[15: if you had to change something about your life, what would it be?]

[“Hi.” She sounded flat, like she was tired and bored all at once.]

Sama sat, a little unsteady on her feet, and she landed in the chair with a plop.  Meera wasn’t sure she noticed.

Uncle Ram stood in the doorway, shifting his weight from foot to foot.

“What happened? Uncle Ram won’t tell me.” 

“I took some pills I guess.”

“You guess?!” Meera wasn’t sure if the shocked sound escaped her lips or stayed in her head.

“Yeah. I guess.” Sama looked away.

Uncle Ram kept shifting nervously. His grey-white hair stuck out from under his turban raggedly, and he tried to push it back under, with little effect.

“I hate it here. I want to go home. I just want things to go back or go away.” Sama looked as if she wanted to cry, but nothing came out. 

“I was so worried! I got home, and I knew something was wrong. I tried to sneak in, but there was nobody home. It’s weird how unsettling that is.”

“Sorry.” Sama just shrugged.

“I saw the tracks the medics left with their boots, and Uncle Ram’s door was open, and I even looked in your room and the bed was all torn apart.”

“I didn’t feel good so I took the pills in the washroom in the hall. And then I didn’t feel good so I went to go back to bed, and I think I fell down and made noise.”

Uncle Ram nodded slowly but didn’t say anything.

“I wish you’d just leave me alone. I hate it here.” Sama wrung her hands and worried the neckline of the scrub top she wore.

“I think I hate it here, too. It’s so . . . beige.” Meera looked around the room again.

“No, I mean here. Everywhere. Everyone’s mean to you at school. I’m all alone, and it’s cold and I hate it.”

Uncle Ram shifted again. Meera kept watching him out of the corner of her eyes.