Page 159 of The Ruthless Note

I start to leave when I spot Serena walking down the hallway, her shoulders slumped and her steps slow and plodding. She's still in her Redwood Prep uniform, but she's cleaned up a bit. There's no soot on her face and her hair seems clean.

I tiptoe behind Serena, following her into a hospital room. There are six beds. Each of the beds are occupied by patients in hospital gowns.

Serena goes to the bed in the middle and takes out a fruit cup. My eyes widen when I see her muster up a smile for the woman in the bed. It’s the brightest, fakest smile I’ve ever seen on her face.

“Hi, mom,” Serena says.

“Hi, sweetie,” a woman answers in a weak voice. She’s got a scarf on her head and her body is thin and frail.

“Before you ask,” Serena says, “I just got back from school. It was a good day. I even aced my music theory quiz.”

“Oh sweetie, that's awesome,” her mom croaks.

I clutch my skirt hard as I stare at them.

Serena’s mother glances over and notices me. She offers a welcoming smile when she sees my Redwood Prep uniform.

“Is that your friend?”

Serena whips around and spots me. Her eyes widen with surprise and then narrow with anger and shame.

“What are you doing here, Cadence?”

“I’m sorry. I followed you. I…” My eyes dart to her mom again. She looks nothing like Serena. Was her hair once long and thick and dark like her daughter’s? It’s hard to tell.

Serena's eyebrows lower over her eyes.

Her mother smacks her and she jumps.

“Serena, is that any way to treat a friend?” Turning a mega-watt smile on me, Serena’s mother waves. “I'm Lillian. And you are?”

I step closer to the bed. “Cadence. Cadence Cooper.”

“Oh, that's a musical name. You must be a musician.” Her eyes sparkle.

“How did you know?”

“Because you’re friends with Ser.” Lillian turns fond eyes on her daughter. “She’s always gravitated to music. In the womb, she’d kick her legs whenever I played Frank Sinatra.”

“Okay, mom. There's no need to show her the biopic.” Serena's eyes meet mine and she juts her chin at the door.Come with me.

I follow her into the hallway.

Serena whirls around and folds her arms over her chest. “What are you spying on me now?”

“Look, Serena, I know you're angry and you have every right to be. But I’m not the enemy here.” Even if itismy fault she’s in this mess. “I'm going to get them back, okay? And I'm going to bring you back to school.”

“Forget it.” Turning away slightly, she hangs her head. “And, for what it's worth, I'm not angry with you. I'm just angry at this entire situation. I don’t know how I’m going to tell my mom.”

“Don’t tell her anything for now.”

Her shoulders lift and fall on a sigh. “I won’t. If her emotions get wrecked when she’s so weak…” Serena leans against the wall, picking at her black nail polish.

“How long has your mom been sick?” I ask quietly.

“A while.” She takes out the lighter and flicks it at me. “She's been smoking since she was a kid. It was the only way she could make it through her hard life. She got lung cancer and couldn’t smoke anymore. But it comforts her to flick the lighter.”

My heart stirs. “The lighter belongs to your mother.”