The Test of Time

12 ~ March

"No I'm not working there anymore." I confirm, watching as the counselor purses her lips before nodding, glancing at me over her glasses. "Can I go now?" I ask, sitting up straight and grimacing as she shakes her head. 

"I need all the facts before I can dismiss you Miss Hurst." She replies, jotting something down on her clipboard.

"The facts are, I was working two jobs to get money for college." I snap. "As I've told you on numerous occasions, I am now working, all free hours of the day, at the diner." I reply, smiling sweetly in an attempt to convince her to let me go.

"Your guardian is your sister...." She looks down at her clipboard.

"And she didn't know I was working there." I cut her off, sitting up in the chair and leaning forward. "We've gone through this once a month for three months." I keep my voice low, desperate not to lose my temper after what happened last month, "Nothing has changed. Elle made me quit as soon as she found out." I explain, repeating everything I've already told her. "I've moved on."

"And the students? Here at school?" The counselor, Mrs Pritchard finally has the decency to look sympathetic. She's not blind, she knows what they're all saying about me.

"Will say what they say." I say matter of factly. "They're teenagers Miss." I shrug, "They won't stop saying what they want to say no matter what anyone tells them. I'm fine."

"How do their comments make you feel?" She presses.

"What, I just told you..." I start, sitting upright in the chair.

"You need to talk to me Miss Hurst!" She leans forward, her clipboard placed on the table beside her. "How do the other students make you feel?"

"Upset I guess." I shrug, trying to forget the words and insults that I've received over the last few months. "It's no more than what they say about Ashley Farrier or Liz Pointer." I continue, "It's high school. I go home and I move on with my life. One day it will be a distant memory." I smile at the thought, already desperate to be free of this place. "Please. I'm fine."

She looks at me for a few seconds, clearly attempting to analyze me as I struggle to keep my face hard and emotionless. She doesn't really care about me, the school needs to provide this service, it's a mere legality. She would prefer to be talking to the other kids... the ones who actually have problems and deserve her attention. I'm just a silly girl who made a 'mistake'.

I get why everyone is worried but I knew what I was doing and I knew what I signed up for.

"Very well Miss Hurst." She eventually sighs, gesturing towards the door. "Have a lovely day." She smiles.

"You too." I mutter, jumping up and pushing the door open, walking out into the corridor.

Of course, everyone knowing where I worked spread like a wildfire and the school soon found out. They began to question my life and whether Elle could take care of me. It was finally settled that all was well at home, we were just more disadvantaged than other families. Even so, I had to attend 'counselling' so that I could understand the dangers I put myself in. I knew what danger I had put myself in, I wasn't stupid.

But poor people do stupid things for money. Take Billy, the banker's son. He did drugs, got thrown out onto the streets and ended up trying to rob the bank. Now he's in a recovery facility in Montana, getting over his drug habit and his father visits him once a month. We all do stupid things.

Counselling is a waste of my valuable time where I could be in lessons helping myself prepare for college. Which is really, what this is all about.

The bell rings as I reach my locker, the word 'slut' considerably less visible on the metal door since the caretaker had tried to wash it off. Some teenage boy's joke no doubt.