I woke up cold as all hell.
The simple reason for that was that Chloe had decided to turn herself into a burrito with my blanket. She was still sound asleep when I woke up. I rubbed my face before checking the time. It's probably too early for her to wake up.
But I do need to tell her things.
I shook Chloe gently to try and wake her up.
She opened her eyes and blinked a couple of times before rubbing her eyes. She let out a yawn. Chloe looked me in the eyes. I told her, "Hey, I'm going to school now, okay?"
She shook her head.
Chloe sat up in bed. I continued, "You don't have to wake up now, you know?"
"You'll come back?" She asked.
I thought about it before sighing. "Actually, it would be better if you went back to the orphanage instead of staying here."
"Why?" She asked me.
"I have a feeling someone really nice will take care of you sooner or later," I told her. "Just a feeling though."
I glanced at the door. "Besides, I'll probably be moving to a different town soon, so I won't even be in this house."
"You're leaving?" Chloe exclaimed, shuffling closer to me.
"If you ask the old lady at the orphanage for a phone, she'll probably give you one," I suggested to her. "Not a good one, but we can call and text. When I have holidays, I'll drop by to visit."
"Oh…"
She did look rather down.
I ruffled her already messy hair. "Don't be like that. You still have your own life to live. Make sure you have friends, okay?"
Chloe nodded.
"When do you want to go back?" I asked.
She shook her head.
"You have to go back eventually," I stated. "How about now? We'll get ready and then we can send you over to the orphanage on my way to school."
She nodded hesitantly.
I stood up and helped Chloe bathe, brush her teeth and dress. Basically all of my usual routines. I decided not to wear my contacts and to just go with my glasses instead. I mean, technically my last day of school, what's there to care about?
When I left my room with Chloe, my Mom was there.
She was sipping on a cup of coffee and scrolling through her phone. Chloe shied away from my Mom, but she gave Chloe a heartwarming smile. She then faced me and asked, "Have you seen the news?"
"What news?" I asked.
Chloe sat down. My Mom helped spread a peanut butter sandwich for her to eat.
"It's about someone from your school," She further elaborated. "Wonder if you knew her."
She passed her phone over to me.
I read through it, my eyes wide the entire time. Chloe ate the sandwich without saying a thing. My Mom sighed, resting her head against the dining table. "The trouble youngsters get into these days…"
I must have been silent for quite some time. My Mom asked me again, "So, do you know the person or what?"
Fucking hell.
This can't be happening just when things were getting good.
'Vahchi student found dead on the street near her house with a knife in hand, 29th July 2022, 0:12 am.
A young woman wearing the Vahchi Highschool uniform was found dead on the street not far from her house. Her injuries would suggest that she was stabbed multiple times with a knife in the belly region. Scars have shown traces of other injuries along her wrists and calves. She was found at approximately 10:25 pm last night when the police were immediately called over.
The student was found to have been holding a knife in her own hands. The man who had called the police was arrested after confirmation that he had been stalking her for many days. There have also been previous reports by the family and residents of his attempt to assault her.
Not much is known yet, but the identity of the student has been revealed to be Candace Underwood. Mr and Mrs Underwood, father and mother of Candace Underwood, have talked about the recent behaviours of their child. They mentioned how she had become much quieter and refused to speak about any troubles. 'She's been keeping things to herself for weeks and there's nothing we could do to help her!" said Mrs Underwood, 'Candace has always been a sweet and bright child! It's unthinkable that something like this would happen!'
Mr Underwood, when asked to give feedback, refused to speak.
The main suspect, Lokesh Carava, a University student, claims that he was innocent and would do nothing to hurt Ms Candace. He spoke about how they were in a relationship together, although there was strong denial from Mrs Underwood. 'He has been snooping around Candace for weeks! Weeks! It's all because of that [redacted] brat that my daughter had to suffer so much!' cried Mrs Underwood.
Mr Carava claimed the sequence of events to be as such; 'I was just following (Candace) because she had left her house late at night. I was worried about her! I kept my distance, but it was too dark for me to really see anything. Next thing I knew, she had fallen over. When I got to her, she had a knife and was bleeding like crazy. I called the police and ambulance as quickly as I could, but it was too late. I loved her, I wouldn't even dream about killing her!'
Without much evidence, more investigation will be required. There were no other witnesses at the scene.
For now, Mr Carava shall be charged with stalking and attempted assault. He faces up to 10 years in prison with a fine of up to $10,000.
