while it was still light out, and I never had the chance to tell her I’m officially a member of the Crossroads High drama club.

Another first: I actually want to tell Cora about being back in the theater. I want someone to know I’m shooting for a star, even if it’s a small one.

I find Glenn on the front porch swing, eyes trained on the snowy peaks in the distance, rocking himself slowly heel to toe, heel to toe.

“You’re burning daylight,” he says when I plop next to him. “We’ve already been out and back to the cemetery. Thought it’d be a nice way to commemorate the day.”

I’m about to ask what we’re celebrating when it hits me: March 17. Sara’s birthday.