On The Fifth Day

Day Four

I woke up the next day with a plan. I was confident that I was going to solve all my problems. Maybe I was a little bit too optimistic. I mean, I was dealing with someone who was clearly a sociopath. She wasn't scared to murder, she wasn't scared to sabotage, and she wasn't scared to make my life a living hell.

As soon as I opened my eyes, I reached for my phone. The first part of my plan was to make sure I didn't have to go to school. In order to confront Lindsay, I couldn't have that burden in my way. Yes, she would probably be attending school, but I would not. No, I would have to meet her under different circumstances. Which is why I had to set up at her house. If she wouldn't listen to me, maybe she would listen to a little bit of sabotage of my own. And this is where I wasn't proud of myself. This is where I went low, lower than just shunning someone from my group, or trying to fling someone down the social ladder. No, I was gonna go lower than that. I was gonna cut the brakes on her car. That's right. Was it deadly? Yes. But that was what I needed to save my own life. Yes. I was gonna cut her brakes, set up beside her house, and tell her parents what she did. Because she was a goody two shoes to them. So, if she made it out alive, she had to face her parents.

Yes, I was feeling ruthless and cutthroat. I was happy, because I knew that this was fool proof. So what if I went to jail? There wouldn't be any proof. I knew where the school had cameras and where they didn't. Besides, no one in the school would be brave enough to testify if they did see anything. And even if there was a small chance that I really did go to prison,it would be okay because I would be free. Free of Lindsay, free everyone's watching I. Free of a guilt for everything that I had done and been a part of. Because maybe I had hurt people. Maybe I wasn't a saint. I just wanted everything to end already. Was that too much? No, the past three days had been too much.

I rolled over in bed, my phone in my hand. I had to call Alex and Paige to tell them I wouldn't be at school. I didn't know why I was gonna give them a courtesy. If I wanted to go out with a bang, I didn't wanna go out alone. They were my best friends, the only ones I had left. Maybe I was angry at them, but maybe we could work it out. Maybe I could tell them how I felt and how we were hurting people, get them to see.

Just as I was going to try to make amends, in walked my mother, sleep deprived from work. She was still in her uniform, the same Mickey Mouse one from the day before. "Sam, you have to go to school today. No more playing hooky."

I stared at her blankly.. No, this wouldn't work. She was ruining my plans.

"No, I'm not feeling that good today. I can't go in. I can't deal with this. "

She shook her head. "Samantha Presley, I let you stay home yesterday. But you can't let all this get in the way of your education. I get it, it's been a lot to deal with and I know you're probably traumatized. But is this the way to deal with it? Sitting at home, wallowing in your own misery isn't gonna do any good. So I need you to go to school."

I looked over my bed, a complete mess with blankets thrown everywhere. "No, I think I should stay in bed."

She placed her hands on her hips, and that's when I knew my mom was serious. Anytime squeezed her hands on her hips, she meant business. "No, here's what's going to happen. You're going to go to school, or I'm gonna call truancy on you."

She couldn't be serious. She was my mother, how could she do this to me? This could not be happening. "No! You don't understand. And you don't understand what it feels like. I need you to be on my side mom." It was clear at this point I was begging. I was just one step away from getting on my knees and clasping my hands together.

"Samantha, I know you. I know that you're going to be up to no good. I know you left the house yesterday. Where you went, I don't know. But you can't try this again. I can't have you getting in trouble. She's a bad seed, not you, okay? We're gonna get this figured out, police are going to get involved. But you're safer at school than out wandering."