The Walk Towards Sunshine

Chapter 21

I'm staring at the empty seat beside me, doing my best not to panic and run to the Sir Roy's office and demand for Althea's address. Today is the start of the second week of Althea's absence. I received a letter last week from Althea and her parents. Of course I wasn't aware that she wasn't coming to school because we have no means of communicating, so I went to Sir Roy the other day and asked him. He handed me two letters and I read the first letter and it was from Anastacia Morris and Dean Morris. It is a very formal letter saying that they will let Al stay at home for week due to fever and "never ending headache" and that she needs lots rest. There was no address whatsoever or even a contact numbers. The second letter was from Althea herself and it is addressed directly to Sir Roy. He told me that Althea said that if I ask him why she wasn't around, he can simply show me the letter. This is just what it says:

Dear Sir Roy Montgomery (and/or Andrew),

My parents told me to stay home for week when the fever and headache hit me real bad. My sickness stared on a Saturday night and my temperature didn't go down. My mother said that I just need rest and lots of water (the old remedy) and will go to the hospital if it still didn't go down.

As soon as I come back to school, I will do my best to cope with what I missed and talk to the professors about my condition.

P.S. I know my cousin Andrew will help me. Please thank him in advance.

Andrea Morris

"I didn't know you two are cousins." The dean said that day after I read the short letter.

"I didn't recognize the first I saw her. It has been many years before we last saw each other." Is what I replied. The letter said her fever started on a Saturday night. Althea is in our house that Saturday and she doesn't look like she was about to have that kind of fever.

What do I even know about fevers? I didn't know a fever like Althea's can attack so quickly.

I look at the first row and look at Deanna's empty seat. She texted me yesterday that she won't be coming to school today because of an important family business. The two girls that mean so much to me in this whole bloody school are not here. I can't protect them both if they're out there and I'm in school, listening to my History teacher say the things we need to remember for the quiz we're going to have this Thursday. Then I remember that I have to look out for myself as well. Althea being absent made me think of things that make me cringe and sick to my stomach. What if Althea isn't really sick? What if she's being tortured right now? And what if the reason of why Deanna's not here is because of Corrie? I forced myself to look at Henry when he passed me the handout. I gave him a tight smile. He didn't acknowledge it. When I looked away, he threw a paper at my desk.

Hang in there. Do what you have to do.

. . . . . .

Mum, once again, became what she was before. This time, it was worse. She only talked to me when it's breakfast, lunch, dinner time, or when she asks me to do something. I sometimes offer help her when she's doing a household chore, but she does is say thanks and continue without my help. Maybe I deserve it. Especially when all I've done is squeeze stories out of mum and keep secrets from her, secrets that her own family caused. I will tell mum. Eventually.

Corrie wasn't at school yesterday and it was fine with me. I need at least a day without Corrie to worry about. Today, however, he's gone again. And so is Althea. It is the second day of the week and still no communication. I wanted to go to Sir Roy and message them if everything was okay. The Morris' address and contact numbers are so confidential, you still have to give Sir Roy a valid reason before he gives you the information. It's so obvious that Dean and Ana ordered the dean to never give the information. As long as Sir Roy communicates with them, he has no reason to give students the information. If Althea's friends or relative, such as I, ask about her, the principal will just tell what he's been told. Which directs my thoughts back to Corrie, being the right hand of the dean, he knows everything as well.