Forlot: A Girl Who Needs Her Space - Book Thirty-Two

Chapter Ten

Now I knew that something was not right here. First, I am answering some test at my old school. Then, the date is May the 23th and not April the 18th. Now my old teacher is trying to tell me that my grandparents are still alive. I did not know what to believe or say. I was that stunned.

Am I going insane? Or are all these students and my teacher part of a prank that my six brothers came up with? But deep down inside, I did not think that this was a prank. None of my brothers are smart enough to come up with a prank like this.

Maybe I can use this to prank them back. You know. To give them a taste of their own medicine.

Darn it, Carmen. This is not the time for pranks. You need to get out of this classroom - out of this school - and figure out what the crub is going on. You need to go back to Forlot to be with your family.

But I had a sinking feeling that my brothers or Mom or Aunt Elore were not in Forlot anymore.

I raised my hand again.

The teacher tucked a hair strand behind her ear. "Do you have another question, Carmen?"

"Yes," I replied as I quietly tapped my fingers on my desk.

"Does it have to do with the test?"

"No."

"Then what is it?"

"Um...may I use the restroom? Please?"

"You may. Thank you for asking politely." She picked up a hall pass and held it out. "Please come up to get your hall pass. And do not take long, alright? 'Cause you still have a test that you have to take."

"Yes, ma'am."

Little did she know that I was not using the restroom - and was not coming back to take the test. I was not going to come back at all because I was not supposed to be there. I needed to locate my family and go back home.

As I walked out of said classroom with the hall pass, I realized that Karma was not there. Karma and I are in the same classes, so it was weird not seeing her. At the same time, she could not be there because we did not meet until my family and I moved to Forlot.

"I wish that you were here, Karma," I said.

As soon as I was out of sight, I made a dash down the hall and into the girls' bathroom. I bent over and put my hands on my knees as I was catching my breath.

"I will relax and collect my thoughts," I said. "Then I will show myself out of here. Hopefully, nobody will see me leave the school grounds."

I looked at myself in the mirror and decided to wash my face to give me something to do. My hair needed to be brushed too, which was odd because I brushed it this morning. Before Mom read the will out loud. I guess that when you live in an alternate reality, your face and hair become a mess.

I wanna go home.

I walked up to the row of sinks and straightened out my hair. I took off my glasses with frustration before switching on the faucet and leaning over the sink. In my mind, I was praying that someone else would not come into this bathroom, and if somebody did, I was keeping my fingers crossed that it was not a teacher.

"I am soooooooo not in the mood to answer anyone," I whined as I wiped my face with a paper towel.

I knew that this definitely was not the time and place to complain, but can you readers blame me? I was so full of confusion that I was getting a headache. And I was angry at myself. I wanted to punch myself in the stomach. I did something that brought me to my old school. I must have. But what? What did I do?

I put my glasses back on my face and gripped both of the edges of the sink to steady myself. I let out a long whoosh of air through my nose and stared intently at my reflection. I began tapping my finger on the sink. Tap. Tap. Tap. My reflection did the same.

I was trying to figure out what was going on. I had so many questions. Why was I at my old school? Where was Karma? Why were Grandma and Grandpa alive? Did they fake their deaths or something?

"I need to find somebody who can give me answers," I said. "I know. My grandparents - if they are indeed alive - and my mother would know what is going on. I have to find them - and fast."

Thank gosh that I remembered where we lived.

I snuck out of the bathroom and dashed to the other side of the building. I reached the double doors that separated the students from the outside world. I was so happy that I was leaving that I was on the verge of squealing. But I did not. I did not want the staff and students to hear.

I pushed open one of the doors as quietly as possible and ran as fast as I could off the school grounds and to my old home.

My old house was smaller than the one that we have now. That is one of the reasons why we moved to the small town of Forlot. The other reason is because our old house was...well, anything but a house. I have no idea why Mom made us live in that house in the first place. It was in poor condition. Some of the roof tiles had fallen off. There were holes in the floorboards. It was a challenge to live in.

I reached the house and pushed open the front door - and you will never believe who was standing in the old living room.

My grandparents.