"These styles are just awful. Let''s try somewhere else,” Valerian said, picking up


    on the awkward atmosphere and quickly steering Lisette away.


    Horatio and Ulysses trailed behind, neither saying much. Ulysses kept ncing


    back at Calliope, unable to help himself. He knew it now—she had those amazing


    new brothers in her life. There was no way she''d ever look at them, her original


    brothers, the same way again. Of course she didn''t need them anymore.


    A strange, heavy sort of sadness settled in Ulysses'' chest. Horatio looked just as


    conflicted.


    Up ahead, Valerian and Lisette walked in silence, both lost in their own thoughts.


    Neither had realized just how well Calliope had been doing since she left the


    Jewell family, or that she''d found brothers who could easily rece them.


    Lisette especially couldn''t believe it. She had tried so hard to win Calliope over, to


    be the sister she never had, but apparently, Calliope didn''t even need her.


    If Lisette had brothers like that—tall, charming, sessful—she probably wouldn''t


    bother with her original family either. These guys weren''t nearly as handsome or


    aplished as the new ones.


    Eventually, the four of them reached a little rest area in the mall, a cozy spot with


    some benches and a vending machine humming nearby. They sat down, all of


    them looking more than a little worn out.


    "I''m sorry, guys," Lisette said, her voice earnest. "This was supposed to be a fun


    day out. I didn''t mean for it to turn out this way."


    No one really wanted to talk. The silence dragged on until Valerian finally cleared


    his throat.


    "Lisette, none of this is your fault. Seriously. You couldn''t have known."


    "But if I hadn''t dragged you all out


    here, we wouldn''t have run into


    Callie," Lisette replied quietly, staring


    at her hands. "And if we hadn''t run


    into her, everyone would still be in a


    good mood. So it''s on me.


    She let out a long, frustrated sigh.


    "I''m sorry. I ruined everyone''s


    Christmas. And it''s not like I''m Callie,


    I can''t change how she feels. She''s


    got those rich, perfect brothers now.


    No wonder she doesn''t want to


    "Can you me her?" Lisette continued, her tone wistful. "They can give her


    everything she wants. Maybe she thinks the Jewell family just can''tpare, so


    why bother?"


    Lisette sounded like she was just thinking out loud, but her words had a sting to


    them—like she wanted the others to believe Calliope was shallow, that she''d


    ditched them for money and status.


    But Horatio and the others didn''t


    even notice her angle. They were too


    caught up in their own misery.


    They''d always thought that even if


    Calliope was distant now, she''d


    eventuallye back to them. She''d


    realize, someday, that her real


    brothers were the ones who truly


    cared.


    But now Calliope had moved on. Her new brothers were cooler, richer, better in


    every way. Why would she ever look back?


    The thought made their stomach twist. They''d lost her, really lost her. And she


    wasn''t evering back, not when she had something better.


    They wanted to feel angry, but all they could manage was helplessness.


    "I''m sorry... Maybe it''d be better if I wasn''t around at all," Lisette whispered, her


    voice barely above a mumble. "Maybe then you guys and Callie would still be


    close."


    She looked up at them, guilt written all over her face. "It''s my fault. If I wasn''t here,


    maybe you wouldn''t have lost her too."


    She looked so small and regretful, her words hanging in the air.