We will publish a new article once we receive more information on the matter.'
You've got to be kidding me…
"World's a dangerous place, huh?" I commented, passing the phone back to my Mom.
"She's your age," My Mom sighed.
We got ready to leave. Chloe followed us down to the car. I told my Mom, "Yeah, could we drop Chloe off on our way to school?"
I called Ms Granger when we were on our way over.
After about six seconds, she picked up the phone. I started talking, "Right, so we're currently on our way over."
"Chloe is with you, right?"
"Yep."
"Alright, I'll meet you out front."
"Don't fight me though," I joked, the joke flying way over her head.
I hung up and rested my arm on the armrest, staring out of the window to see all the flashing lights. I tapped the armrest with a finger as I waited for us to finally reach Kaster's.
I got out of the car with my Mom and Chloe when we were finally there. Ms Granger hugged Chloe before facing me. "Thank you."
My Mom greeted Ms Granger before we had to leave promptly.
"I'll be visiting later today, I think," I said to Chloe.
She nodded.
And off I go to school. Wonder what school's gonna be like with this new development. I mean, Candace died. If I get there early enough, maybe I can avoid people. Wait, it's Candace, who would question me? Right, Otto did mention rumours. Wonder if it was rumours of us getting down to business.
In the car, my Mom asked me, "So… who did you decide to bang in school?"
"What kind of question is that?" I countered.
"Makes sense though," She countered my counter. "Considering you're getting expelled because of this fact."
"One of my classmates," I said simply.
"I need a name."
I shrugged. "Candace."
"Huh?"
Luckily for me, she didn't jam on the brakes and cause an accident. Instead, she slowly stopped at the red light, taking her time to process the information. He put her hand to her head before asking, "Wait, you were having an affair with someone who was later found dead on the same day?"
"I know, it's tragic," I responded.
She knocked her head on the steering wheel, accidentally setting off the car horn. She muttered, "Why…?"
"You know, we weren't meant to get caught," I told her. "She was really certain that the gym storage room didn't have security cameras."
"Of course, a gym storage room has security cameras," My Mom said matter-of-factly. "It's where they keep shit!"
When we reached the school and got out of the car, she pointed at me. "Talk to your teacher about it. Get anything you left behind 'cause you're never coming back here ever again, you hear me?"
"Loud and clear," I saluted.
Before she could drive off, she added, "Oh, and uh… regarding Chloe… don't come home too late, okay?"
"I'll try."
I waved her off.
I let out a long sigh. I was carrying nothing except my purse and phone. I scratched my head before making my way to class where I had asked Otto to meet up with me. There was close to nobody in the school. It was so early that it was basically still dark out.
"It might seem crazy what I'm about to say," I sang softly to myself.
I exhaled as I stepped into class.
Nobody was in the class. That much I could tell judging by how none of the lights was turned on. I had to turn them on myself before going to my seat. I sat there, arms folded as I just looked forward.
When's he gonna get here?
Not long after, someone else walked into the classroom. The girl had poked her head in first to scan the classroom. When she saw me, she squeaked and disappeared out of my sight. I patted my cheeks, making sure to smile.
She slowly walked in, clutching her bag strap nervously.
"Good morning," I greeted.
"M-morning," She greeted back.
She stiffly sat in her seat and pulled a couple of papers out. It's still pretty early. Surprised I managed to get to school before she did.
There was a bit of silence before I asked, "So… did you spread the rumours?"
Glasses Girl shook her head furiously. She defended herself, saying, "Someone overheard the teachers talking about it…"
"Really?"
I sighed and leaned back in my seat, looking at the ceiling. Glasses Girl glanced back at me to apologise, "I h-heard about Candace…"
I waved off her concern.
"It's alright," I sighed, shaking my head. "These things happen."
Ding.
I lifted my phone to see the text Otto had sent to me.
Otto: I heard they cancelled school today
Otto: Wya
Me: School
Otto: I'm nearby, do u want to meet up?
Me: I have to talk to teachers, I think
Me: I'll text you when I can
Otto: Ok
I stood up and walked by Glasses Girl, knocking on her desk as I did so. "Well, according to my sources, lessons have been cancelled today."
"Really?" She asked.
"Apparently," I shrugged.
Glasses Girl checked her phone and eventually mouthed the word 'Oh'.
"Guess coming to school so early isn't really a good idea, huh?" I joked.
