School Spirits | I Don't Do Friends

3 - "God, You're A Piece of Shit."

The first day back as school wasn't easy. They herded the kids in the gym at the beginning of the day to give information about what had happened the Friday before, and Wally's funeral services.

Everyone was heartbroken, faces hung low, the school was eerily quiet as the day went on.

Caroline was as bad as she could get. Some guy bumped into her after 3rd period and she yelled at him. That morning she punched open the front door, it tended to get stuck and now her hand hurts.

Wally had been informed of his situation by an 'also dead' teacher, Mr. Martin, but he needed more time. So he wondered the school instead.

He wanted to go about his day as usual, but his eyes shifted to Caroline. All alone walking to class with bruised knuckles.

Most other kids went to their friends for support. Caroline didn't really have any so Wally was there instead.

"You said we're friends, so you're stuck with me." He trailed behind her.

It was the end of the day. The teachers weren't planning on continuing any lessons for a few days, while everyone processed. Most kids entered into hushed conversations with their friends, Caroline sat at their lab table and tried to read a book to distract herself. Wally sat beside of her.

She grew restless and looked away. A glint if silver flashed past her eye. She reached into the inside of Wally's desk.

She pulled out his pen.

"Stupid fucking pen." She felt the weight of it in her hands.

"Hey that's a good pen! I traded a coke for that last year." Wally smiled as she switched it between her hands.

She bit her lip to stop her emotions from coming back. The last thing she wanted to do was cry in public about a pen.

It was more than that. It was his.

She still felt guilty, she was horrible to him that day.
"To be fair he started it." She thought to herself.

Wally would stick around and walk with her for weeks.

The months passed and now it was winter. Caroline thought she mostly recovered from Wally's death. She'd never forget him of course, but even she knew when she had to be normal again.

That was until her birthday. She was sitting at home on a Thursday night, day before she'd be turning 17.

"The least you could do is come home for your daughters fucking birthday!" Hank sounded from the living room. She walled herself in there when she came home and realized he was on the phone with her mother.

She couldn't place it, but the thought of her mother coming back at all haunted her.

"She doesn't want a card and she doesn't want your damn money! She wants her mother!" The house rattled.

"No I don't." She thought.

Caroline pulled off the skin around her nails, waiting for the walls to stop shaking.

Usually she'd try and drown him out when he got like this, but he lowered his voice. She started listening closely.

"Her friend died a few months ago, she's lonely she needs her mother here." He sighed. "I told you this."

That really hurt.
Her father tried not to talk about the star player's death in front of her. Or mention football at all. He hasn't suggested she go to a game since. He even hid the varsity jacket away in the back of his closet so she wouldn't have to see it.

Even after his best efforts Caroline would still dream about the moment he broke his neck.

"Call tomorrow before she leaves for school then! Hello? Sharon!" Her mother hung up. "Bitch!" She heard the pound of his fist on the counter.

It seemed liked her mother left for no reason. Hank had anger issues but he'd never lay and hand on either of them. To be honest, she hit him as often as she got the chance.

Beer bottles, silverware, anything she could throw, she'd aim for his head. 
He refused to leave, he had to stay for his daughter. Sharon had other plans.

Did she even want a family at all, and if not why would she put up with them for so long?

Caroline was a lot like her dad in ways. The anger is never mindless, and they always seem to apologize a little too late.

She was just tried. She at least she felt like it. Tired of her mother, sick of people at school getting over what happened to Wally, over feeling completely alone.

She clasped her hands together, for the first time a while. "God, you're a piece of shit."

She didn't believe in anything really. But she liked to call God out just in case he was listening. She didn't call it 'praying' she preferred thinking she was 'complaining'
It was more accurate. More fun too.

She made her way to her bedroom door and cracked it open to check the damages. Nothing was knocked over, or broken, except maybe her father.

"Pa?" She sat next to him on the couch, where he was cradling his left arm in his opposite one.

"I'm sorry, kid." He croaked.

"It's fine, really." She moved his hand to see his wrist swollen and bruised. She tried to touch it and he flinched.

"I should've yelled like that, I just- you- ow, you've been through a lot. She should be here." He rambled as Caroline lifted his wrist.

It hurt Hank more than he let on. His wife leaving that is. Not only was he left with a teenage girl all by himself, she broke off the marriage he oh so desperately tried to keep in tact. Like it was nothing.

"It's dislocated. I'll drive you to the hospital." She helped him stand.

Sometimes he was ashamed of how Caroline had to take care of him. He leaves the house a mess? Caroline cleans is up before dawn. He throws a temper tantrum and hurt his wrist? She drives him to the ER.

She hopped in the drivers seat. Technically, she didn't have a driver's license, but her fathers taught her enough to get to the hospital and back.

"I pick the music though." She slipped her tape into the recorder.

Hank almost mistook this for a relaxing afternoon drive. If it wasn't for his wrist of course. Still, he looked out the window and tried his best to enjoy the time with his daughter.

He didn't have the heart to tell her why he stopped smoking, but he had the heart to suffer through her music.

————————
Lots to process here guys.. take your time.