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Steph shuffled into the kitchen, a warm bowl of soup sliding in front of her right as she settled onto one of the stools at the breakfast counter. Even though two days had passed since she'd been released from the hospital, she still felt weak. 

"How are you feeling? Want me to take today off to stay home with you?" Nic asked, placing the palm of her hand up against her daughter's forehead.

Stephanie shook her head, bringing a spoonful of soup up to her parted lips. "I'll be fine, mum."

Nic, not content with the answer, tapped her long fingers nervously against the granite counter. "How're you going to do it for your doctor appointment this afternoon, though? I don't think it'll do you good if you walk in this weather."

"It's sunny out, mum! Stop fretting."

"Sunny and windy, Steph. How about I get off an hour early and take you?"

Steph sighed, deciding to stop using her barely recuperating energy on arguing and give in. "That sounds alright."

An idea formed in her head as she answered. 

During the time that Michael had spent over at her house the past day, he had been groaning about school (like he did many times before). Throughout his venting about the distaste he had for school, Steph had realized how badly she wished she could experience that kind of dread. 'Normal kid' dread, as she'd grown to call it.

"Mum, I want to attend public school."

Black coffee spurted from Nicola's mouth at her daughter's revelation. "What the fuck, young lady?!"

Steph stayed calm and determined. "That was a bit over the top, don't ya' think?"

"Over the top? I'm sorry, but my daughter wants to lower herself to the level of public school! It's shit over there, sweetheart! You don't want to be there, believe me."

"I'm not going for the shitty education, I've already finished my school work anyways. I could graduate right now, if I wanted! I just want to- I want to experience it. The dread of waking up every morning to go to hell, to see the faces of people I hate but have to deal with them."

"You want to be miserable?" Nic asked, confused.

"I want to feel something. Dread, misery, stress, happiness." Happiness when I see Michael's face, she thought.

The mother moved to sit down in the stool beside her daughter. "Are you doing all of this for Michael?"

Steph scoffed a 'no'. "I'm an independent woman." She ate another spoonful of soup. "But it's no secret that I get happy around Michael. Imagine if I'd get to feel that happy everyday. It'd be like a hand sticking out through the muck of school every single day."

"You're sure about this?" Nic asked. Steph nodded. "I guess it wouldn't be too bad. I'd be there if anything happened to you."

Excitement bubbled in the air as each second passed. Her mother might actually say 'yes'!

"I just worry that it'll be too much for you. It's been years since you attended public school, Stephanie."

"We'll never know if it's too much for me or not, unless we let me try it, mum."

A saddened smile spread across her mother's face, sadness from witnessing her daughter doing the inevitable: growing up. 

"We could do that today, if you'd like. Come to the school, we'll talk to the principal about enrolling you, and then we could go to your appointment from there. How's that sound?"

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⏰ Last updated: Feb 12, 2016 ⏰

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