Glasses Girl nodded in silent agreement. She then told me, "I can't really go back anyways… Not yet."
I took a seat on the desk next to hers.
"Problems at home?"
She nodded.
Glasses Girl forced a smile. "I'll just be here then."
There was a pause before she asked me, "What are you doing in school so early?"
"I was supposed to meet Otto to pick up my stuff," I explained. "But since school's cancelled, he ain't coming over. Besides that, I gotta talk to the teachers about something completely unrelated to my stuff."
I flashed the peace sign. "I'm getting expelled"
"What?" Glasses Girl exclaimed.
"When you guys did the voting thing and pin blame on me, the school didn't really like that," I elaborated. "I'm the bully in their eyes, you know? Besides, I've missed a bunch of school days and don't really meet the promotional requirements. To add to that, they caught me banging Candace in school. I'm pretty sure that's against the school rules."
"If you explained that Candace was bullying you…"
I shrugged. "She just passed away, kinda pointless."
I chuckled and waved my hand in front of me. "Nah, it's fine. None of this really matters anyways. I'm out of here probably by today."
Prayers up, I guess?
Glasses Girl nodded before asking, "But this is the only public highschool in town. Are you going to a private school?"
There was literally a private school right down the street. Would be funny if I took the same bus and see the same people on the way to school just to go to the school basically next door.
"Who knows?" I told her.
Glasses GIrl didn't really say much afterwards.
I hopped off the desk I was sitting on to say my goodbyes, "Well, had a nice chat with you. Now I'm headed to annoy the hell out of the teachers."
"Oh, okay," She waved me off.
"Bye~"
"Bye."
And I'm gone.
Rather than gone, it was more like I went to the general office. It was better to get these things over and done with. On the way there, I noticed a short, portly man walking around. I waved at him when he noticed me.
"---? What are you doing here so early?" Mr Dohl asked.
"Here to get expelled," I replied, smiling.
"Oh right," He said under his breath.
He glanced around before telling me, "Well, after the recent event… Not many teachers would be in school at the moment. So I think it's best that you come next Monday."
"Can't you do the paperwork?" I requested. "Seriously, I want to get this over and done with."
Mr Dohl considered his choices. "I guess I can."
"Thanks."
We walked towards his office. Mr Dohl was carrying a cup of coffee and a half-eaten bagel in his hands. While walking, he asked me, "So why did you… you know…"
"Fuck?" I helped him with the words.
"Language," He warned.
I laughed, shaking my head. "Yeah, we honestly thought there weren't going to be cameras in the gym storeroom."
"Well, considering how our equipment has been stolen before and people getting stuck inside, it's reasonable that we would install cameras," Mr Dohl stated. "But that's beside the point. Having any sexual activities on school grounds is strictly prohibited."
"Well, I know that now."
We entered the office where I sat on the swivel chair that I had sat on plenty of times. Mr Dohl took his seat, placing his cup of coffee on his desk. He searched for something and eventually managed to find whatever piece of paper he was looking for. He handed the piece of paper to me.
"This is the notice of your expulsion," He stated.
"Cool," I commented, readily receiving the piece of paper.
He looked for something else and pulled a file out. He told me, "I'll just be taking some notes down. The school wants to know the reason for your actions."
"Okay, it was consensual," I stated plainly.
He nodded.
"And we were both pretty passionate about each other to an extent," I continued on. "Also, how many times did you watch the security footage?"
"I did not watch it," He confirmed. "The security guard brought up the concern and several other staff and teachers confirmed it. We also approached Candace yesterday who confirmed that she had done it with you. However, we weren't able to find you at the time, so that's why we decided to speak with you today."
"Oh."
Silence.
I inhaled, tilting my head to the side. "Well, we both saw each other in the morning. Candace was pretty down. She looked really sad. Do you know how there were rumours of us dating in the past? Yeah, I wanted to cheer her up. She suggested we do it in the gym storeroom, and so I went with her."
Mr Dohl nodded along with my story.
"You don't seem particularly affected by Candace's passing," He stated.
"Well, gotta smile, innit?" I chuckled forcefully.
Mr Dohl closed the file and told me, "Alright. Remember to pass the notice on to your parents. We might call again for any suggestions on what you can do after the expulsion. You may leave now."
I did not stand up.
"But before I go, I have an important question to ask," I pointed at Mr Dohl. "Can you be considered my friend?"
