𝙇 𝙄 𝘽 𝙀 𝙍 𝘼𝙏 𝙀 𝘿

29 L I B E R A T E D 29

29 L 29

After my eventful day yesterday, school just seemed to be too weird to attend. Like, you know how "real life" stuff happens to you, then you have to sit in a classroom and listen to adults who don't even have their own lives figured out, teach you and boss you around? It just feels so weird. Like, I just reached a milestone in my life, where I'm trying to improve it for the better and that's all that my mind is focused on, but somehow I have detention in the library because I was too distracted in class today.

The audacity.

"Why are you here today?" Jeredine asked me.

She was the student d hall advisor. Five others kids plus me were clustered around a faded, wooden table in the library, our homework out and absolutely no phones.

"Distracted in class," I grumbled.

"Liberty," Jeredine rolled her eyes, writing it down, and moving on to the next person.

After Jeredine finished her rounds, we were free to talk as long as we whispered and didn't have any devices out.

"Did...A'livia talk to you?"

I found myself suddenly annoyed. I mean, I really can't believe Jeredine broke the crew's pact and told A'livia. But just as soon as my annoyance came, I calmed myself down and played with the pencil in my hand. "Yeah." I guess the crew's pact really didn't count for me anyways, since I had told them that I was leaving.

"Well, how did it go?" Jeredine asked tentatively, probably sensing my mood.

"It was a rough beginning, but me and her talked."

Jeredine seemed bothered by my vagueness but didn't say anything. "So, how did the conversation go?" Jeredine pressed me.

"We discussed my problem. Had a heart to heart. Oh, and my friend Vonna was there too. She helped some," I said, an uncontrollable smile coming onto my face.

"Who's Vonna?" Jeredine asked sourly. "That boutique kid?"

"Yeah," I replied, frowning. "What's wrong with a boutique kid? I'm one- well, gonna be one soon."

"I'm sorry...what? Since when?" Jeredine asked, confused. "My mother and I attended Vonna's mother's event, and now my family's on the road to getting our first boutique. My mom's gonna move her store from online to physical and possibly keeping it half online too."

"Oh. I'm happy for you, Liberty. Why didn't you tell me sooner? That's big news," Jeredine said genuinely. "Not gonna lie, we weren't on the best talking terms the last time we spoke," I sighed, shrugging a little, "But I'm glad that we're talking again."

"Me too," Jeredine smiled.

"How's the crew doing?"

"Fine. Everybody misses you. Onella, me, even Amy," Jeredine chuckled a little.

"I think I'm ready to talk to everybody. To apologize and hope that they accept me back," I told Jeredine, "but I won't be doing anymore...taking," I glanced around the library for any nosy ears.

"That's perfectly fine, Liberty. I'm actually hoping that we can all leave that behind. Maybe all of us could enter the same program you might be doing-

"Wait, what?"

Jeredine shut herself up.

"How do you know about that? I never mentioned that to you. Me and A'livia only talked about that."

"A'livia and I talked some-

"See, this is what I don't like. If you're gonna share information about me, at least ask me if you can do that first," I threw up my hands.