Chapter 4
I stayed sick with a fever for a really long time, going up and down and up and down.
I didn’t get better until Halloween.
The whole time, Marcus kept staying with Molly.
He didn’t forget that I was sick or anything.
But every single time Marcus maybe wanted to come check on me, Molly would call him away right at that exact moment.
got used to it.
n that scary dream I had, this same thing happened like a million times.
Maybe Marcus felt bad about not being with me when I was sick, so he bought me lots of yummy cakes and stuff that I like.
And milk candies too.
really really love sweet things.
ver since Mommy and Daddy died, milk candy is the only thing that makes my heart feel sweet.
yler sees me on the couch and rolls his eyes at me.
God, are you like five years old? I stopped eating that baby stuff ages ago.”
press my lips together and hold onto my crumpled up candy wrappers, but I don’t say anything.
Of course Tyler doesn’t need to eat candy. Even though his real mommy and daddy are gone, he still has Marcus who loves him like a dad.
nd he has Grandma Kane who loves him.
m different.
andy is all I have left.
t’s the only sweet thing I can hold onto.
ater that night, we have our big Halloween dinner.
farcus finally comes home.
ut he’s not by himself-he brought Molly with him.
farcus explains that this is Molly’s first year back in America, and her family is still living in other countries, and she doesn’t really have any friends here yet.
o he figured he’d just bring her home with him.
folly walks over with a big smile and hands me a fancy box.
Ellie, I heard you love candy, so this is my Halloween present for you.”
he winks at me. “I had my friends overseas send these special for you, so you absolutely have to try them.”
don’t want them.
But I look at Marcus’s face and take the box anyway.
Osmanthus flower milk candies.
My face goes totally white.
Marcus definitely knows I’m allergic to osmanthus flowers.
I know for sure now-I really really hate Molly.
Especially when she tries to make me eat stuff I don’t like.
In the living room, it’s just me and her, and she keeps pushing her stupid present on me.
“Ellie, just try one bite. You love candy, right?”
I don’t wanna talk to her, so I scoot away from her.
But she follows me over. “Ellie, I worked really hard to get these for you. Why are you being so mean?”
Molly tries to force-feed me the candy.
I smack her hand away.
While we’re pushing at each other, the glass cup next to me falls on the floor.
It breaks into a million pieces.
That was the matching cup I made for me and Marcus.
Now it’s all broken, just like in my dream where me and Marcus didn’t get a happy ending.
Molly reaches down to pick up the pieces and cuts her finger.
t’s a really long cut.
Her eyes get all red from the pain.
Marcus comes out right then, and Molly is standing there looking all sad next to the broken glass.
he points at me and goes, “Marcus, I just wanted Ellie to try the candy I brought her, but she totally refused to eat it. Does your family really not want me here?”
Before Marcus can say anything, Tyler runs over.
Auntie Molly, it’s not your fault at all. Ellie is just weird and nobody likes her anyway.”
She’s a dummy, so don’t pay attention to her.”
Is your cut okay?”
When Marcus sees that Molly got hurt, his face gets really scary and mad.
Ellie, apologize.”
don’t get it.
just didn’t want to eat candy that would make me sick. Why do I have to say sorry?
m not gonna apologize.
ut if I don’t apologize, that means I have to eat those osmanthus candies.
Marcus says if I eat them, then I won’t be wasting Molly’s nice present.
just stand there like a statue.
swallow hard and wanna ask, why?
Why are you being so mean to me?
Didn’t you say… you’d always be nice to me?
>idn’t you say… Ellie was the most important?
Marcus won’t change his mind. Either apologize or eat the candy.
Tyler stands right in front of Molly too. Both him and Marcus are protecting this new person they’ve only known for a few months.
I look down at the floor.
I feel really tired and worn out.
I can’t stay at the Kane house anymore.
I don’t think I recognize this place where I’ve lived for like ten years.
The Kane house has Grandma Kane, Tyler, and Marcus.
But except for Marcus, nobody ever talks to me.
Before, this place felt like home because Marcus was here and he always protected me.
ut if… if even he won’t protect me anymore…
hen this isn’t my home anymore.
nd I’m definitely never gonna apologize to Molly.
o I pick up one of the candies really quietly..
While Marcus stares at me looking super angry, I put it in my mouth.
ven though candy is supposed to be sweet, my heart feels totally bitter.
swallow it and then I talk.
Ly voice is really really quiet: “Marcus, we’re even now.”
gets harder to breathe, and I get tiny red bumps all over behind my ears.
ight when I’m about to faint, Marcus’s face finally changes.
le runs toward me really fast.
