Time Got In The Way

Chapter Three~Ruining My Life

"I know, I know."

"It was so irresponsible.  Walking around the bad parts of town. At night.  By yourself!"

"I GET IT, DAD!  IT WAS STUPID AND I COULD HAVE BEEN KILLED!  BUT. I. WASN'T!"  I screamed, sick of hearing my dad's repetitive lecture.  Before my dad could reply, I stormed down the hallway, into my "room", and slammed the door as I hard as I could.  I ripped off my ugly yellow dress, and climbed into my bed, grumbling to myself all the while.  Snuggling under my blankets, attempting to fall asleep, all I could think of was Vinny.  How his warm brown eyes looked into mine with such sincerity.  How he made ang release me. How he had smiled at me that morning after colliding with me at .  I soon drifted into sleep.

KNOCK, KNOCK, KNOCK.  "Elaine, get up!  It's time for school."

I sat up suddenly.  "What?!"

"I enrolled you for school here.  Hurry up and get ready--you have twenty minutes!"

"Why?!?! You never make me go to school while we're on missions!"

"Well, I've been thinking about it, and it seemed the best decision to make after the incident last night.  I can't be worrying about where you are or what you're doing while I'm trying to work." 

"Why are you trying to RUIN MY LIFE!"  I screamed.  "I'm home-schooled!  I've never been to school in my life--let alone in the 1960's!!"

"I know this seems really unfair, but--"

I cut him off.  "Well that's how everything has been lately, Dad." I spat at him with an angry glare, as I opened my bedroom door.  I slammed it in his face, got ready for school, and finally stomped into the kitchen.  My dad gave me breakfast, and I scarfed it down.  Dad told me how to get to school, handed me some books, and off I went.

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My first day of school was awful.  I got picked on for everything--my clothes, my hair, for being the new girl.  Mental note: Remind Dad to buy better clothes for the 60's.  I got hit with a million spitballs, and totally embarassed in gym class.  As a matter of fact, I spent that evening picking spitballs out of my hair and icing my intense bruises from gym class.  I never wanted to go to school again.  The teachers were mean, and the history teacher had a lot of things wrong.  Everytime I tried to correct him with something I had experienced (without actually saying I had), he threatened detention. Honestly, I was there!  I've been to practically every decade!  In my mind, I complained to my dad about how awful school was, and he never made me go again. But in reality, he wasn't even home.  Why was this mission so top secret and important?

On top of everything, I was bored out of my mind. I contemplated multiple times going back to the bad part of town. In the back of my mind, I hoped to see Vinny.  But I try to convinced myself that I just wanted to go for excitement. 

Suddenly, I got an idea.  I could go to !  That was a perfect plan--I could buy new clothes, get out of the house, and maybe even see Vinny without going to the bad part of town.  I scribbled my dad a note, and headed out of the house.

I made it to , my eyes eagerly searched for Vinny.  There was no sign of him.  I sighed and leafed through clothing racks, but when I got bored of that it became clear the main reason I had come here was in hopes of seeing Vinny.  God, what was wrong with me. Vinny was always on my mind, and it was starting to concern me.  I had become attached to someone, breaking my dad's number one rule.