bitter | e.d

| one

MONDAY
EVIE'S POV

"it was a misunderstanding."

I'm currently sitting in the principal's office as my mom stares me down, holding the pack of cigarettes I've been accused of owning in her hands.

this happens on a pretty regular basis. I sit in the brown leather chair in front of the large wooden desk with a gold nameplate that reads STEPHEN GATES, PRINCIPAL on it while my mom stands there shaking her head in a disappointed manner, more upset that she had to leave work than of me being in trouble.

and principal gates sits there quietly knowing my mom is about to lecture the heck out of me before he can even get a word in.

the only difference is this has never happened on the first day of school. that's a new record for me.

"what do you mean misunderstanding? it's pretty clear to me, evie. you started smoking again."

I can't help but roll my eyes. she never gives me the benefit of the doubt. she assumes whatever lies these prissy schoolgirls reported are true.

although, I can't blame her. since middle school I've put her through hell and lost her trust from constantly lying to her. because of the friends I made, I was put into some very bad situations and forced to make some very bad decisions. but then these decisions became habit for me. normal.

so of course my mom wouldn't believe me when I say it's a misunderstanding and of course she wouldn't find it that hard to believe that I would start smoking again. I'm just following in my dad's footsteps.

speaking of fathers, it's that moment that the door abruptly opens again and in walks andrew.

oh for fuck's sake.

"evie, what happened now?" andrew marches to my mom's side, then crosses his arms and shakes his head at me like I've let him down.

andrew is my step-father. he married my mom three years ago now and pretends to actually give a damn about me. it's obvious he just wants my mom's money to everyone but her. all he's doing is using her. he doesn't have a job and yet he's gone all day spending everything she earned. he doesn't actually care about either of us. I'm just a threat to him not getting his way and my mom is just a bank to him.

my mom is so oblivious to this that she lets him. I've tried telling her countless times what a prick he is but she doesn't believe me nor does she even listen to me. and with her being gone all day she never even sees the way he treats me when she's not around.

he's just another piece of shit the universe decided to dump on my life.

my mom's voice brings me back to reality. "this is not acceptable. I'm not going through this with you again, evie. I'm tired of your constant bullshit." I notice principal gates give her a slight scold probably because of her use of language, but he doesn't intervene. "you're grounded."

I'm still internally chuckling at how principal gates was too scared to call her out on her cussing before her words can reach my mind. but then realization hits me hard. "wait, what?"

"you're grounded." she continues, a tinge of harshness in her voice due to her being so angry. "starting right now."

"hold on, that is completely unfair," I rush out my words out of disbelief that she's actually punishing me right now. usually she'll scold me or tell me how disappointed she is but she's never gone as far as to actually punish me. "for once, I'm actually telling the truth."

"that's what you say every time, evie." she gives me an almost annoyed look. "why should I believe you this time?"

"they weren't my cigarettes!" I nearly yell, not intending to sound so loud.