Harlot

My brother is gone. Mommy said I drove him away. She yelled at me until her throat started protesting, cracking every other word.

I bit my tongue so hard I could taste my blood. Metallic and cool, it reminded me of pennies. My brother and I used to throw pennies into the fountain at the park when I was little. He could always get it into the top tier, but I could never throw it hard enough, reach a little farther.