Why me?

Chapter 4

Somehow the word got around school that the Miss Nobody's mum had died. Great. Now I have to look after my weak father, get my own life together, help Carls get her life sorted and somehow survive 5 days a week of pity eyes and people watching my every move. If they aren't doing that then they will avoid me like the plague.
"So Suzanne, heard 'bout your mummy." I heard Claire say behind me as I got out my lunch from my locker. "Oh sorry, it must be a very touchy subject for you at the moment." She got that one right. "Do you need a hug? Or perhaps some tissues? How 'bout your daddy come to-"
"Shut up." She was cut off by some hot kid who I think I may have seen before.
"Hey Reece. How are you going? Wanna come to the mall after school? I'm available." Of course Claire would suddenly loose her mocking voice and find her cutsy girly voice.
"Actually, I was going to ask if from now on you could leave Suzie alone. And if I ever see you with her again then I will never sit with you or talk to you. Understand?" She scoffed, but nodded and stalked away.
I was still trying to understand why Reece would defend me. ME. A girl who has a very low social status and a tendency to stay away form everyone.
Wait... omg boy alert run! Take cover! Get away from there! Now!
"So Suze-" I bolted. I'm not good around any boys other then Dylan who is my best friend. Boys just, they scare me. It's like everything I do makes them think that I'm a loser and look at me weirdly. Then in uncalled for situations they look at me and wink. Do they want to go out with me? Or are they mocking me? Do they want me alone?
I found the nearest unlocked classroom and shut myself in there. I sat in the teachers chair and pretended to teach some kids how to do poetry. Until I heard someone unlock the door.
I scrambled off the seat and hid under the desk.
"Look Suzie, I know this is probably the worst time in your life right now but please, I just want to talk to you and explain some things." That was not a teacher, it was Reece, letting himself into the lass room that I locked, and taking a seat at the front.
"How did you get in?"
"Bobby pin."
"Why do you have one?"
"Found it."
"Okay then." I said slowly crawling up form my very uncomfortable position. He took a huge breathe and started talking.
"Okay so, when I was in kindergarten my mum was killed in a car crash. My older brother Nathan, was also killed. So my family went from 5 people to 3. Then when I was in year 4, my older sister, Bethany was diagnosed with chronic depression. In year 5, she committed suicide. I was the one who found her body." By now, Reece was shaking. The small speech took a while because he talked slow slowly, as through remembering everything about his dead family members.
"Why did you tell me your story?" I whispered realising that I was crying.
"I thought you would understand."
"I'm sorry about your mum and older siblings. I had no idea. And I thought losing my mum was the worst thing that could ever happen. Who knows how they died?"
"The principal and you."
"My mums job was to design guns for the military. She has made heeps. She had a laboratory underground do that the neighbours didn't here it when she tested them. She would stay there for hours coming up to have something to eat and sleep. Sometimes she came upstairs for a movie night. A couple of weeks ago, she was working in the lab when she knocked a basket of gunpowder. That then got caught on some cable that set it off. Killed instantly the doctors say." I was now crying so hard that I couldn't even look into Reece's blue eyes. "I shouldn't say this but I can't do it any longer. I can't come home to silence. I can't be as happy and free. I am just not ready to move on." I don't know why I am telling him this. He is probably now going to run off to his friends and bully me about how insecure I am. But what I said is true. I am definitely not ready to move on.
Come home to silence. Never hear her sing. Never hear her laugh. Maybe I should just crawl up in a ball and die. I miss her so much. I don't know how long I cry there, embarrassing myself for, but I looked up and he was crying too. Wow. The big tough popular guy is crying in front of me. He looked into my eyes and I realised how green his were. It matched his shaggy brown hair.
"Please tell no one about me crying. Being popular and always at a friends house sometimes helps me to forget them for a second." His voice sounded weak and strained. I nodded briefly.

Ding. Ding. Ding. Ding. Ding.

I walked out of the classroom and headed straight for the nearest bathroom.  That is where I stayed until 4 o'clock until the groundsmen found me and kicked me out. I missed the bus so I had to walk home. I started walking home when I heard a voice calling out my name.
"Suzie! Where have you been?"
"Bathroom."
"Had to have some thinking time?" I nodded. Sometimes Emma gets me so well. "Well, you didn't miss anything trust me. We had a casual who sat in the teachers chair and read her book. The whole lesson. Didn't mark the role. Didn't give us any work but in the board was study for assessment onThursday. Which by the way is on fractions so if you wanted to study at all, yeah."
"Why did you wait?"
"Well, I am your second best friend." She pointed out. "So how are you coping with your mum."
Terrible. I miss her so badly. Everyday. She was everything to me and now I have nothing. I loved her so much.
"Alright."
"Liar liar pants on fire."
"She's gone Emma." I said before walking into my house, leaving Emma on the street.