Broken Promises {Brendon Urie}

Chapter 22

A few days later, we all went to the airport. Dad and the other guys got on the plane for the next tour city. Mom, Breezy, Amelie, Knox, and I got on the plane for LA. We were going home and they were continuing the tour. Dad promised to talk to us all the time. I was still nervous about the plane, but I was with Mom. She assured me it would be okay. She held my hand most of the trip. It wasn't too long of a plane ride, because we flew out from Magna, Utah, but I was relieved when we finally touched ground. I walked off the plane with Mom and Breezy and Dallon's kids, then we went and got our luggage before going outside. Mom and I got in the taxi that was waiting for us and went home. 

When we got home, Mom unlocked the door and we dragged our bags inside. The dogs greeted us happily. We'd been gone for a long time. I was supposed to start school in a few days. The next day we would go out to get my school supplies. 

The days wore on slowly. When school started, Mom took me to school every day, picking me up after. We could catch Dad on the phone some mornings before we left for school. Every day he told me that he loved me and he hoped I had a good day at school. I wasn't a fan of school. I didn't talk to anyone, I didn't raise my hand in class, I sat alone at lunch everyday, I didn't play at recess. I also didn't tell Mom about any of this. I didn't want her to worry about me. I struggled with my school work and understanding what I was taught. The school I was going to was a lot more difficult than being homeschooled by my foster parents. Mom tried to get to me to let her help me, but I said the same things every time.

"I'm fine. I understand it. It's not that hard."

My teachers watched me a lot. I ignored their stares. I looked at my desk and tried to listen to what they were saying. 

"Rilynn, could you stay back for a moment?" my teacher asked when we'd been dismissed for lunch one day. We were about a week and a half into the school year. Dad wasn't going to be home for a couple more weeks.

"Am I in trouble?" I asked nervously after everyone else had left.

"No, but I wanted to talk to you," she replied. "Is everything okay at home?"

"Everything's fine," I said softly. 

"Are you sure? You can talk to me, Rilynn. That's what I'm here for. I've talked to your mom. She said you were in a bad accident this summer. She also told me that your dad has been gone for awhile."

"I'm fine." Lies. I was anything but fine. I was starting to get pains in my legs again, probably from the accident. I missed my dad. I missed Dallon. I missed Spencer. I missed Zack. I even missed Kenny. I just wanted to be home, sitting in Dad's lap, watching movies and eating popcorn. That's all. But I can't have that. Dad is somewhere traveling the country with Dallon and Spencer and Kenny.

She allowed me to leave and go to lunch, where I ate alone. People watched. Then there was a shuffle as someone sat down across from me. I looked up to see a girl I hadn't seen before sitting there with her lunch.

"Hi, my name's Anissa, but everyone calls me Annie," she said, smiling. "I'm in sixth grade. What's your name?"

"Rilynn," I whispered, looking down at the lunch Mom packed me this morning.

"That's a pretty name," she said. "Why are you sitting alone?" I shrugged my shoulders. "Well nobody should eat lunch alone. And everyone should have friends. How about I be your friend until you make some of your own?"

"You don't have to," I whispered.

"Of course I don't have to," she said, "but I want to. Why don't you tell me a little about yourself? Or I can go first." I didn't say anything. "Okay, well, you already know my name. My parents are divorced and I live with my mom. I'm an only child. I enjoy listening to the band Panic! At The Disco. I hope to one day meet Brendon and Sarah. I heard that the band was in a bad car crash that pushed back to tour by several months, and my mom and I prayed for them every day. My mom and I go to church sometimes, when she doesn't have work. I don't have many friends, but I'm hoping you'll be one of them. Now it's your turn."

"My parents were killed in a plane crash and I was the only survivor," I started, speaking quietly. "I was two. A few months ago I was adopted by a loving couple, who are my parents now. I nearly drowned my first night after the adoption was finalized, but my dad helped me. I'm an only child, unless you count the dogs. We have two dogs, a Boston Terrier and Jack Russel Terrier. I was in a car crash that paralyzed me, but the doctors were able to fix it and now I'm okay."

"Hold on, now I that I get a good look at you, you look familiar," she said, furrowing her eyebrows. "Who adopted you?"

"My mom and dad, who adopted me, are Brendon and Sarah." I looked at my food and began eating. She sat in silence for a moment before eating her own lunch, glancing at me every once in a while. 

When the school day had finally finished, I walked outside the school with my backpack on my back and my lunchbox in my hand. Mom was standing outside the car, waiting for me, in the parking lot. She had sunglasses on and smiled when she saw me. She waved and I ran over, hugging her tightly. She laughed and hugged me to her.

"Come on, we have to get home and pack," she said. "We're going to go see Brendon and the others. We fly out tomorrow after you get out of school, so I want to be packed tonight. Breezy is staying here, so it'll just be the two of us."

"Can't we fly out tonight?" I asked as I stayed where I was, hugging her.

"You have school tomorrow," she laughed. 

"I don't want to go to school tomorrow," I whispered.

"Honey, is everything okay?" Mom asked, concerned laced in her voice. "Are kids being mean? Do I need to talk to the principal?" I shook my head against her. She sighed and I finally let go after a few moments. We got in the car and she kept glancing back at me in the mirror. "Honey, your teachers are worried about you," she said after a while of driving. "They said you're being really quiet in class."

"It's nothing," I said, looking out the window. She just sighed and drove the rest of the way home. When we got home, we packed our bags and set them by the door. I went to the kitchen and did my homework while Mom went outside and made a phone call.

*Oof, y'all. Lots of updates lately. Honestly I completely forgot about Anissa until I was editing this :') Good thing I haven't had to write about school in awhile (hint hint ;)) Anywho, enjoy the rush of updates! I'm thinking about publishing a new book soon, too! Maybe the sequel to Hearts. That's the one that's the farthest in writing right now. I don't know. I'll see what I come up with ;) See y'all soon!

- A <3