A small smile showed on his face as he shook his head. "I'm your teacher, not your friend."
"Too bad then."
I got up and left the office. "Buh-bye."
He didn't say anything back.
Well, that was a short interaction. Next up, I gotta talk to Otto about a rather important issue. I pulled my phone out to text him.
Me: I'm done with the thing
Me: Where do you wanna meet?
I waited a solid minute.
Otto: That was fast
Me: What can I say? I'm fast
Otto: Wanna meet at the cafe?
Me: Sure
Me: See you there
I put my phone away despite it buzzing from another message. I found my way out of the school, the sun already starting to rise. I inhaled the somewhat fresh air and turned around to salute the school.
I stepped out, and I guess that's the last time I'll ever be in the school.
Goodbye Venti Highschool, or whatever the name is.
On the bus, I was kind of distracted by an insect crawling on the window outside of the bus. I was rather interested in how it was not being flung off by the wind. That's one strong insect. Can't even tell you what kind of insect it was.
Cafe time.
I walked in and the bell on the door rang.
"Welcome!" Some of the staff greeted me.
It was a Friday morning, so not too many people were around at the time. I took once quick glance across the cafe before spotting Otto. he was scrolling through his phone, dressed in casual clothing.
I walked up to him, a smile on my face.
"Hello," I greeted, sitting across from him.
He immediately put his phone away. "Hi. You arrived earlier than I thought you would."
"I'm speed."
He laughed lightly, extending his hand to pass me my bag back. I rummaged through it to make sure everything was still inside. Otto waited for me to finish looking through my stuff. When I was sure everything was alright, I hugged my bag.
"Otto?" Someone called from the counter.
Otto got up and went over to the counter to pick up his food. He sat down with a very familiar plate of green carbonara. I pointed at it, asking, "Ain't that the spicy shit?"
"I had a taste last time and thought it was good," He replied. "Thought I might as well try it out, you know?"
Nah, bro, that shit is spicy.
"Are you going to get anything?" Otto asked me.
"Not in the mood right now," I replied. "I know it's still early, but I've had a long day."
He put his fork down. "You can tell me about it."
I shook my head. "I won't."
I snapped and gestured to him instead. "How about you talk about the rumours you heard about me? You seem rather interested to know the truth yesterday."
"Oh, that."
He chuckled to himself before saying, "I thought it was true at first, but the more I thought about it, the more ridiculous it seems. I mean, no way right?"
"I fucked Candace," I confirmed.
"Pause," He put a hand up.
He took a bit of time to think things through. He then slowly talked, "So you're telling me that you smashed the person that has been bullying you for years?"
"Oh yeah," I nodded. "I even got expelled because of it."
"YOU GOT EXPELLED?" He exclaimed a little too loudly.
He put his hand up to everyone in the cafe. "Oh, sorry, sorry about that."
He lowered his voice and asked aggressively, "You got expelled? How?"
"A bunch of stuff happened."
"Could you tell me?"
"No."
Otto nodded, leaning back a bit. He loosely held the fork before plopping it down on the plate of pasta once again.
"I want to break up," I stated bluntly.
Otto nodded. "I would be lying if I said I didn't see it coming."
He let out a sigh before telling me, "You did mention that you preferred the quiet types. Honestly, I was really surprised that you even accepted my confession."
He's looking rather down.
"I'm pretty sure you figured it out by now," I told him. "I've been using you."
"Could tell," He nodded.
He forced a smile before responding, "Well, I guess you could say I've been using you as well."
Hm… using my own spell against me.
"I thought that if people knew you were dating me, they might get scared off, you know?" He elaborated. "Since you're known to be a pretty big weirdo. It looks like it worked pretty well considering how they mostly left me alone."
He shrugged, continuing, "Besides, why would I realistically date someone like you? If I wanted to, I could date any prettier, more popular and normal girl. Since you've done your part, I don't mind breaking up at all."
"I'm just gonna go along with you, okay?" I gave him a heads-up.
"Huh?"
I pointed the middle finger at him before telling him, "Fuck you."
"You know, dating has really taught me that you aren't really that great of a guy," I ranted. "I mean, you're constantly worried about your image. You're also pretty boring to talk to and be around. I would be surprised if anyone would be able to have a lasting relationship with you in the future."
"You're annoying, loud and don't care about other people's feelings," He countered. "You're almost impossible to hold a conversation with. Talentless and boring, You have basically no strengths. The most redeeming quality you have is your green hair that makes you stand out in the first place."
