The Truth According to Ginny Moon Benjamin Ludwig (books to read in your 30s .txt) 📖

with a K’s birth. Today, actually. We have our suspicions, but we need to hear what Gloria has to say. And they’re going to make sure that little Krystal is safe.”

“Little Krystal,” I say.

“Five years is a long time for Gloria to take care of her, don’t you think?”

I think. I think and I think some more. “Yes,” I say. “Five years is a very long time.”

EXACTLY 12:41 IN THE AFTERNOON,

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 30TH

“My Baby Doll’s name is Krystal with a K and she was born on November 16th,” I say. “It’s my sister. It still lives with Gloria but you have to trust me that she’s safe. Because she’s fine, okay?”

I take a deep breath and open my eyes. I am at the lunch table in the cafeteria with all the kids from Room Five.

“But I don’t live with Gloria anymore. I live with my Forever Parents at the Blue House. And last night Patrice called to tell me the social workers went to the apartment and found out Gloria had an undocumented birth. Because Gloria gave birth to my Baby Doll in Crystal with a C’s apartment. It doesn’t even have a social security number or vaccinations but they’re going to get it some. I think I need a beverage.”

I pull up my socks as high and tight as they can go. Ms. Carol is sitting next to me listening behind her glasses. “Slow yourself down there, Ginny,” she says.

Brenda Richardson looks at me from across the lunch table. Her eyebrows are wrinkled and her mouth is open. “Wait,” she says. “You have a sister?”

“That’s right,” I say. “Its name is Krystal with a K and it was born in November. It is my Baby Doll. You didn’t forget its birthday, did you?”

“I thought your sister’s name was Wendy,” says Brenda Richardson.

“That’s my Forever Sister,” I say.

“But she’s a baby, right?”

“Yes. Both of them are babies. Real babies with feet. And mouths that open all the way. But I’m talking about Krystal with a K.”

“Where does it—I mean she—live?” asks Larry.

“With Gloria.”

“And where does Gloria live?” asks Kayla Zadambidge.

“At the apartment where the Green Car is parked,” I say. “It’s in Harrington Falls.”

“Is that in California?” Larry asks and then he jumps up and puts his arms out and starts singing a song about waxing up some surfboards.

“Ginny needs a beverage!” yells Kayla Zadambidge.

Someone gives me a chocolate milk with a straw already in it. “The police took me away from Gloria because she wasn’t taking good care of me. But Krystal with a K stayed in the apartment because I hid it in the—”

I stop talking. In my brain I see everything that happened all over again. Then I remember that Crystal with a C found my Baby Doll.

Everyone looks confused.

“Maybe you should tell Mrs. Lomos,” says Kayla Zadambidge.

“Mrs. Lomos already talked with me. She says it explains a lot that my Baby Doll is a real baby,” I say. “It was born on November 16th, you know. Did all of you write that down?”

Larry and Kayla Zadambidge start looking through their bags for pencils and papers. Brenda Richardson takes a bite of her cookie. “I have a sister, too,” she says. “Her name is Peg.”

“Did you carry it around when you were little and take care of it?” I say. “That’s what I did with mine.”

“Peg is older than me,” says Brenda Richardson.

“I want to take excellent care of Krystal with a K,” I say. “I want to wrap it up in my quilt again and give it lots of human milk. Not breast milk. That’s different. It can sleep in my bed under my arm like before.”

“Babe, I know you love your little sister, but I think you should stay here with all of us. You don’t want to move away, do you?”

I pick up the chocolate milk again and take a drink. Then I put it down.

“I don’t know why the social workers are letting it stay with Gloria,” I say. “Gloria doesn’t know how to take care of babies. Plus she gets mad and—”

I stop talking again.

“Is Gloria your mom?” asks Brenda Richardson.

My brain pushes me back up into the conversation. “Don’t you know I already told you that?” I say. “Gloria is my Birth Mom. She’s the only Birth Mom I’ll ever have.” I pick at my fingers. “And Rick is my Birth Dad. He wants me to come spend a weekend at his house after Christmas. He says it will be good to give everyone a break. Plus my Forever Mom doesn’t like me anymore because she thinks I’m a crazy girl. Last night I heard her say to my Forever Dad that she can’t wait until I’m gone. Then they can all breathe again.”

I try to think but I don’t know what to think anymore. Ms. Carol writes something down in a notebook.

“Ginny needs another beverage!” Kayla Zadambidge says again.

Larry puts his hand on my shoulder. I recoil but he just slips out of his arm braces and kneels down and sings to me about a little surfer watching on the shore. Alison Hill giggles. But I can’t pay any attention to Larry. I sink back into my brain. The social workers don’t understand that Gloria can’t take care of my Baby Doll. They don’t understand that she gets mad and hits. They don’t understand that Crystal with a C spent a few hours with them every day.

Which means I have to make sure Patrice tells them not to leave Gloria alone with it. Gloria needs someone with her all the time or my Baby Doll will suffer serious abuse and neglect which is what happened to me.

Someone pushes me another carton of milk from across the table. This time it’s white. I take the straw out of the chocolate milk and drink the whole thing.

EXACTLY 2:48 IN THE AFTERNOON,

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 1ST

My Forever Dad isn’t home. He is supposed to be here when I get