These Lying Eyes by Amanda A. Allen Page A

deficiencies.”
    He glanced away as he lied.
    But it was a kind lie. It was an out. And it made her smile.
    “So, there’s no need to hospitalize you. We’ve given you what you need through your IV.” He tapped her hand, “Your Mom is just doing some paperwork, and she’ll take you home.”
    The doctor had nearly left her hospital room when he paused in the doorway and turned back. Gone was the friendly voice from a moment ago.
    “Wilhelmina,” he said clearly, but earnestly.
    She looked up at him. His eyes were so solemn, tense around the corners; his lips were pressed together, and the corner of his jaw ticked.
    “Sometimes the people who want to help you need you to ask. Maybe they’re even waiting for you to.”
    His gaze held hers.
    “Ok.” Mina said after several moments.
    Her wicked smile flashed. She thought about what he’d said before, what he’d just said. He’d just, she thought, broken some sort of rule—or almost had.
    His own smile returned; this time filled with mischief. His eyes paused on Zizi for a long moment, and Mina shifted watching him see Zizi before he nodded at Mina, at Zizi, and left the room
    “He saw you.” Mina said.
    “That was good advice,” Zizi replied, ignoring Mina’s statement.
    “This close-lipped version of you is irritating.”
    “I know.” Zizi laughed, skipping from Mina’s shoulder, to the railing of the bed, to the light fixture. There was a spring in her step and the tilt of her wings that sent its own message—hope.
    * * *
     
    While they waited, Mina found her mom’s tablet. She was just going to play a round of scramble, but it was open to a youTube video.
    A video of Mina.
    Mina shook her head. Surely her mom knew better than to leave the video up, but her mom didn’t really do crafty.
    And of course there was a video. Sick at the idea, but unsurprised, Mina hit the replay. Someone had been filming before the psycho attacked Poppy, so the camera swung over moments after everything had begun.
    Her mom had watched Mina’s body curl over an empty piece of hallway. She’d watched the part where Mina peeled the girl’s fingers away from the unseen body of Poppy. She’d watched her own arrival, and she’d seen how as Mina was taken away, the person filming panned the camera around the crowd. So they both got to see the shocked laughter of the other kids. The filmer paused on the few faces of the other kids. Annie, from middle school, with her sleek brown hair. Sun, a girl in Mina’s chemistry class. And finally, the stark, wide-eyed, and nearly sick face of Max.
    Mina and Zizi took it all in. And then, while Mina stared at Max’s expression, Zizi hit replay on the tablet, so they could watch it again. As they did, Mina was amazed she wasn’t in that group home.
    In fact, there was only one reason she could imagine that would lead parents to not hospitalize a kid after what she’d just seen.
    They understood.
    They knew what was happening to her.
    Any final doubts faded. She hadn’t thought she was crazy; now she was sure she wasn’t. Her fingers and toes tingled with sudden rage. She was sure they had some reason why they weren’t helping her. Some justification. But it didn’t matter.
    Her hands shook with her rage.
    “What are you thinking?” Zizi asked as she landed on Mina’s wrist, riding the shivers that were racking her friend.
    Mina stared at Zeez blankly before she said, “They know what’s wrong with me.”
    “I am going to make a suggestion to you. Will you consider it?” Zizi’s voice was so formal, it snapped Mina out of her anger. She waited a long minute before she answered.
    “Yes.”
    “Your parents will be watching you closely over the next days, even weeks.”
    Mina nodded woodenly.
    “You could pursue answers immediately.”
    “I’m going to.” Mina exclaimed.
    “Or,” Zeez paused until Mina focused again.
    “Or,” Zizi repeated, “You can wait until they are inevitably distracted, and you can use your