Ariana's soft-spoken words made Gerald furrow his brow. "Can you imagine how clever that kid was to give us nicknames?" Ariana sighed. "Then I started hanging out with Jody, and our nickname changed to 'the outcast trio.' At first, I didn't understand the meaning behind it all until I found out shortly after Tanisha's mother died, that chatty kid disappeared.

I regret Tanisha's departure. Because by then, I already loved her. Honestly, I loved her more than I loved Karenina. There was something ...