"Your pretty face has caused me so much trouble when I just want to get by the day," I countered his counter. "There's no telling when you will cheat. Talk about talentless, you're the most overrated player on the volleyball team. You're living in luxury with no clue what struggle truly means."
"Well, you're the one who cheated on me," He countered my counter to his counter. "What's more, you did it with someone who wasn't even that attractive! I was more loyal than you are! And don't talk to me about shit like living in luxury! Do you even know how many expectations I have? Don't pretend like you know my struggles!"
"Arrogant, stuck-up and self-centred!"
"Boring, attention-seeking and unloyal!"
"Playboy!"
"Cheater!"
I stood up, slamming the table with force. The few people in the cafe all had their eyes on us. We locked eyes with each other. He shouted, "Fine, if you want to break up, then let's break up! I can do much better than you anyways!"
"Fine!" I responded, picking up my bag.
"Fine!" He shouted, folding his arms.
I flipped him off one last time. "Don't think about texting me ever again."
"I won't."
Well…
"FUCK YOU!" I yelled.
"FUCK YOU!" He yelled back.
I stormed out of the cafe, not even looking back.
Well, that was rather nice of him.
I made my way home instead of going anywhere else. I sat on the couch, pulling my phone out to block Otto from texting me.
I don't really need him anymore.
"You never left for school?" I heard Fable ask.
He had just left his room, his hair messy as if he had just woken up. I told him, "I got a bunch of stuff settled today. I'll be headed out in a bit."
"Oh."
I turned around to face him. "Where are you headed today?"
He scratched his head. "Well, they cancelled school, so I guess I'll just hit the gym today."
"You're gonna look jacked as fuck by next year," I joked.
He shrugged and went to the kitchen to get coffee. He sat at the dining table and started scrolling through his phone. Out of nowhere, he commented, "Oh, someone from our school… no wonder they cancelled."
"Yeah," I confirmed lazily.
I was busy thinking about what I was planning to do.
"So since you're expelled, whatcha planning to do?" Fable asked.
"You're talking more than usual," I commented.
He shrugged simply.
I let out a sigh. "Well, Mom's probably gonna make me attend a Highschool in a nearby town. Probably gonna have to repeat the third year."
"There's a town that starts Highschool one year early," Fable stated. "Heard it's 'cause there are a bunch of weirdos there."
"Well shit, I'll be nineteen with a bunch of seventeen-year-olds," I complained.
"Your problem," Fable shrugged.
"Why don't you join me?" I asked him. "We could be a dynamic duo or something. We could join the Drama Club together as well!"
"Uh… unless I absolutely bomb my exams, I ain't going," He stated.
"I guess we'll see."
Later that day, I went to change my outfit. I had put on a simple shirt and jeans before heading out to the nearby mall. There weren't too many people around. It didn't surprise me, considering literally everyone else not from our school has school.
I reached a shop that attracted me due to the bright signs.
"Hello," I greeted.
"Wazzup?" The cashier greeted me rather enthusiastically. "Whatcha having today?"
He leaned on the counter, a friendly smile on his face. I scanned through the menu before pointing at the lasagna. "Could I have two lasagnas? Takeaway please."
"Sure thing!"
He turned around to shout at the kitchen. "Two lasagna takeaways! Make it choppy!"
He gestured to the side. "Aight, just wait here a moment."
I waited, making sure to keep a smile on my face. I rubbed my cheeks, wondering why it was more difficult than usual.
About five minutes later, he had a plastic bag placed on the counter. Inside were two containers.
I paid and left quickly.
While on my way out, I noticed a nice-looking chocolate shop. I thought about it but decided to continue walking forward instead. On my way out, I noticed someone pointing at me. Even though I continued walking, they got closer to me.
"Excuse me," Someone called out.
I turned around.
"Yes?" I asked.
"You're Otto's girlfriend, right?" They asked me. "What are you doing here?"
I shrugged. "Oh, we broke up."
I walked away while they were still stunned. I didn't say anything, just not in the mood for it. No point in talking to anyone from my school.
While walking, I let out a yawn, covering my face as I did so.
I'm just gonna meet with Chloe now.
The bus was a normal experience all around.
But hey, I'm at Kaster's now.
From the very first moment, I stepped into the building, I could feel the stares coming from the receptionist. I faced him, asking, "What?"
"Don't people your age have school?" He asked.
