Turn Away | c.h

Chapter 38 - Walking Disasters

I pushed the door open, tiredly making my way into the house, hiding myself away from the paranoia of walking home. I had been left alone with my thoughts the whole walk home- alongside an unsettling sense of someone else with me. Maybe it was because I was still shaken to my core from the new information I was still trying to process- but I could not shake the feeling of being followed, the whole way home.

I slowly walked over to the kitchen, finding a cup of coffee on the coaster, still steaming hot. God damn it, that meant either dad or Katy was home. I was hoping neither were there to bother me, but seeing as one car still was parked in the driveway, I knew I had to endure their shitty company.

My eyes instantly diverted to the pamphlet sitting beside the cup of coffee. I picked it up, my mind racing as I read over the words, trying to come to terms with information in front of me. St Joseph's Female Boarding School.

I flipped open the pages, shakily sifting through the words in front of me.

"Correction school for delinquent teenagers."

"24 month programme. Or boarding from years 1-12."

"Visitation days include: first Saturday of every month. Weekend stays not included."

He wasn't fucking serious was he? Delinquent teenagers? I couldn't believe what I was reading. I couldn't believe he's even thinking about doing this to me.

"Stella? What're you doing home?"

I turned around, the pamphlet tight within my hold as I stared at my father. He looked beyond confused and angered as I stood before him.

"A boarding school!?" I spoke, outraged to my core as the reality of the situation hit me like a tonne of bricks. As if this day couldn't get any fucking worse.

Dad let out an exhausted sigh, slowly moving over towards me. I watched as he calmly took a seat at the table, gently placing his hand on the seat beside his, gesturing me over. I hesitantly walked over to him, still holding the paper in my hand as I took a seat next to him. Dad adjusted himself, looking up at me through his lashes as he silently left me wanting answers. Nervousness grew inside me as I watched him shift continuously, his awkwardness clearly showing.

"Look... Stella-" He paused. And that's all the confirmation I needed, to know that my father was dead serious about this.

"You're not serious... You're not sending me away, Dad, you can't do that to me." I spoke, at a loss for words as I sat in complete shock.

"I'm sorry, Stella, I've enrolled you for next semester... I'm sorry, you gave me no other choice."

"What do you even mean, I've done nothing wrong! I've done nothing to deserve this!" I said, my voice gradually growing louder as the situation suddenly settled in.

"You've disrespected my family values I built for us. Alongside disrespecting Katy, and our relationship. It's having a detrimental effect on us all-"

"Then fucking talk to me about it, don't send me away!" I shouted, watching as his eyebrows furrowed, hands slowly moving out as I watched his eyes twitch.

"I have tried, but you're hopeless to communicate with."

"So what," I laughed out of shock. "You're sending me hours away from you? You could have just bloody kicked me out if you didn't want me!" I shouted, trying to hold back the fire that had suddenly ignited inside of me- pure anger and fury and betrayal had now taken over my body. I was so close to loosing control.

"That's not why I'm doing this. You know that."

"I don't! You've victimised me the second you found out that I was involved with Calum, you've hated his guts since the get go and you think sending me away is going to better the situation!" I spoke, moving to my feet. "When in reality, you're the one with the fucking problem here!"