ANIMA

16. Naive

Tomas

As ridiculous the rumor is, it is stuck in my mind.

“Is everything okay, Tom?”  Mom asks.

“You seem a bit distracted” Dad adds.

“I’m fine…there’s a rumor going around...”

“What about?” mom asks.

“That dad pulled some strings for me to attend Wellington.”

“That’s ridiculous.” mom says with a chuckle.

I look at dad.

“That’s insane. You know we don’t have that kind of money, Tom. You got in because you worked hard and it payed off. Don’t let anyone tell you any different okay.” Dad says.

I let out a breath I didn’t realize I was holding.

“Okay, thanks dad.”

We say our good nights and just as I end the video call I hear a knock at the door.

For a moment I am frozen, what if it’s one of the people that think I cheated my way into Wellington? What if they have decided words aren’t enough?

I am not a good fighter.

There is another knock. I check through the peep hole. It’s just Mason, I open the door.

“Thought you might not want to leave your room today, so I brought dinner” Mason says holding up a…picnic basket?

“Aww a picnic for me? How sweet!” I say playfully fluttering my eyelashes.

“I only realized I didn’t have anything to carry the food when I got to the kitchens, so Dorothy gave me the basket.” he says walking into the room.

“Also you have obviously been spending too much time with Aiden, it’s starting to show. Two Aidens…” he adds pretending to shudder at the end.

“So how are holding up?” he asks laying out the food.

“I’m okay.”

He gives me an unbelieving look. So I tell him both about my conversation with Trent and my parents.

“What an ass!”

“Trent or my parents?”

“Trent obviously.” he says with an eye roll.

“I haven’t known you for even a month and I can tell you wouldn’t knowingly be part of something like that. How can he say that when you guys have known each other for so many years?” he says.

I am really lucky to have found people like him, Aiden and Kenzie.

We are cleaning up when he asks; “About your dad, is there a chance he lied to protect you?”

He must see the look on my face because he is quick to add; “not about you working hard, that is clear to see but about the other stuff.”

“My dad says he didn’t do it and I believe him.” I say defensively.

“I am not saying you shouldn’t but how about getting some evidence to back it up. It doesn’t need to be something official, I think we should do some of our own research in case the school gets involved” Mason says.

Oh…he is worried I’ll get kicked out.

I hadn’t thought that far. I just thought, like every other rumor so far, it would be eventually forgotten. How naive of me.

These people hate outsiders and the ones they accept are only the most hardworking. Something like this is all the excuse they need to kick me out.

“Okay let’s do that” I say.