HAZEL

Chapter Four

Finally after being shown the four bathrooms, game rooms, music room, the living room, the dining room, and the other six bedrooms, Becka showed me our room. It was rather large. The walls were a mint and gold chevron pattern with a chalk board by each bed. There was a flat screen TV hanging on the wall along with white fairy lights around the wall. The room was very cute, however it was not my style.
"This bed is mine." Becka pointed to a white bed with a laptop sitting on top. "The sheet choices you have are black, grey, purple and white."
"I'll take grey." I responded quietly.
"Okay, let me go get it." She said before leaving for the sheets.
Is this what my life has come to? Having to live with a teacher for shelter, food, clothing and support? What did I do that was so horrible that God had chosen to punish me so severely?
"Okay, here ya go!" Becka said happily as she entered the room with light grey sheets held in arm.
"Thank you." I smiled. I took the sheets from her arms and instantly, confusion washed over me. I had no idea how to make a bed. "Hey, Becka, um, this is embarrassing, but I don't know how to make a bed... can you help me?"
She laughed before saying, "of course! Pay close attention."
I was surprised how kind Becka was to me. I was not aware that popular girls could be kind to people like me. After I had Ben taught how to put a fitted sheet onto my bed we were called down for dinner. Mrs. Robbinson had made pizza from scratch and it was the most amazing meal I had ever eaten and for the first time in a long time, I was full.
"So Hazel, tell us about yourself." Mrs. Robbinson said.
"Well, what do you want to know?" I questioned.
"First, where were you living before here?"
"The park down the street." I said with my eyes on my lap.
"You've been sleeping on a park bench?"
I nodded.
"Oh, honey... follow me."
I stood up from my chair and followed Mrs. Robinson into a smaller room. Panic rushed into my vans and tears flooded my eyes.
"Why were you sleeping on a park bench, sweetheart?" She asked quietly with concern and her voice.
"I don't have a home. I was disowned." I replied as a tear fell from my eyes.
"Why?"
"I came home wasted and stoned."
"Sweetie, start from the beginning. Were you always getting drunk and high?"
"well, my dad was a druggie and an alcoholic. He died when I was in third grade. My mom became less and less like a parent. She brought home someone new each week. I was an only child, so I heard a lot of things because I did not have anyone to play with. In fifth grade, I had my first drink of vodka. It burned and I did not like it. I was alone in the world. So in seventh grade, I found love in high school boys. I started drinking and smoking again. In eighth grade, my mom walked into my room and saw a bottle of tequila and cigarettes in my hands. She kicked me out. She said I was becoming like my father. She let me come back for 20 days. Then I went to a party got crazy drunk and high. When I got home, all my stuff was in a black garbage bag outside with a note reading 'I cannot stand this anymore, Hazel. As you're reading this note, I am no longer here on earth. And I don't want you as a daughter anymore. Goodbye.'"
"She killed herself?"
"I climb through the window and saw a gun on the floor along with her lifeless body. She had shot herself in the head."
A tear fell from Mrs. Robinson's eyes oh she got up and hugged me. I clung tightly to her. I had told my entire story, something not even Melissa knew. I trusted someone for the first timein a while and I felt safe.