Free My So-Called Family by Courtney Sheinmel Page A

parents.” Brenna’s father had had a business trip to New Mexico, which is where her mother’s aunt lived. The aunt was really old. Brenna had never met her, and Brenna’s mom decided it was a good time to take Brenna to visit her, in case she died before they got another chance to see her. So Brenna got to miss school, even though it was just the second week. Our English teacher said she should keep a journal about the trip. Brenna had shrugged. She didn’t really want to go to New Mexico to meet some ancient aunt she had barely ever heard of before.
    â€œShe called me last night,” Avery said. “But Chase was on the phone with Lizzie all night, and he didn’t give me the message until this morning. They had a fight and then they were making up. I can’t wait until he goes to college and I don’t have to share the phone line with him anymore. Anyway, I was going to call Brenna back this morning, before school, but my mom said I couldn’t because of the time change. It’s, like, two hours earlier there.”
    â€œWhere?” Charlie asked. He had swallowed so it was easier to understand him.
    â€œIn New Mexico,” Avery said.
    â€œI know Mexico,” he said.
    â€œNo, not Mexico,” I said. “ New Mexico. It’s another state.”
    â€œNew York is a state,” he said. I nodded. “And Maryland is a state too,” he continued. “I’ve lived in two states.”
    Charlie hadn’t managed to stay quiet for very long, but Avery just smiled. “I’ve only lived in one state,” she told him.
    I looked across the table at Callie. “She didn’t call me,” I said to change the subject.
    â€œLeah’s not allowed to talk on the phone,” Charlie said. I shoved him a little, but not so hard that it would hurt. Apparently he thought this was funny because he smiled and kept talking. “She’s in trouble because she stayed out too late. And she’s not allowed to watch TV, so I get to pick every time!”
    I felt myself start to blush. I hadn’t really told Avery and Callie about being grounded. I didn’t want them to think I was a baby. I had just pretended to be extra busy over the last few days so they wouldn’t think it was strange that I didn’t want to hang out after school and couldn’t talk on the phone. “Anyway,” I said extra loudly, so Charlie would know to shut up. “Did you hear from her?”
    Callie nodded.
    â€œIs she miserable?” Avery asked. “I’d hate it if my parents made me go across the country with them to meet some old relative I’d never heard of. It sounds even more boring than school.”
    â€œAnd she doesn’t get to eat ice cream with us,” Charlie said. Sometimes I’m impressed by how easily he can follow grown-up conversations. He’s only five, after all. Mom and Simon think he’s some kind of genius. They had his IQ tested right before we moved to Riverdale, and it turns out that Charlie has the highest IQ of all of us, even though he’s the youngest. Sometimes I wish he weren’t quite so smart, because then he’d probably be more quiet. I’ve never told anyone that, though. They’d probably just think I was jealous.
    â€œShe wouldn’t have come here with us even if she was in Riverdale,” Avery said.
    â€œHow come?” I asked.
    â€œShe and her mom are on this total health kick. Her mom lost, like, a hundred pounds last year.”
    â€œSeriously?” I asked.
    â€œYeah, really,” Avery said. “Now Brenna never eats dessert or anything. Haven’t you noticed how she is at lunch? How she only eats things on whole grain bread and always asks for extra vegetables? I don’t know how she does it. I’d never be able to skip dessert all the time, and I don’t think food should be such a big deal. I mean, isn’t the point to enjoy