All The Faith In The World

Chapter 7: 4:08 pm.

"I'M HOME!!!" I heard my mom yell from the front door. I woke up and quickly locked my door. I didn't want anything to go down. Not today. I heard her coming down the hallway. Her steps were quick and consistent down the hard wood hallway, so I was guessing she was sobered up. She knocked on my door. "Faith? Are you in there?" She tried to wiggle the door knob. "Faith Porter open this door right now!" she screamed from the outside world. I heard more foot steps come bounding down the hall. Connor and Noah. I unlocked the door, took a deep breath, and let hinges make another cry of pain. As soon as I opened it, she gave me a giant hug. 

"Oh Faith. I'm so sorry for everything that happened this morning. It's not your fault at all. Nothing is, sweetie. I just needed someone to blame. That's all," she started petting my hair. I didn't hug her back. I just kind of stood there and let her hug me. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Connor and Noah standing across the hall, watching her closely. Then she let go. She turned around to see them behind her. "Jeez, what is this? A jail house? I don't need body guards boys. I'm pretty sure I can handle my own daughter," she thought they were here for her. "So, I have an idea. Why don't I make this up to you. Tomorrow, after school, I will pick you up and take you to dance myself. Then, we can spend a little time together. Doesn't that sound fun?" I nodded my head to be polite.

"Now, I'm going to go get dinner ready. I got your favorite, Mac and Cheese with bacon bits in it," and with that, she pinched my cheek and left. I cringed a little at the pain, because where she pinched was right near my bruised eye. Connor waited a minute, then went into his room. Noah came into my room.

"You ok there?" he asked when I sat back down on my bed. I looked down at my scarred legs and touched my bruised eye.

"Is it wrong not to trust her?" I asked him. His dark eyes flicked upward when I spoke. He had been looking at the scars too.

"Not after what she has done," he said looking at me with a bit of anger in his eyes.

"What's going to happen?" I asked getting more nervous by the second. I started to rub my hands together, a habit I do when I'm nervous, "What if she takes me somewhere and I can't get home? What if she crashes the car on purpose? What if she gets mad and kicks me out? What if? What if? What if I never see you guys again?" He scooted closer to me when I said the last one. Then, he pulled my hands apart and put them on my lap.

"Don't worry. You will be ok,  I promise," he said as he drew circles on my back to get me to stay calm. I still didn't feel safe though, for some reason.

Connor dropped Noah and I off at school again the next morning.

"Do you have your phone Faith?" he asked me. I shook my head.

"Mom took it away weeks ago and hid it someplace," I said.

"If you need anything just call through the school," Noah said. I got out of the car and walked in to the school.

"Hey Faith!" I heard Hayden call behind me. I turned around to see him.

"Hey, Hayden," I said as the blonde haired brown eyed boy approached me. And so started another day in the life of Faith Porter.

Noah met up with me in the hallway to 3rd period.

"Hey," he said as I walked to avoid him. I didn't want Anglea coming around the corner and making fun of me again.

"Hey," I said walking a little faster. But, I wasn't fast enough.

"Awww look at the little baby. Still needs to be protected by her brother?" Angela and her army steps out from the bathroom right as we pass it. Just my luck.

"Leave me alone, Angela."

"Why? What's your big brother gonna do?"

"I don't know. But,what I do know is if you say one more word to me, I'm gonna rip that ugly designer heel off your old lady foot and stick it so far up your butt you can't see it anymore," I said, standing in one place against the lockers.

"Keep telling yourself that, Porter," she said as she tried to act like that didn't bother her, but I could tell it did.

"Don't need to because everyone knows it's true," I yelled back to her while I kept walking.
I turned around to make sure she was gone, when I saw Noah, leaning against the lockers to his right and Natalie was trying to get his attention, but he watched me. I never told him about the bullying at school. He gave me a look, asking if this always happens. I ignored him and glumly walked into the classroom. I turn back one more time, only to see Nathalie all over him but Noah just trying to get to class. I took my usual seat next to Hayden.

"Oooooooooooooh girl, I heard what you said out there. You really are getting good at comebacks," he gave me a high five.

"Thanks, Hayden. You know I could give you lessons," I took out my math binder.

"Oh, please. I could win in a beat down between me and you any day," he says.

"Oh, Is that a challenge, Grimlacki?"

"Isn't it always, Porter?"