Young and Foolish

Chapter 17: Avoiding Misunderstandings with Honest Communication & Hidden Truths

Sarah's POV: 

Sitting right in front of my science teacher's desk apparently meant I was her lackey. I had hardly been here for half a week, and she already had me running errands throughout her class. I didn't really mind. Science was a boring class and it gave me the opportunity to get to know the school grounds a bit better. 

I actually liked when she had me drop things off at the office. The secretaries were nice ladies, and sometimes I got to see Vivian. I had just dropped off the attendance list when Vivian tapped me on the shoulder and motioned for me to follow her into her office. 

"Will your dad like this, or this better?" she held up a blue satin tie, and a striped red tie. 

"Blue one," I pointed to it. She grinned in relief.

"Thank goodness! I wanted to get him a surprise gift for his new job, but I couldn't tell which one he would've liked better. You're sure he'll like this one?" she insisted. 

"He'll like anything you get him." I replied. It was kind of adorable how hard she tried. If only she knew just how happy she made my dad. I know Vivian had worries about replacing my mom in our lives, but none of that mattered to us. We could love our mom and love Vivian at the same time. 

She looked at me with a silly besotted smile, and I held out my arms for a hug. 

And then Ryder walked in. His jaw nearly hit the floor when he saw us. 

"Are you two..?" he trailed off in question, gesturing between the two of us. 

"Vivian's my step-mom," I cleared up, not quite understanding what he was hinting at but figuring a misunderstanding would cause some sort of ruckus. 

I left quickly after, not wanting to disturb Vivian's job and also because I had to get back to class. 

School went by rather tediously, as it usually does. The last class I had of the day was art, and this was the first time I felt truly excited since leaving my old home. Art was my best subject. 

Mrs. Winston played music in class and left us to do as we wished. I easily took to one of the easels as if it were natural to me, which it was. I was an avid painter, and art was a therapeutic outlet to me. I needed this. It felt nice to finally empty my head onto a blank page. 

I ended up losing track of time until the bell rang. I saved the unfinished painting to work on it next class. 

I had a text from Annie that told me to meet her near the front exit. I grinned, heading over with a bounce in my step. 

"Okay, spill," she ordered the moment she saw me. 

"Spill what?" I asked. 

"You know. What happened to your family?" Oh no. Not this. I tried to not let my expression give anything away. 

"What do you mean? Everything is all fine with us," I replied with a smile. I hoped it didn't look as fake as it felt. She looked at me seriously for a moment and I held the expression for as long as I could. Finally she let out a breath and looked away. 

"Your mother passed away many years ago, and you all moved here when your dad remarried. Teddy is away at a boarding school for gifted students. You've told me all that, but what happened to Jessica? There's no way she disappeared into thin air." She put a hand on my shoulder and I flinched. "You don't have to tell me if you don't wish to, but just now that if anything is troubling you, you can always talk to me."

I looked down at the ground and chewed on the inside of my lip. 

"How'd you find out?" I asked. 

"I called your dad to see if I could get any of Jessica's famous cookies, and he said that she wasn't here anymore. He didn't get the chance to explain, but it sounded hella sketchy to me." 

I fiddled with my backpack strap. 

"Jessica's dead." I choked. Her hand on my shoulder stiffened and she pulled me into a hug. 

"Oh Sarah, I'm so sorry," she  whispered comfortingly. I wasn't going to cry. At least not here with all these random students going about their business. 

"It's okay, she's in a better place now," I hugged her back before pulling away, "and she was happy in her last days, so there's no need to still be upset about it." I gave her a small smile, but it was far more genuine than the grin I gave her moments prior. 

Annie was a good friend. I trusted her. Maybe not enough to tell her the full truth just yet, but I knew I could rely on her when needed. Everything was going to be just fine.