"It got cancelled," I replied.
I went up to the counter to sign the usual papers. When I was done, I said to him, "Could you inform Ms Granger that I've arrived?"
"Sure."
I raised the plastic bag of food. "I'm allowed to bring lasagna in?"
"Uh…" He scratched his head. "As long as the person eating it doesn't have any allergies."
"Does Chloe have allergies?"
"Not that I know of."
I tried walking to Chloe's room quietly but gave up after some time. I just don't have the energy and effort to do all of that shit right now. I knocked on the door before opening it, poking my head in to ask, "Is Chloe inside?"
Chloe was seated on the ground, just balled up by herself.
She slowly looked up and nodded.
I closed the door behind me to walk up to her. I raised the plastic bag slightly, telling her, "I got us something to eat. Are you allergic to cheese?"
Chloe shook her head.
I set the lasagna aside and sat down beside her. The room was a complete mess. I guess it hadn't been cleaned up ever since Chloe ran away. But hey, the avocado plushie I had gotten Chloe was just chilling in the corner. Chloe was quiet for quite some time before she told me, "It's lonely here…"
Oh…
"Have you tried talking to the other kids?" I asked her.
Chloe shook her head. "I don't think they like me."
I bumped her with my shoulder lightly, telling her, "You never know unless you try, right? Make a few friends."
She looked up at me, her eyes looking hollow.
"But what if they leave?" She asked.
It made sense. It was an orphanage after all. Kids could get adopted at literally any point in time. Chloe herself was no exception. But I'm about to put in a very special request to help her out.
"Are you worried about the boy you like?" I teased.
Chloe shook her head. "I don't like him anymore."
"Really? Why?"
Chloe frowned, hugging her knees tighter. "He called me small."
I laughed at Chloe, who did not look like she was going to laugh. I hugged her from the side, telling her, "That's all?"
"He's mean!" Chloe defended herself.
"You don't like a guy just because of that?" I exclaimed, holding back my laughter.
She pouted to the side, her eyes not looking as hollow as before. I patted her back, giving her some advice, "You'll find someone you like eventually. Or not, you never know how it might end up in the future."
"You make no sense, sis."
"Sure I do!"
Chloe shook her head insistently. "No, you don't."
I poked her side, making her jump away from me. She put her hands between us in an attempt to stop me from poking her again. I smirked, warning her, "Admit I'm right or I'm attacking you again."
"Okay…"
She got closer before poking me in my side. I shifted away from her and put my arm between us. I chuckled, grabbing onto both her arms. "Alright, alright, you're right."
Chloe had just the faintest of smiles on her face.
We continued chatting for a bit until we heard a knock on the door. Ms Granger poked her head in and locked eyes with me. She then faced Chloe, apologising, "Sorry, but I would like to talk with —, is that alright?"
I tried to stand up, but Chloe held onto my shirt.
She seemed rather surprised by her own actions and let go almost immediately. I rubbed her head, telling her, "I'll be back real quick."
I stepped out, a smile on my face as I faced Ms Granger.
"Thank you so much for finding Chloe yesterday," Ms Granger thanked. "Seriously, I was so worried. Any longer and we would have filed a police report."
I waved her gratitude aside. "Nah, it was all coincidence. I was heading home and saw her, that's all."
"But still, thank you so much."
Ms Granger was holding my hand.
I faced her and asked in a low voice, "Could I… ask for a favour?"
I glanced at the door.
"What favour?"
I leaned closer to her, whispering to her instead. "Could you not allow anyone to adopt Chloe just yet?"
"Why?"
"Well, she needs time to recover and all, I don't think she would appreciate being taken in by just any family," I explained. "I've been thinking of a way to find Chloe a family while also being able to visit her often."
"What do you suggest then?" Ms Granger implored.
I shrugged, leaning away. "I don't know."
She sighed and gave me her reply, "Well, Chloe is rather close to you. For her happiness, I wouldn't mind going along with your suggestion. However, if that choice makes Chloe sad, we'll ask that you return her here immediately."
I have a feeling any path would make her sad.
I gave the 'okay' signal with my hand.
"Also, regarding another thing…" Ms Granger mentioned. "Well, your mother had a chat with me early this morning. It was after she dropped you off at school. She told me how you were expelled."
"Uh-huh."
"Well, I was thinking that you work here either as a volunteer or a part-timer," She suggested. "Since you don't have school anymore."
