Living With the Choices We Make (Domestic Violence / Abuse) ✔️

24 - Love Can Be A Funny Thing

This Chapter is dedicated to TheWriterD. Thanks so much for your support and reading this story :)

24 - Love Can Be A Funny Thing

These next few days were a confusing time for me. I felt guilty. Guilty for being weak and letting Brent back in. Guilty for disappointing Kade - for disappointing myself. I tried to pull myself together and somehow made it through the week. It was the day before Thanksgiving when things were heating up again, but not in ways I had imagined. It started out in school when I was called to the principal's office at lunch time.

I was pondering what Ms. Wagner might want from me, my anxiousness growing by the minute. I imagined all kind of crazy stuff from Kade or Tisha having called her to Brent sitting in her office. My nails were starting to disappear as I sat in the main reception area, waiting for her, biting them vigorously until even the most gifted manicurist would have had a hard time restoring them to anything of beauty.

Other kids walked in for one thing or another and without exception, stared at me with curiosity. This chair was usually reserved for the bad kids and I wanted to scream at them that I didn't do anything wrong. I had always been a good and well behaved student and this was my first trip to Ms. Wagner during school hours. It had already ringed for my next class period when she finally took mercy on me and welcomed me inside her office. I was twitching in the offered chair, not sure what to expect.

"I am sorry to keep you from your class, Rena," she began. "I know you have missed a lot of school this year and this won't take long."

I felt obliged to give her an explanation for my many absentees. "I was sick a lot and even spent a few days in the hospital."

"I am sorry to hear that," she responded flatly and I had the impression she couldn't care less. "I hope it wasn't something serious."

I shook my head, my thumbnail back on my lips for a further biting assault.

"Well, I am sure you will catch up." She appeared embarrassed when she continued. "But that's not what I wanted to discuss with you. The secretary got a call from a Mr. Brent Parks yesterday who has been paying your tuition these past few months. He indicated that he would not be in any further position to support you financially."

My eyes went wide - I couldn't believe he was just cutting me off. "I-I don't know what to say," I stuttered, my face burning with humiliation. "I wasn't aware of that."

She smiled curtly. "As you know, this is a private institution and we have to insist that all our students are up to date with their payments. Unfortunately, your grades have dropped to a point where you won't qualify for one of our merit scholarships. Your account is settled until the end of the month and I could even allow for a grace period until Christmas for you to make alternative arrangements but I am afraid if there is an outstanding balance in the New Year, you will have to enrol in a public high school."

I swallowed hard. "Are you kicking me out?"

She clicked her tongue with an impatient impression. "You will not be expelled but I have a school to run which is quite expensive. Maybe you could ask you father for a temporary loan until you graduate."

I got mad - why did everyone think that my dad was the solution for everything? They made him sound like some type of a saint who could save me but he would probably just refuse to help me anyways after everything that happened.

I jumped up. "I will make sure my tuition is paid in full before the Christmas vacation. Happy Thanksgiving."

I had no clue where I could get the money from but I would never have admitted that. In a daze, I went back to my classes and pretty much spent the rest of the afternoon brooding what to do. I was even tempted to call Brent and yell at him but was afraid of what he might tell me. I feared he had moved on and didn't need me anymore. Since I was still licking my wounds, that would have been an unbearable thought.