Kids I knew from school saw the whole thing.
I became the irredeemable monster who'd blinded a dog. Everyone turned on me.
A few kids who were obsessed with animals cornered me in the bathroom, beat me bloody, and forced me to drink from the toilet.
So this time, I strolled back home without a care in the world.
I lingered in front of the security cameras on purpose, making sure I never once stepped outside. One look at the footage would prove I hadn't left the house. Even if Mom wanted to pin this on me, she wouldn't be able to.
But I underestimated the depth of her favoritism.
She was worried Lucius wouldn't eat, so she unlocked his door and went in. The moment she saw him sobbing, she panicked.
After pressing him over and over, the truth finally came out: he'd been bragging to his friends about spotting a wild boar, fired his toy gun at it, and only realized afterward that it was someone's dog.
The dog's owner had a reputation for being untouchable. Even Mom's face darkened. "That's Mr. Chavez's wife's dog. Your father works under that man!"
Lucius burst into fresh tears. "Then what do we do?"
The second his wailing started, a fist hammered against the front door.