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“What do I do?”

She sighed. “There’s nothing you can do. You can’t change a man. So you can’t let that man change you. Bad boys are just that. Bad. Bad for you. Bad for themselves. Bad for anyone who comes into their lives.”

I nodded slowly. “People at school will know soon enough.”

“And all you can do is stand up to them. Stand your ground and don’t let them beat you into it. High school is relentless. There isn’t a person on this planet—rich or poor—that would do it all over again. I’m here for you, no matter what. And you can talk to me about anything, okay?”

I smiled softly. “Thanks, Mom.”

She tucked a strand of hair behind my ear. “I guess we both have a tendency to go for the wrong men.”

I giggled. “Yeah. Fuck D.J.”

Mom laughed, covering my mouth with her hand. “Fuck D.J.”

“Did something happen?”

Her hand fell away from my face. “Isn’t something always happening with him?”

“I thought you two just made up, though?”

She shrugged. “Maybe I didn’t want to make up this time. Maybe I’