Book Excerpt – Obscure Boundaries
Publication Date: Apr 26, 2016
List Price: $13.99
Format: Paperback, 228 pages
Classification: Fiction
ISBN13: 9781483429052
Imprint: S.F. Powell Books
Publisher: S.F. Powell Books
Parent Company: S.F. Powell Books
Copyright © 2016 S.F. Powell Books/S.F. Powell No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission from the publisher or author. The format of this excerpt has been modified for presentation here.
…“You know he’ll be out by the time she gets home.” Todd dropped his head for a minute then looked up. “Wanna watch Medea’s Family Reunion wit’ me? Or Meet the Browns?”
Todd did not want to watch a Tyler Perry play. Not really. He wanted to talk. Mallory knew that like she knew her name; it was an undercurrent of sibling understanding that only intensified after their mother died. “Meet the Browns—in your room this time.” Mallory smiled.
Todd smiled back. The small chip in his front tooth gave his smile a childlike appeal. He refused to get the thing fixed. He needed a haircut though. Mallory thought his curls were getting unruly. “I cleaned up the crumbs last time, girl.”
“Yeah, but I had to remind you twice.”
“Oh, but it’s okay for you to keep wearing my Coppin State sweatshirt, even though I’ve been asking for it for three weeks.”
Mallory had to laugh. He had her on that one.
“Yeah, see? Uh-huh.” With a smile, Todd left Mallory’s room, closing the door behind him.
Todd was gone and probably halfway down the stairs, but Mallory continued laughing. The joke had long ended, but Mallory placed her hands over her aching belly (her stomach hurt she was laughing so hard). She heard herself cackle though, and paid close attention to her laughter, wondering suddenly, what was so funny. She didn’t have a concrete answer, just that something was wrong. She laughed to keep from crying. Not wanting to hear herself cackle again, Mallory forced her laughter down.
She sat back against her headboard and scanned her room yet again. The Southwestern Aztec theme definitely had to go. She actually thought about doing a more juvenile theme: maybe Doc McStuffins or Black Barbie. Something like that.
Mallory tilted her head back with a sigh and watched the ceiling for several minutes before closing her eyes. She worried. Worried for her father, worried for her brother. Even for herself on some level.
But not for Ruth. Mallory wasn’t worried for her. She worried warily about her.