Unfadeable: Chapter 19–Epilogue

by Maurice Broaddus
Living on her own, thirteen-year-old Isabella Fades tries not to attract the attention of anyone who might report her to Indiana's Department of Child Services, but then she discovers that her community is not getting their fair share of the collected taxes.

Here are links to our lists for the novel: Chapters 1–5, Chapters 6–11, Chapters 12–18, Chapter 19–Epilogue
40 words 8 learners

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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. bale
    a large bundle bound for storage or transport
    Georgia grabs a small bale of hay and hands it to me.
  2. whet
    make keen or more acute
    There’s something mean in Jared’s eyes. Dangerous. The kind of look like he’s just gotten a whupping and needs to beat someone else to make himself feel better. Like shoving me would only whet his appetite.
  3. rosary
    a string of beads used in counting prayers
    I lean against the doorway as if it might collapse if I don’t prop it up, clutching the dead phone to my chest like a set of rosary beads.
  4. thrash
    move or stir about violently
    Without an instant of panic, he races to the nearest hose and drags it over to Jared, who’s rolling around in the grass thrashing about.
  5. spry
    moving quickly and lightly
    “What’s he doing here?”
    “He can be pretty spry when he needs to be,” Aaries said.
  6. utter
    complete
    M is making an utter mess of his burger. Peeling off the tomatoes and pickles, tearing small bits off at a time.
  7. wring
    twist, squeeze, or compress in order to extract liquid
    I wring my napkin and wipe away the condensation from my cup as well as the pooled rings beneath it.
  8. undertow
    a current that flows away from the shore after waves break
    Because here, you always in the water, you just never realized or paid attention. Now you know. You got caught up in its currents and undertows. And yeah, sometimes it’s deeper than you’re ready for.
  9. clout
    special advantage or influence
    They have to answer to folks; that’s the way power and politics work. It’s not about how many people see it but who. Someone with enough clout to rattle Mattea’s cage and snap her into action.
  10. keen
    having or showing great excitement and interest
    M tilts his head slightly, anticipating my next words. His keen attention jolts me from my train of thought.
  11. stifle
    smother or suppress
    Thrown off by the comment, M stops short, and his face cracks from a giggle he can’t quite stifle.
  12. thoroughly
    in an exhaustive manner
    My room has been thoroughly tossed. My bags of clothes that I just washed have been scattered. Rifled through, even the pockets turned out.
  13. belligerent
    characteristic of an enemy or one eager to fight
    Someone hammers on the front door. Firm and loud, but not in the belligerent way that signals the police.
  14. insistent
    demanding attention
    The woman bangs again, more insistent, so I chance opening the door a few inches to peek through.
  15. retainer
    a fee charged in advance to secure the services of someone
    “Mr. Menelik Paschall claims to be a lawyer. Hired by a Ms. Essence Campbell on your behalf,” Lindsey says.
    “Yeah, I keep him on retainer.”
  16. neutral
    not supporting or favoring either side in a dispute
    His face remains neutral, though. Gentle and without judgment.
  17. downcast
    filled with melancholy and despondency
    They’re like a jury returning with a guilty verdict, a parade of downcast, sour faces: M, Ms. Campbell, Lindsey, and her backup.
  18. clan
    group of people related by blood or marriage
    “Kinship care is when someone steps in full-time to nurture and protect a child. Sometimes it’s a relative, stepparent, or godparent.”
    “I don’t got any of that,” I whisper.
    “Sometimes it’s extended to a clan or tribe,” Lindsey continues.
  19. gruff
    blunt and unfriendly or stern
    All of a sudden I don’t see the gruff old man ready to challenge anybody no matter how much money or power they have.
  20. shaman
    one acting as a medium between the visible and spirit worlds
    “I used to make up all sorts of reasons why he was gone. When I grew up, I decided that he had the gift of being a shaman. Like he had a different way of seeing the world that other folks couldn’t always appreciate.”
  21. heft
    lift or elevate
    I heft my backpack higher
on my shoulders.
  22. funky
    having an offensive or unpleasant smell
    We pass Aaries’s room, all funky socks and posters, and then Ms. Campbell’s room, her door probably always half-open.
  23. probe
    question or examine thoroughly and closely
    The key was to hint at something, enough to stop their probing but not so much to worry them to call Child Services.
  24. sift
    check and sort carefully
    Rummaging through what’s left of my things, I sift through the remains of my old life.
  25. limbo
    a period of prolonged uncertainty
    Grover, Sarah, and Wes stare at me, accusatory. Or maybe I imagine that and their gazes are empty: no judgment, just wishing me well while their own fates remain in limbo.
  26. pry
    be nosey
    If they wanted to actually hurt me, they could do it now where there are few prying eyes.
  27. gutter
    a channel along a roof that carries away rainwater
    Just the idea of meeting with Mattea disturbs my mood so much, all I can see are the ghosts in the neighborhood. The jagged scars in the road. The sagging gutters. The drooping porches.
  28. annex
    an addition that extends a main building
    Even the refurbished Indianapolis Library No. 1 appears haunted around the edges.
    The annex now seems gray and unwashed.
  29. relent
    give in, as to influence or pressure
    Mattea relents. My dog’s presence is not the hill worth her fighting over, which means there must be some other agenda item that’s more important.
  30. oversight
    management by watching and directing a person or group
    “Obviously, you’d have to have adult oversight.”
  31. bounty
    payment or reward for acts such as catching criminals
    “There’s a bounty on you.”
    “What sort of bounty?”
    “Jared and Fury hunting you. The Paschall crew wants to make your life...difficult.”
  32. splice
    join by interweaving strands
    I may have also made a TikTok asking questions about where the money went. About safety concerns. I spliced in a scene of Mattea and them dancing at the CISC reception.
  33. judicious
    marked by the exercise of common sense in practical matters
    Taking her seat, she quickly makes judicious use of her gavel, pounding away, since getting so many people to shut up is worse than the cafeteria at school.
  34. cede
    give over
    “If it will speed things along, I’ll cede all of my time to Miss Fades,” Ms. Campbell says.
  35. allegedly
    according to what has been declared but not proved
    “Allegedly. Ain’t no snitches up in here and can’t no one identify those two fools. Whoever they might be. But hypothetically, could such a conversation have happened because you asked a friend for help?”
  36. enunciate
    express or state clearly
    Clarence hovers over his microphone to clearly enunciate the word.
  37. bask
    derive or receive pleasure from
    I casually take a bottled water from my backpack. I suck it while basking in the heat of her glare.
  38. arrears
    the state of being behind in payments
    “We’re two years in arrears.”
    “That’s fancy talk for you owe the city money, right?” I ask.
  39. adjourn
    break from a meeting or gathering
    I guess the meeting is adjourned.
  40. auditor
    a qualified accountant who inspects accounting records
    A city auditor has locked down all the accounts due to the questions raised. The investigation into any wrongdoing may take several months.
Created on Thu Dec 14 13:17:55 EST 2023 (updated Fri Dec 15 11:50:00 EST 2023)

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