Can You Keep A Secret?

Chapter 16

I walked quickly down the hallway, heading to my locker. When I was only five fewer away, mom grabbed my arm to stop me, but I wrenched it away and made it to my locker. I pulled out my oversized backpack, stuffed all the locker's contents inside, and zipped it up. Mom was next to me, trying to coax me into going home and forgetting everything. That's her solution to most problems.

I slammed the locker door shut, giving mom the kind of look like she just asked the dumbest question ever.

"Mom, I'm not letting this go. If I get myself killed, or Mariah kills me, it doesn't matter. I need to put an end to this." I slung my bag over my shoulder and pushed past, beginning to walk away, when mom called out to me.

"I already lost one of you. I can't lose both of you."

Ugh, the guilt trip. I turned around slowly, looking mom up and down before saying, "Thanks for everything in those fifteen years. I love you."

I turned away from her, tears in my eyes - which I quickly wiped away - and walked out of Lakeview High school for the last time, hearing mom's sobs in the background.

I walked out to the sidewalk, looking both ways. There was not a person nor vehicle in sight. The town was dead, as usual. I turned around and looked back at mom. She was standing at the office doors, looking at me through the glass. Her face was red, and she was muttering something. Her lips were moving just slightly, so I couldn't make out what she was saying.

I wondered why she wasn't standing right in front of me, trying to get me to change my mind, like any normal mom would. I guess she was scared, and tired of trying, like me.

But I knew I needed to find Mariah, so I gave mom a little wave, whispered "I love you," even though she couldn't hear me, and walked away, a tear sliding down my cheek.

The first thing I needed to do was get some money, because I didn't know how long I'd be gone, and I needed to survive, so I headed to the nearest bank on first street.

I walked through the door, and a whoosh of cold air followed me inside, chilling me. I walked to one of the tellers, Sheila, and she greeted me with an overly-cheery voice.

"Hello Abbie, how can I help you?" She asked, smiling way too big.

"I need to know how much money is in my savings account!" I demanded, quickly growing impatient.

"Alright, let me just take a look..." She said, punching my name into the keyboard. Seconds later, my name popped up. "Okay, it says you have a total of $3472.53."

I was bouncing by now, looking like I had to pee. "I need to take out $1500!"

"I'm sorry Abbie, but I'm afraid that since you aren't old enough yet, you can't without your mom saying its okay."

"It's urgent!" I was yelling now. I stared into her eyes, trying to tell her I needed the money without having to speak it.

She stared at me for a moment longer before nodding her head slowly. "Okay," she told me hesitantly. "I'll be back in a minute."

As Sheila walked away, I turned around and walked over to one of the five waiting chairs. I was the only person in the room at the moment. My cell phone vibrated in my pocket, and I pulled it out, rolling my eyes. I opened the message, and my eyes grew wide. There was a message from a blocked number, Mariah, no doubt. The message read, "Good job leaving mom, and deciding to come after me. Now you can't protect her when I get her and dad. You lose!" I screamed until my throat became raw, tears sliding down my cheeks, shaking on the floor.