Immaculate

We never leave one of our own alone...

Part Thirty-Four

Sang's POV

I stared out of the window the whole way back home. North said nothing more and neither did I.

I was a mess of conflicting emotions, feelings and confusion. I needed some time on my own to sort through everything that happened.

North pulled the Jeep into the driveway of my house. There was a light on in the living room and I knew that Marie was home.

"I'll see you tomorrow, North." I tried to be strong but my voice came out as a croak.

"I don't want to leave you alone," he said, putting his hand on my arm to stop me from leaving. "Let me take you back to mine, you can stay with me and Luke. Or we can wait for Nathan and Kota to come back."

"I'll be fine," I said and tried to smile at him, but I failed. "I want to be alone for a bit, I have to think this through, North." I pulled away from him, got out and shut the door behind me. I ran into the house and didn't look back before shutting and locking the front door.

"There you are!" I turned in surprise to see my father coming out of the living room.

"What are you doing here?" I blurted it out, my shock must have shown on my face because he looked away, almost guiltily.

"I've been waiting for you to come home," he said. I saw Marie hovering behind him and it looked like she'd been crying. She sent me a hateful glare and ran up the stairs, slamming her door behind her.

"Why are you here?" I asked, my hand drifting to where my phone was. Should I let the others know? Should I call North in? I turned and looked through the peephole, it was hard to see in the dark, but I could tell his Jeep was no longer there, he'd left.

"Sang, we need to talk." My father spoke behind me and I turned back to face him. I found myself following him into the living room. He sat on the sofa in the same position I was used to seeing him in, until he left us behind. For another family.

I perched on the chair opposite him and waited, my finger went to my lip and pushed it against my teeth and I didn't even try to stop myself.

"I had your principal on the phone this afternoon. He claimed you attacked a student in the halls today, he also said that at the Halloween dance you took drugs. I left you here on the understanding you would look after the house and Marie. What's happening? He seemed to think these boys you've gotten in with are a bad influence."

I stared at him. I had no idea where to start and he was blaming me?

"I didn't take drugs. Someone slipped them into my drink, it was a date rape drug."

His face went white at my words and I realised he hadn't been told that.

"I was found before he could do anything," I said. "I haven't been raped. And it was those boys who found me and made sure I was safe. Drugs are a problem at Ashley Waters, did Mr Hendricks tell you that as well?"

"He's threatening to expel you Sang, for that, and for attacking the kid in the hall. Why did you attack him?"

"He was the one who drugged me," I said simply. I folded my hands into my lap to hide the shake.

"But now I have to go in tomorrow and tell Mr Hendricks that I made a mistake, that it wasn't him at all. Because if I try to take it any further, the authorities will find out that Marie and I are alone here, that you aren't here."

I watched as he looked away and I wondered who this man was. I knew his face, knew I called him Father, and that was all I knew about his. I had no memories of him taking me to the park, helping me to ride a bike. Normal memories, I had none of them. I just had endless memories of long business trips, screaming matches between him and mother and silent evenings when he would sit in front of the television.