Better Off Alone (Adopted by Brendon and Sarah Urie)

66. Callie

I didn't want to get out of the car at school at first. There were photographers and people all around the driveway and I didn't like it. My new friends were waiting at the flagpole like we agreed, but I wouldn't get out of the car. The principal and a security guard came and helped so I could get into the school without the press getting in the way.

"What are they all doing here?" Brian asked me.

"Probably because of my dad," I said.

"What's so special about your dad?" He asked.

"He's a famous singer," I said. "He's the singer for Panic! At The Disco."

"Ohhh," he said. "I think my sister listens to that band."

"They're good," I said.

"How do you know?" Patricia asked.

I shrugged.

"They're popular. And the beats are good."

My friends shrugged.

We made our way into the school, I tried to blend in but the press outside and the principal and a security guard coming to get me out of the car was a little obvious.

Brian, Patricia, Jason, Kylie and I made our way to our first class. English. I smiled. I like English class.

"Good morning, seventh grade," our teacher, Mr. Williams, signed to us. "Welcome to Merton to our new students."

He smiled at me and went on to explain how things worked in his classroom, his safety features and where they were in the class, and then what he would be teaching us this term. 

"Are we going to have a media circus every day?" A boy at the front asked.

"Why are there so many press here, anyway?" A girl asked.

Mr. Williams explained that no, the press would eventually be gone and that the school was trying to get them to leave now, and that it was because there is a student at the school whose parent is well known.

I liked that he didn't say it was me. But the girl at the front turned around and looked at me. She narrowed her eyes.

"It's you, isn't it?" She asked, glaring at me. I just shrugged. "What's so special about you?"

I shrugged and said 'nothing'.

"You're right. You're nothing special," she said, rolled her eyes and turned around. Patricia touched my arm. We were sitting at a table together.

"That's Melanie," she said, rolling her eyes.  "She did like one modelling job for the Hearing Society and thinks she's a celebrity. She's just a bitch."

I covered my mouth as I giggled. Patricia smiled at me.

"Don't worry. She's all bark. Probably jealous because no one cares about her poster. Which, by the way, was when she was eight!"

I laughed.

"Girls," Mr. Williams got our attention. "Let's pay attention, please."

I blushed.

We were doing introductions. I was nervous. I didn't know what to say.

Suddenly it was my turn and all eyes were on me. Melanie rolled her eyes and glared at me.

"I'm Callie, this is my first year at Merton. I got adopted this summer and my parents found this school. I went to public school before.  My favourite colour is blue and red. I like to read. This year, um, I hope to just fit in."

Melanie rolled her eyes and stood up.

"Why don't you tell them you tried to kill your 'dad'?"

I stopped and stared. What did she mean? 

"Melanie," Mr Williams said. "You had your turn. It's Callie's turn now."

"She tried to kill her own father. She should be in jail. Not in school with innocent kids!"

Tears sprang to my eyes.

"I did not try to kill my dad!" I countered.

"Please! It was all over the news! You stabbed your dad! You're crazy! And you should be locked up!"

With tears streaming down my face, I ran out of the classroom and out the nearest door. I didn't care who was outside the school. I just ran as fast and far as I could.

Eventually I tired out and stopped. I looked around. I had no idea where I was. Mom and Dad had driven me to school and the school wasn't close to home. We'd driven for at least 20 minutes. I found a small park, sat on the bench and covered my face and cried.

It wasn't fair!  Who was Melanie to think she knew anything about what happened?  Mom and Dad said they knew what was behind what happened, and they weren't upset with me. We'd worked with a doctor about it. And I had to go talk to a doctor every week about what happened in New York, and what my birth dad and my foster dads and brothers and some uncles did.

Melanie was probably telling everyone now what happened. Brian, Jason and Patricia would stop being my friends.

I realized I was probably going to get into a lot of trouble for running away from school. Great. My first day at a new school and it was already going to shit. I couldn't go back to school. For starters, I was lost and had no idea where the school was from where I was. And I wasn't sure which way was home.

I looked around and tried to figure out where I was.  I figured if I walked in one direction long enough I'd come to a main road and might be able to figure my way home. Or back to school. My phone was in my backpack. And my backpack was in the classroom still.

I sighed and started making my way along the street. I was in a neighborhood, so eventually, I'd come across something familiar.

I kept walking and walking but all I found were more houses. I knew we lived in the hills, so I headed that way, but pretty soon the houses thinned out and I was walking along hills and park land.  Were we on the other side of the hills? I couldn't remember.

Did I need to go up and over them?

I was going to be in so much trouble. And now I was lost. And I had no way of asking anyone anything.