The Sinclair Brothers ✔️

(19) Between You and Me

Recap:
"Because, Grace!" She yelled.

"Tell me why!"

"Because I'm a foster kid!" She whisper-yelled.

Grace's eyes went wide. "Wh-what?"

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A cold chill dragged an icy finger down Makennah's spine. All of her hair stood on end on her arms. She gulped and bit her tongue to inflict pain for speaking when it shouldn't have.

Without another thought, Grace dragged Makennah out of the line and tucked her into her side. Grace led the way to a more private area under the stands.

"Makennah..." Grace held Makennah by the shoulders.

"Please just forget you heard that." She didn't want to talk about this and didn't want to explain. Plus, maybe the Sinclair's didn't want anyone to know who Makennah really was.

"Makennah, relax." A gentle smile graced her pink lips. "I'm not going to tell anyone."

"Word always gets out," she painfully whispered. In no time she would be the black sheep, left out and forgotten because she was weird and different. She didn't have a place in the world.

"Well it won't be by me. I won't breathe a word," Grace promised. "So the Sinclair's...they're your foster family?"

"Yeah." Her mouth finally refused to say much else. Before, it blabbed on its own. Now, it wouldn't explain when it probably should.

"You're not going to have to leave if people find out, are you?" A concerned look crossed Grace's face. A knot formed in Makennah's stomach at the look of uncomfortableness on her face. That was the typical look. They didn't know how to treat someone like her. An outcast.

"I don't know." She shrugged. "That's what I was trying to say. I can't do things to upset the Sinclair's. They can send me back whenever they want if they stop liking me. And....I like it here," she admitted.

Grace's confusion morphed into a baffled look. "The Sinclair's would never do that."

Makennah wanted to argue and prove Grace wrong but now wasn't the time or place. Rich people - people like Grace - couldn't understand where she came from or the pressure that was on her shoulders not to mess up so that the Sinclair's wouldn't return her. She was like a t-shirt. If the family tried her on for size and didn't like it, they could just return her to Foster Kids-R-Us.

"Makennah, I swear on our friendship that I won't tell anyone. I promise." Reminiscent of childhood days, Grace held out her pinky to Makennah.

With a small smile, Makennah linked her finger with Grace's in a pinky promise.

In the background, the band started to play the school's fight song which signaled that the football team would be entering the stands soon to start their pre-game warm up.

"You're quiet. Are you okay?" Grace asked cautiously.

She nodded. "I'm fine." Anything but fine.

"Please don't worry. I keep my word."

Makennah forced a smile and hooked her arm through Grace's. "Well now you have to." They started walking away towards their saved seats in the end zone. "You pinky swore."

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Feeling very self-conscious with the fact that Grace now knew enough about Makennah to destroy her, Makennah rode home with the Sinclair's after the game instead of going out to eat at a burger joint with her friends and classmates. Josh, Nick and Matt tried to persuade her to join them but she was dead set on going home and burying herself under the covers of her bed.