Their lovely Trip

When Opportunities knock...

"Ade are you okay?"

"Yes Angela I'm just fine"

I swirled my fruit loops around and around and around my bowl like the tea cups ride at Disney world. I hate when my step mom tries to act like my real mom. My dad thinks I think my patents divorced and he got custody of me because she was "mentally unstable" truth be told that's a bunch of bull shit. It's like of the ending scenes of mean girls when one girl says "I don't hate you because you're fat, you're fat because I hate you" she wasn't mentally unstable until she caught my dad banging Angela (my step mother) the maid and the maids sister. She packed her stuff and mine and we went to Australia for 6 months. When my dad found out where we were he claimed she kidnapped me but he wouldn't press charges if she tested for mental illness. Being in great emotional distress they deemed she was a harm to herself and others. That's how I ended up in this hell hole. 8 bedrooms 10 1/2 bathrooms of my own personal hell. Angela had the thought that maybe sleeping on a floor by myself would be scary for me. It wouldn't be but they decided I had to take the room across the hall from theirs. You'd think a 4.5 million dollar house would have thick walls. I hear everything that happens in their room. I usually try to tune everything out on those nights.

"ADRIENNE!"

And just like that I was snapped out of my own pity party.

"What DAD?"

"Don't you dare ignore your mother like that"

"You do realize she's just the woman who you fuck right? We have no blood relation nor will I ever want any!"

I shove my chair back and walk out the front door grabbing my keys on my way out and slamming the door hard enough to make the Windows on the left wing to shake. I admit I have more than enough. I drive a 2008 cadillac escalade. Dad offered a new one but this was my mom's and I like having her old things. It makes me feel like things are okay even when they're clearly not. The 20 minute drive to school is one of my favorite parts of the day. It's so serene and I can never get tired of the landscape of Florida. It's one of the quietest times of my day.

**********

I arrive to the school just minutes before the first bell rings. I'm not surprised I'm almost always late. At least once I'm in class my concentration can't be broken. At least I thought that when I saw Matthew leaning Against my locker waiting on me. Matthew was my first real love. I know I'm only 17 and I may not know what love is but I do know. Love is laying everything on the line and knowing they won't just take it run but lay their heart on line as well and you both have the power to shatter the others world but you don't because you love each other. Anyway we went through a bad break up. I used to call him every night. Sometimes we'd fall asleep on the phone together. It was magical. Suddenly he "lost himself" I have no clue what that means but he says he did. Since we broke up I had trouble sleeping until I found my dad's weed stash and I'm probably the schools biggest smoker. I think it's funny that in health class they act like it'll ruin your life but since I've smoked I notice no difference. Test scores are nearly perfect and I'm great to have in class. I try to avoid my locker but he sees me and asks me to talk to me and he feels bad how he left things. He probably only feels bad that I developed an eating disorder and now I'm pretty smoking. Whatever I'm done with guys. That's what college is for. I scurry off to my first class of the day. Gym. Probably one of my least favorites to be honest. I only like when we play ultimate frisbee but thanks to Nikki we don't get to play. The whole crew is in gym class with me. I always wear tank tops that once hid my fat rolls and stretch marks but now it hides loose skin and ribs. Eating disorders are a bitch. It's a path I wish I never went down. We meet in the locker room, change, 5 minute run, stretching then we get to play volleyball. Every damn day. I don't hate school I just hate the people there. If I could go to a classroom with the people serious about learning that particular subject and actually learn it, I'd love it. I take my future very seriously and I learned a long time ago to cut off those who hinder your development.

I join our stretch circle and I just listen to the weekend gossip. Who did what... or rather who did who. Soon first period turns to 3rd and 3rd turns to lunch and then by 7th it's the highlight of my day. AP Anatomy. Science had always been my favorite. I'm going to be an orthopedic surgeon. I love listening to Mr. Maxfield ramble. This is his last year teaching and you can just tell he loves it. I'm in the back of the room reading Looking for Alaska after finishing my work when the guidance counselor shows up and calls me out.

"Adrienne I have some very exciting news for you!"

In my head I'm jumping for joy thinking Vanderbilt or Duke accepted me but I try to keep it cool enough to Ask about the news.

"Well the science teachers got together and chose you to go to Washington D.C. for a week and a half and represent our school in several science and general studies conferences, I know it'll be scary alone so You can take 4other students with you."

I'm momentarily stunned not expecting this but I'm grateful none the less.

"thank you what an honor! Um, do you have a paper I can take my dad?"

"Oh yes! I almost forgot! How many copies will you need for whom ever you're taking?"

"Three will be plenty"

And with four permission slips in hand and a hug she leaves. I slip back in to grab my stuff and I leave. I head towards the stairs to go into the elective floor. I pull Nikki, and Hannah and they make so much noise asking why I had explain early and they of course say yes before I can even finish. We head to the first floor to grab Zoe. On my way by the senior lockers I see Matthew and immediately turn away but he had already seen us. The girls immediately tell him about the trip and before I could protest they had invited him. I'm not good at saying no so I told him to grab a permission slip and we're leaving in a week. After we pull Zoe we're all in my car headed to her house to plan for the trip.