Clear Lake Academy holds the worst of the worst delinquents from around the country. Each and every student there holds a notorious background that led them there and almost everyone avoids them.
After setting the tenth building on fire, which just...
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I didn't expect my mother to show up at school when me and the others arrived back.
We had been back for a week - minus Bentley - and we had been the talk of the week. Everywhere we went, people stared and whispered among themselves. Questions and rumours flew around and even Lila stayed away warily.
And on the very last day of the week, my mother showed up.
Now here we sat in a conference room, across from each other, alone.
I waited for her speak and to tell me why she had come here but all she did was stay silent and stare at me.
My mother looked like her usual self; her hair was knotted up in a high bun which made her face tight and showed off her high cheekbones. She had simple makeup that provided a simple layer on top of her flawless skin and she wore a black suit, her wrists adorned with diamond bracelets that captured the light every possible second.
"Are you going to tell me why you're here?" I asked, raising my eyebrows.
She twisted her lips in thought as she glanced over me with blank eyes.
The silence was deafening. The clock ticked at the front of the room. Tick. Tock.
Eventually she spoke up. "I want you back home."
"No." The answer was put as soon as her words registered in my head. "Not a chance."
"You're being ridiculous Pandora. There is no need for all this drama. Do you know what people are talking about out there, all this chatter about our family. It's tarnishing our reputation."
"So that's the reason you want me home?" I scoffed, clenching my jaw as she simply nodded. "Well sorry to break it to you, but I'm good." I smiled sarcastically.
My mother didn't want my attitude and nor did she need it but I didn't care. I hate them for what they did. I hated them from making my life harder than it needed to be.
"Look," I gathered her attention as soon as she opened her mouth to talk again. "I'm not coming home. Not now, not later, and maybe not even ever. And you can't fault me for that."
I shook my head gently because all of a sudden it was like all the fight and anger had left me and all that was left was the shell of my tired heart.
"It's my choice and you have to let me live my life. All my life, you made my choices for me and I need to you to step back because in a few months I'll be eighteen and you'll have to do that anyway. But you have to let me choose what's best for myself." I looked up at her. "And that's not with you and him."
I stood up, pushing the chair back under the table and watching her face. My mother looked shocked, for the first time she didn't have any words. Her eyes simply trailed after me as I turned to leave the room.
"I know I should have told you..." her whisper was loud in the quiet room as she finally spoke up, her gaze softening on my back as my hand landed on the handle. I stiffened. "and I'm sorry."
