Before the Ever Green (BTEG #1) ✔️

Chapter 19

7 days.

I am counting down the days till I can leave this stupid little town, with all it's stupid people, like Sara Jane and John. I am counting the days till I will become sick in another place. Counting the days till I will know on another place that might be very different from our little town. I count, and count and count.

I am counting.

7 days.

Sara and John come over during lunch and trow food at me, but I block it with a hand held fan I bought.

6 days.

Everett sits with me, and we talk about our departure. I am super excited, but Mr. Mac told me to act more like Sara Jane, he tells me Sara should be my role model. No.

5 days.

Mom bugs me about the fact that I need to get a hair cut, because she thinks I look like a baboon with a mop on it's head.

4 days.

Everett buys 2 medium sized bags from the town market to fill for our trip. One for me. One for him

3 days.

Sara spritzes John's cologne all over me, and I cough all day because I reek. I reek because stupid Sara Jane has a stupid sense of smell, and decided that I should smell like her asshole boyfriend.

2 days.

Mom tries to sell turtle to one of the towns people, but I spread a tiny rumor that he has a disease, so I can keep him.

Note to self: Bring turtle along.

1 day.

This is today, and I am sitting across from an empty chair, because Everett isn't at school today. He's packing. Mom wouldn't let me stay home without an excuse. I couldn't tell her the truth, and I'm not sick. So, I let each period pass by... slowly. Too slowly, but I manage. I sit in my little chair attempting to read my book. It's so hard, because my mind is on tomorrow and our trip.

I hear footsteps, and look up to find John. He is holding a piece of paper, which I can see has food in it. He throws it at me, and says "I'm sorry. I must have mistaken you for the garbage man." He laughs before walking away.

The paper rolled to the ground, and I pick it up. Written in bold black market it says: GET LOST, BITCH. YOU DON'T BELONG HERE.

I just walk over to the trash, and throw it away. 1 more day, I remind myself. 1 more day until all your misery is gone. 1 more day until you are on the train headed south towards the capital. I heard the capital is near the Pacific ocean. I've never been to the ocean, but I've seen pictures of whales in the ocean, in my books; in the science books Mom got me once. They looked cool, and peaceful.

The bell rings, and I head to Literature, where I find Mrs. McGee standing by the board. When everyone is seated and quiet, she begins speaking, "Okay, class. Today is the last day to finish your assignments. Turn them into the basket when you are done. You may leave early if you wish once you turn it in. Begin."

It took me a long time to come up with what I was going to do, but when I did, I realized I was done with the assignment years ago:

When summers day turns to cold

the Autumns wind you're sure to hold

Mothers cider on the stove,

breathtaking color as pure as gold

The tree in the east turning red

The color fades before the dead.

Autumns wind I hope you hold

Take it in before the cold.

I scrawl my name on the top of the paper, along with today's date before turning it in, grabbing my bag, and heading out the door. I hear a cluster of gasps, I am assuming at the fact that I was the first to finish; the monster. "Have a good day," Mrs. McGee calls. I raise a quiet hand to acknowledge her, though I don't say a word.

I exit the school campus, and follow my path back to my house. The trees are still leaf-less, and the branches are still dark. It is still Winter, but the cold starts to get warmer around January, February time. There have never really been long cold winters. November and December were the cold months.

I am crossing the bridge which I read has been here for hundreds of years. When I was little, I was scared to cross it, because I thought it would topple over, and I would fall into the water below. I thought I would drown, because I'd hit my head on a rock. I was a very imaginative child; a lot more imaginative than Sara Jane or Jenna. They were so cliche in practically everything they did. Sometimes it really bugs me. The idea that neither one of them had a single original thought.

In 4th grade I asked my teacher if she could give some of my brain to the 2 of them, so they could learn something too. I told they teacher I thought they were brainless, and I had too big of a brain. I got an hour in the 'no, no chair', which was a little red chair with a fold down desk, where you had to sit during recess and lunch. She made you write 100 times what you did wrong. She'd write it one the board once, you'd write it on your paper 100 times.

I never really liked that teacher. She was so...bland and unoriginal, but she gave us better snacks than all the other teachers.

When I reach the house, Mom is outside in the garden. She's picking tomato's and strawberries. "You're home early!" She calls when I reach a point where she can see me. I jog to reach her. I go to a walk when I get a few feet away. I catch my breathe, before saying, "Mrs. McGee let me out early, because I finished my assignment early."

"Good for you, sweetie." She says, and gets up to give me a hug.

We both head inside, and Mom makes 2 sandwiches. I head to my room, because it's Friday and I leave tomorrow. I don't even have 24 hours till I will be sitting on a train heading to the capital. I can't believe it.

I am doing everything I never dared to do before. I am going against my mom, trusting someone, going out of town, taking the train, not giving Mom any indication as to where I am going, meeting Mr. O'Riley, learning about my 'powers'. And, as much as I want to feel bad, as much as I wish I felt like curling in a ball...I don't. I feel refreshed, and happy. Even excited.

All I can think about is the ride. How it will feel to be on a train. How it will feel to escape the harsh reality I live in. I can't stop thinking about what I think it will feel like doing all these things.

But, I am also thinking about how Mom will feel.

Betrayed? Sickened? Glad? Will she come after me? I guess only the future knows.

Just like that, I am asleep on the top of my warm blanket. I wish it were over me, but it isn't so I am constantly shifting.

Until morning.