Abandoned

chapter five.

I learned that Thursday is my mother's funeral, somewhere downtown. All night long I debated if I wanted to go. I won't be able to allow myself to be seen, but I could maybe come in late and stand towards the back. I wonder how many people will be there.

When Thursday morning rolled around, I had made up my mind. There was no going back once I ran to the bathroom and fake vomited.

I sent Rose off with Pattie, assuring both of them that I'll be fine.

"You bailing on me?" Justin said and pushed the door slightly open, peeking his head in.

I nodded and faked a cough, still sitting up in bed and huddled in blankets. "Yeah, not feeling good." I sniffed, then started to panic that I was overdoing it. I can't remember the last time I had to fake being sick, considering there's never really been anyone lately who gave a shit if I was sick or if I went to school or not.

He glanced down the hallway then back at me. "My mom left?"

I nodded.

"I can tell when someone's playing hooky."

"What are you talking ab-"

"Ray," he raised his brows, daring me to keep acting.

"Dammit." I said, throwing the covers off of me and standing up, stomping past him like an angry two year old and going downstairs. He followed me, of course.

"Why are you skipping?"

"Just go to school." I sighed.

"I don't see how it's fair that I have to go and you don't. Maybe I want to skip, too." He said slyly as he grabbed an apple and rubbed it on his hoodie.

"I have good reasons." I justified, and that seemed to shut him up for the most part.

"Fine, have a fantastic day." He said with sarcasm.

"Yeah, you too. Don't get hit by a bus."

"I'll try."

"It'd be a real tragedy." I said bitingly, unable to stop my smart mouth from running on it's own.

"Whatever." He said and finally left, shutting the front door behind him.

I dug out the one dress that I own from the bottom of my book bag, which is conviently a black one. I got dressed, actually putting a little bit of effort into my makeup, doing my eyeliner and lipstick.

I kind of wish I had other shoes besides my old black converse, but they will have to do. At noon I used the home phone to call a cab, then went to wait outside. I don't have a key so I made sure to leave the downstairs bathroom window open a bit so I'll be able to get back in.

I had the driver drop me off at the big shopping mall, the center of downtown Louisville. I think I remember seeing a funeral home around one of these streets from a few years ago.

I began walking until I saw a building with wide open doors, people in mostly black loitering around the entrance and the parking lot.

I ducked into a coffee shop across the street, sitting down at a table in front of the window. I highly doubt any of those people would recognize me; I sure as hell don't recognize any of them. But better safe than sorry.

There was a decent amount of people there. Most were older, the women all too skinny and the men a little scary looking.

I waited until the people started to file inside, then I slowly started to walk across the street. Luckily, the doors were left open and I could stand by the entrance.