Far Away From Home

Part Nine

Renia remembered her mother's smiling face. She didn't care about what people said about her mum. Her mum had a lot of love for her.

Whenever she came back from a stressful day at school, her mum would hug her, kiss her, and remind her how much she loved her. She could need that reassurance right about this moment.

If only she hadn't pushed her mum away and called her an attention seeker, maybe she wouldn't feel this guilty. Maybe she wouldn't have to prove herself to Tony, Caleb, and Jackson. Maybe she wouldn't want to have all Steph had. Maybe she wouldn't even be seen with them as a close friend. Maybe she would be at home with a cup of hot chocolate or her mother's favourite tea.

She would prefer her room to this cold, scary forest.

For the first time in her life, she felt hatred towards her friends instead of pride. She wanted them to die and be buried in an unmarked grave. She wanted them to be gone. They shouldn't exist. They should have been dead. The more she thought about it, the more anger she felt.

Steph could feel the cold hands of jealousy gripping her. She wanted to travel with her father, see sights, and amaze people with her intelligence.

She wanted to go out with her mother, surprise people, and receive leadership awards for taking charge of the weather.

She wanted to leave her classmates in the dust and make them never have a close view of her backside. She wanted them to remember her in history, how she wowed them with unthinkable challenges, and how many awards she received that had not been thought about.

She wanted Caleb to acknowledge the fact that she's intelligent and smart and that he should never counteract whatever she puts on the table. She wanted Jackson to be a simpleton who would listen to her whenever she needed a listening ear. She wanted Renia to back her up whenever she needed backup. She wanted a lot of things, but life is so unfair.

Why couldn't she get what she wanted?

Why should Caleb and Tony have telepathy?

Why are poor people stronger than her in power?

Why was Renia lucky enough to have her father's maturity?

Why didn't she get her mother's maturity?

Why was Jackson the salutatorian?

Why couldn't he be the last?

Why should she tolerate her friends when they can't agree with what she wants?

The more she thought about this, the more she felt her anger build up.

Jackson has always hated that his parents wouldn't notice him. He worked hard. He took up any sport and read till his mind bled and his eyes swarm over the words, but still his parents wouldn't look at him. He had thought that it would be okay so long as he turned out with the first position on his report card.

But Stephanie had to be in the same class as him in high school.

Why was she the valedictorian?

Why couldn't she be a dumb cheerleader like how all blonde barbies are in high school movies?

Why did she agree to be his girlfriend?

Did she think that he was a pathetic human to pity?

Does his friends hate him, or do they wish that he should be dead?

His parents were disappointed in him. He has an annoying, rich, intelligent girlfriend who would laugh at anything he does because she thinks that she's better than him, and his friends would rather have him dead.