Hiraeth

ʙᴀᴄᴋ

I walk into Montgomery with my head down not in the mood to see people's judging stares. I can feel my patience running extremely low when I can practically here the rumors start to spread.

"She was in jail for overdose!"

"No it was for murder!"

"Don't be stupid it was obviously for drug dealing!"

"She was on house arrest for a month!"

"Maybe she killed her brother? It would make sense since I haven't seen him in over three months!"

I clench my fist trying to keep my anger inside as I'm not the type to lash out in-front of people just because I'm angry. Before I can even walk up to them I was tackled into a hug.

"Oh my god!" Laura squeals. Tightening her hold on me.

"I've missed you!" Kim gushes forcing my face into her shoulder. "It wasn't the same without you Hevs!" She pats my hair.

"Where have you been Heaven?" Laura rocks me slightly. Seeing Jake, Scott, and Matt walking up to me.

"What's up," Jake dabs me. "Haven't seen you in awhile,"

"Yeah it was getting boring without you here," Scott ruffles my hair, i glare harshly at him. Only causing him to give me an innocent smile.

"Where have you been Hevs," Matt lightly punching my shoulder. "We've missed your sarcastic comments."

"We've been texting you non stop, did you not check your phone?" Jake looks at me suspiciously.

"Yeah, I- I- my bad," I shrug, wishing to be anywhere but here. I look at Caden who just rounded the corner, looking at me slightly, wide eyed when he notices me.

"We went to your house," Laura states pointing between her and Kim. "And no one was home, so we didn't know what was going on with you," I look around noticing everyone discreetly trying to listen into our conversation.

"Yeah," I nod. "Why don't we go somewhere else to talk," Trying to give my self more time to figure out what I'm going to say to them. They all nod in agreement finally acknowledging that everyone is listening into our conversation.

"So where have you been Hevs?" Laura asks softly. Standing under a tree, everyone is looking at me curiously. Swallowing slightly before I respond.

"I forgot to tell you," I let out a fake laugh. "My dad had come back home and he offered to take me with him on a business trip." I smile nodding. "We went to Atlanta and I forgot my phone at home." I pursue my lips. "Today I just got back from the airport so I didn't have time to check my phone," well I technically didn't lie, dad is back from his trip.

"Oh?" They all look at me suspiciously knowing I'm lying and deciding if they should let it go or not. But of course Jake being Jake he has to always confirm his theories.

"You dad took you on one of his business trip in the middle of the school year for a whole month?" Jake raised an eyebrow.

"Where did you go Hevs?" Matt threw an arm around my shoulders looking down at me. The last thing I'm going to do is tell them how my mom tried to kill me.

"Atlanta," I gave them a soft smile. "Dad talked to Mr Lunez and said I can do online school from the trip." I shrug Matt's arm off my shoulder. Yet again they all give me suspicious glances. "I'll see you all in class," I walk away not even waiting for a response. I round a corner, looking around making sure I'm not visible to anyone.

Signing, I take out the alcohol flask I hid in my school jacket. I take a long swing ignoring the burning sensation in the back of my throat, I've come to love. I never even thought about touching a bottle of alcohol as I was always so persistent on the damages it does to your body but I guess now I believe when someone says people change. I've never would have imagined myself ditching class for a drop of alcohol.

I find it so astonishing how a person can change in the span of three months. I've never actually knew what it meant to loose someone at the age of nine. As you barely know what's going around you at the age.

I look up when I smell smoke start to gather around me. Caden smoking a cigarette, looking at the view in from of us.

"Aren't you supposed to be in class?" I ask. He glances down at me before averting his gaze back on the city.

"Aren't you?" He blows the smoke. He looks back at me with raised eyebrows. I slowly get up dusting the dirt off my skirt. I sign looking at him.

"Didn't feel like it," I gulp down the alcohol once more before shoving it back into my uniform. He throws the cigarette on the floor stomping on it after. Running a hand threw his soft dark hair.

"Since when did you drink?" He asks after a moment of silence.

"Not too long ago," I shrug.

"Haven't seen you around," he mutters quietly.

"You most thrilled," I yawn softly. Seeing Caden furrow his eyebrows in confusion at my comment. I elaborate more. "You know, you finally have a better chance at first than I do." I shake my head looking down at the floor. "Me being gone, you having way more of a chance at first place than I do now."

"Yeah," he laughs bitterly. "I probably do," he smirks at me.

"I mean," I start to walk away. "It's about time, I was starting to think you weren't actually trying Caden." I said.

I drive back to the house only being at school for three hours. I knew I should've just stayed home. I literally feel like a horrible person completely lying to my own friends like that. I have a feeling they knew I was lying too but never commented on it. Which makes it even worse that they know there being lied too.

Walking inside the cold mansion I've come to despised, I look around wondering if my father is home.

"Heaven?" He asks, furrowing his eyebrows in confusion on to why I'm home early from school. "Your not in school because?" He trails off.

"I wasn't feeling good," I rub my temple dramatically hoping he'll by it.

"Yeah okay," he looks at me suspiciously. "Well what do you want to do since your home now?" he smiles at me. "Blasting music as we drive to McDonald's?" He offers with a knowing smirk.

"Yeah," I agree yet the only thing I want to do is take a long nap. "Let me just change out of this," I point to my uniform. He gives me a reassuring nod to get dress. I walk into my room instantly eyeing my phone, I haven't touch in over a month.

I scroll through the hundreds of text I have received form my friends. And no I'm not being dramatic. I bite the inside of my mouth anxiously when I notice Caden was one of them.