[1] EXPOSED

1.2 - Retrospect

1. 2 Retrospect                                                                              

            Going into school that day, I had no clue what to expect. Did I expect to meet a new crush, get sent to detention, get a weird note in my locker, and get invited to a party? Hell no. I guess I just expected to fade away into the crowd and become a nobody, but a more interesting fate had been chosen for me.

            In retrospect, I probably should have toughed it out at Andrews, considering I only had a year and a half left in high school. But could I have dealt with the constant teasing and ridiculing of sadistic teenagers over something as immature and perverse as naked pictures? Nah, probably not. Nothing that could possibly happen at New Hanover could be worse than what Phoenix did to me.

            At least I hoped not.

            You know what? It was actually a really weird day. The best thing that could happen right now would be to go home, watch some television, eat some ice cream, and not have to talk to anyone until my parents came home from work around 6. That thought was what kept me sane the entire half hour bus ride back to the house.

            After the double doors of the bus swung open and the kids up front stepped off, I slung my backpack over my shoulder and trekked the full block back to my little blue house on the corner of W and L. The keys rattled loudly as I slid them into the door and I kicked it open so hard I had to catch it before it made a dent in the wall.

Exhausted, I slammed my stuff next to the computer desk and reached into the cabinet to grab myself a glass. I heard the gurgle of the ice machine and the clanking of the cubes clashing inside the cup as I held them to the lever. After fixing the ice, I snatched a two-liter from the top shelf and poured the coke into the glass, watching the fizz rise up to the lip, then sink back down again. Right when I was about to take a sip, the phone rang.

“Hello?” I sighed, hating myself for answering the call.

“Sweet Pea?” an innocent voice said, “It’s Grandma.”

“Oh, hey, Grandma, what’s up?” I felt bad for sighing at her. My Grandma was the sweetest woman I’d ever known. I often wondered how she could have birthed someone as picky, bitter, and demanding as my mom. Even though Mother Dearest had planned the move up to Wilmington, she made sure I knew I was a slut, whore, and a piece of trash for taking those pictures in the first place.

“Well,” Grandma paused and cleared her throat, interrupting my thoughts, “I just talked to your mother and we decided to take you out to Chili’s down the road in celebration for your first day at New Hanover High. How does that sound, Pea?” Her gentle cackle afterwards hinted at how excited she was, so I changed my attitude in order to appease her.

 “That sounds good.” I replied jovially, “What time are we going?”

“I’ll be there in a little under an hour and we will meet your parents there, sound good?” She spoke slowly as if I would have trouble understanding or hearing her.

“Yeah, that’s great.” I said my goodbyes and took a deep breath. It was great that they wanted to take me out to dinner but my day was so exhausting that I would rather save it for the weekend. Oh well, maybe something good would come out of it.

Even though there was still another hour or so before Grandma would be here, I thought I might as well get ready and put something nice on. I flipped through my closet, looking for shirts, jeans, skirts, anything and everything I could possibly wear. I finally decided on a black lacy top and a jean skirt, paired with some converse.