Free Most Precious Blood by Susan Beth Pfeffer

have gathered up some guys from my dorm, and we could have had a scrubbing party.”
    Kit brought in the pitcher of lemonade and three unmatched glasses. “Next time,” she said.
    Val stared at them. She’d never seen Kit talk to anyone that way, except herself. Kit couldn’t keep her mother’s problems a secret, Amanda saw to that, but she didn’t go around advertising them.
    â€œIt’s okay,” Kit said to Val. “Malcolm’s a trusty.”
    Val smiled. She hadn’t heard Kit use that term in years. A trusty was one of the rare people Kit found trustworthy. Val was one, and her mother had been until her death. Jamey was another, and Sister Angela, their third-grade teacher. It was a short list. Malcolm should be honored to be on it.
    â€œI take that as a compliment,” he said, picking up one of the lemonade glasses and drinking from it.
    â€œIt is,” Val said. “Maybe Kit’ll even let you scrub next time.”
    â€œHave you heard anything from your mother?” Malcolm asked.
    Kit shook her head. “Pop called the clinic yesterday, to make sure she was okay, but she isn’t allowed to talk to anybody for the first few days. I’m not sure if that’s for her sake or ours.”
    â€œHow’s Jamey dealing with it?” Malcolm asked.
    â€œI’m not sure,” Kit replied. “He’s avoiding it, he’s avoiding me. I’m sorry, Malcolm. I really didn’t ask you over to unload all this on you.”
    â€œI can deal with it,” he said. “I come from the stable side of the family, remember.” He turned, and smiled at Val. “Do you have one of those?” he asked. “A stable family?”
    â€œVal’s the one I told you about,” Kit said.
    â€œYou told him about me?” Val asked. “What exactly did you tell him?”
    â€œCalm down,” Malcolm said. “Kit just told me you’d found out recently that you were adopted. That’s all. I’m adopted, so she wanted to talk with me. Get a few pointers in the adoption game, that’s all.”
    â€œWasn’t Caroline enough for one day?” Val cried. “Do I have to talk to him too?”
    â€œI didn’t invite Caroline to our table,” Kit said. “And if you remember correctly, I didn’t invite you here either. I told you it wasn’t a good idea, but you insisted on coming over anyway. Remember?”
    Val nodded. “I’m sorry,” she said. “If you want, I’ll go.”
    â€œOnly if you want,” Kit said. “Malcolm, I hope you don’t mind. Val only found out yesterday, I’m not even sure of all the details, and she had a rough time at school today.”
    â€œI’ll bet,” Malcolm said. “Have you spoken to your parents about it? Is that how you found out?”
    â€œMy mother’s dead,” Val replied. “My father’s out of town on business. My cousin Michelle told me yesterday at school. She was angry, and it just came out.”
    â€œThen you can’t be sure it is true,” Malcolm declared. “Maybe she lied.”
    â€œShe didn’t,” Val said. “I found a letter my mother wrote me. She wanted me to read it on my eighteenth birthday. It’s all about how she wanted a baby and couldn’t have one, so my father brought me to her.”
    â€œWhat?” Malcolm said. “That isn’t how people adopt.”
    â€œThat isn’t how Caroline O’Mara got adopted, that’s for sure,” Val said. “Her parents waited five years before the agency found them a baby. No shortcuts for them.”
    â€œThere’s nothing wrong with shortcuts,” Malcolm said. “I’m gray market myself, although my parents wouldn’t appreciate the term. They wanted a baby, and my mom’s doctor knew about a girl who was pregnant and didn’t feel she could raise her child by