I chuckled as I said, "Did not expect this."
I shrugged and replied, "I'll… think about it."
Ms Granger nodded and patted my shoulder. "That's all I have to say. I'm sorry that you were expelled."
I shook my head. "It's fine."
After a slight pause, I clapped my hands and mentioned, "Right, could you get Chloe a phone? A small, kinda bad one is fine. Something she could use to text and call me with. Would be great!"
Ms Granger took a bit of time to think about it.
"I think I can lend her a phone for a limited amount of time," Ms Granger stated. "She'll have to be older to get her a phone of her own."
"Perfect."
I saluted her. "Till later, I guess?"
She waved me off and left. I reentered Chloe's room but Chloe was no longer in the same spot. I closed the door, finding Chloe hidden behind the door. She panicked slightly and started fumbling around, but I told her, "You know you're not in trouble, right?"
She let out a sigh of relief.
"How much did you hear?" I questioned, walking with her closer to the bed.
"Nothing much," Chloe muttered.
We went ahead and had the lasagna, making Chloe completely skip lunch from the orphanage. We chatted and played a couple of games. Though compared to last time, Chloe was a bit softer.
When it was time to go, Chloe held onto my shirt again, this time not letting go. Her eyes were wide and she whispered, "It's scary…"
I crouched down in front of her. "I know."
"You'll come back, right?" She asked softly.
"I will," I promised.
She hugged me momentarily before lying down on her bed. She threw her blanket over herself and turned her body to face the other direction. I asked, "You're not going to say goodbye to me?"
"No goodbye," She muttered.
"Alright."
I got up and left, knocking on the door a couple of times before finally exiting the room. It was starting to get late, and I was on my way home.
I sat in a relatively empty bus.
It's really nice outside.
I covered the lower half of my face with my hand as I looked out of the window. I stared long and hard. The streets were flashing by me like a random mix of colours. But that random mix feels good, you know? Like an artwork that looks random and messy at first glance but is actually mesmerising.
Home.
"I'm back," I announced.
My Mom looked understandably concerned about literally everything about me. Fable was chilling at the dining table. Dad was over there, patiently waiting for me as well. I grinned, asking, "What? Did I keep y'all waiting?"
"We were just about to have dinner without you," My Mom stated.
"She told us to wait for you," Fable corrected her.
She shot him a look. Fable put his hands up in surrender before rephrasing his words, "Right, I mean, she wanted to have dinner before you returned. Yeah, that's what she said."
I chuckled as I made my way over to the dining table.
"We haven't had a meal as a family the past few days, have we?" Dad asked.
"It's because you've had the night shift," My Mom told him.
We started eating. Occasionally, my Mom would throw a couple of jokes or something. But I wasn't really paying attention. Instead, Fable was the one who had to talk more, giving comments and conversing with my Mom.
After dinner, I went back to my room.
My Mom stopped me though.
"You're awfully quiet this evening," She commented, standing in my way to my room.
"I'm kinda tired," I replied.
I pulled out the piece of paper that was supposed to be the notice for my expulsion. I had folded it and kept it in my purse. I handed it to my Mom, telling her, "The school gave me this piece of paper. I'm officially out."
She unfolded it to read.
My Mom nodded silently.
"We'll look at the highschool in the town over," She sighed, putting the piece of paper away. "There aren't many places that would accept someone with a history like you. With all those false bullying cases and missed classes."
I shrugged.
She was walking past me, but I brought up, "Did you, at any point in time, think about sending me to the mental asylum?"
She stopped in her tracks.
I shrugged, not turning around to face my Mom. "Well, I had this feeling about it since some time ago, actually. With how Doctor Lisa has been talking to me and all."
She hugged me from behind. "I'm sorry."
I shook my head. "It's fine."
She patted my back. "Get some sleep. We can talk more about this tomorrow evening. It must have been a tiring day for you, huh?"
I had my hand on the doorknob.
"Yeah…"
I entered my room and closed the door behind me. I inhaled and exhaled deeply before walking over to my desk. I picked up a pen and opened my diary. I pressed my pen against the paper but failed to write anything.
My vision became slightly blurry.
I rubbed my eyes, whispering to myself, "What?"
My vision cleared up and I steeled myself.
I wrote down what I needed to write before going to bed. I laid in bed, staring at the ceiling for what felt like hours. In my head, an imaginary clock ticked, counting down to when I would finally fall asleep.
And maybe I'll never wake up.