The New Thalia

Chapter 3

Chapter 3

3 years ago

Get rid of me

"Remind me of your name again, sweetheart?" The lady at the front desk asks me.

My eyes snap to her face. "Thalia Regins."

"Okay, Miss Regins. Let me look you up in the files." She turns her back to me and opens up a grey filling cabinet. "O, P, Q, here's R. Redwall. Reed. Regghan. Regins! Here it is!" She pulls out a file. "Regins, Thalia Mare?" She looks up at me.

"That's right."

"Perfect. I'll give this to the principle and you and your mother can go in." The lady walk over to the principles door and knocks.

"Come in."

She opens the door. "Mr. Davis? Mrs. Regins and her daughter are here."

"Alright, send them in."

We get ushered in to the small, bright office.

"Ah, Mrs. Regins. Nice to meet you!" My principle stands up and extends his arm to shake my mothers hand.

"It's actually Ms. Regins, sir, but it's a pleasure to meet you, too." My mother delicately shakes his hand.

"Oh! Sorry about that. Please, have a seat." Mr. Davis sits down behind his desk.

My mother sits down and I attempt to put my crutches down without making a sound. Unfortunately, my attempt doesn't work. The slip from my hands and clatter to the ground next to my chair.

"Sorry! Sorry..." I quickly apologize.

"What can I do for you?" He folds his hands and rests them on his desk.

"We are moving to Washington. I got the forms from Thalia's new school that you need to sign confirming all her credits that she earned here." My mother pulls out a paper from her hand bag and sets it on the desk.

"Ah. I'm sorry to hear that you are leaving our school, Thalia. It's a shame, really. Bright girl like you. Our average SAT score will probably drop!" Mr. Davis jokes.

"Yes. Probably." My mother says. She's always been straight forward. I looked up to her. She got to the point.

Mr. Davis looks over my file and at the form my mother gave him.

"I filled out the credits I should have, and all I need is your signature to confirm those credits." I tell him.

"I see." He signs and hands the file and the form to me. "You're all ready to go, aren't you?"

"Yes. She is." My mother stands. "Thank you for your time."

"Yes, thank you, Mr. Davis."

"You're welcome, ladies." He smiles and opens the door for us. "Have a nice day."

I wobble on my crutches behind my mother out of the office, then out in to the hall.

As we make our way to our car, I feel someone watching me. I look over my shoulder and see Danny standing there. Grinning.

Before I turn my head again, I see Eric hand Max a stack of bills behind Danny.

Finally we get to the car. My mother helps me in to the shot gun seat then carefully tosses my crutches in the second row of seats. The almost summer heat made our car an oven.

I roll down the windows just as the lunch bell rings. We pull out of our spot as Danny walks by with Max and Eric in tow.

"You made her leave, bro!" Eric shouts at Danny, while starring at me.

I turn my head as the tears fall. My mother hears me sniff and glances at me. I feel her hand rest on my thigh.

"Ignore them, hun. You never have to see them again. In one week, we will be settling in to our new house in Seattle."

"Thanks mom..." I mumble.

"I love you, darling. I'll do anything for you."

"I love you, too, mom." I say through my tears.

We race home and arrive just as the moving van pulls up.

My mother gets out to take the movers inside to get all our stuff.

I unbuckle but stay seated.

-----

It takes less than an hour to get the van packed. My mother shoves some small boxes of valuables into the trunk of our station wagon.

She goes and talks to the movers and they hand her a small, black box to her. Then my mother gets in the front seat of our car and puts the black box in between our seats.

"A radio. For when one of us has to stop."

I nod.

She turns to me and reaches over and pulls me into a tight hug.

"Okay!" She says when we release each other. She starts the car and pulls out of the short drive way.

I turn around and watch the small, one story house get smaller as we go down the street.

"Mom?" I sit back down in my seat.

"Yes?"

"Can we stop at the drugstore?"

"Of course. What for?"

"Umm. Hair dye and make up..." I barely say it.

"Okay. We're going to be stopping at a motel for the night, so I will help you do your hair okay?"

I'm surprised. "What?"

"In high school I did my friends hair all the time. Now I can do yours." She smiles at me. "We'll stop at a drugstore in the next town though."

"Okay. Thanks mom."

"No problem, honey."

I get comfortable in my seat and close my eyes since it's an hour to the next town.

The last thing I hear before drifting off to sleep is "I love you, Thalia."