When Life Gives You Lemons

12. Dez Me Dizzy

At the moment, I was facing charges for truancy, which was a major pain in the ass, because I had bigger issues. Burnum promised that I would go to school for one entire month, no matter what came up.

Unfortunately, though, Jack thought it would be absolutely hilarious to steal and hide my hair straightener when I needed it before school. I was forced to leave the house with my head looking like a black mop.

Burnum had something to do early this morning so Miah was today's chauffeur. She drove slow, obviously scared and slightly intimidated by the challenger's V8, Hemi engine. She neglected to let the horses out.

She pulled up to the student drop-off zone and left without saying good bye. Hailey, as usual, ran up to me and peppered me with questions about where I had been. To her annoyance, I answered with, "Somewhere but not nowhere."

I'd tell eventually, of course, but not now. Now, it would be too risky.

As for the day, the morning went by slower than ever. I sat in each class, completely absorbed in counting the minutes until I could leave without being harassed.

I walked from class to class in a trance, weaving through the crowd so I wouldn't be late.

I sat at my desk in second period geography, tapping the end of my pen on my textbook as I waited, watching it pound on the paper.

The teacher asked me a question, but I responded with a lifeless "I don't know". He then proceeded to give me grief about how that's not an appropriate answer for a grade eleven to give in academic geography. It bothered him even further that my expression remained devoid of emotion.

He told me to stay after class. Everyone stared at me to see my expression, but there wasn't one. Physically, I was here, but my mind was somewhere else.

I'd rather be running in the woods, chasing after animals, spying on people I didn't like or just doing something better with the last few months of my life other than being stuck at school for six hours a day, five days a week.

The bell rang, and I obediently stayed in my seat and watched as everyone hurried out to have lunch. I cleared off my desk and shoved my books in my bag.

Mr. O'Donnell walked over and leaned against another desk near mine, arms crossed, and a frown on his face.

"Sarah, you are such a smart student. Straight As, never late with your assignments, always on task - the list goes on. But I can't fathom why your behavior has gone so far downhill, so fast."

I slouched in my seat and crossed my arms, letting out a deep sigh. "Because with the amount of crap I've gone through, it's hard to focus."

"Sarah, there are students here whose parents can just barely afford the roof over their heads, so don't use that as your excuse." He accused.

"I'm not. Almost two months ago, I came home from school to find my house empty of everything that made it my home because my parents abandoned me. They changed their cellphone numbers and their license plates because they didn't want me to find them." I said, point blank.

"Why didn't you tell anybody?"

"It wasn't any of their business."

"Who's been taking care of you?"

I struggled for a moment to find an answer. "A close family friend."

"Not a relative?" he wonder, an eyebrow lifting slightly.

"They all live in Sudbury."

"I don't appreciate the tone of your answers, Sarah."

I sighed. "I'm hungry, and I get extra irritable when I'm hungry, so can I please leave now?"