The Hidden Truth

Chapter Nine: Lies

The guys think I’m taking this time away from them to grieve for my mother who recently passed away. The only one who has been coming over is Larry. Andrea who was in on this whole thing to begin with has also been giving us some space but she does call every night to check up on me. Unfortunately, I don’t have any good news for her at this time.

In reality I’m allowing Alex time to adjust to his new setting. Since I’ve picked him, he hasn't stopped talking. It's as if the two of us were never apart but then again listening to him hurts my heart that I wasn't there for him this entire time.

It isn't until we pull up to Mables old home that Alex stops talking and refuses to speak to me anymore. Heaven forbid shall he even come out of his room while I’m awake. Only after I leave do I return to signs of him roaming the house. I’m beginning to wonder if he still isn't mad at me for some reason.

Night after night I sit at the table drinking coffee, waiting.

At about 2:30 on a Thursday morning as I’m sitting at the kitchen table taking my last drink for the night, an interior door opens. I continue staring inside my cup, swirling around the last few drops as I bring the cup down towards the table. I didn't want him to catch me waiting around for the sound of footsteps to drift down the hallway. 

Silence, not a sound is heard except a voice coming from across the table, asking, “When are you going to enroll me in school?”

 I look up to find Alex standing behind the chair on the opposite side of the table with a guilty expression on his face. I stop in mid motion and reply, “I don't know. Do you think you’re ready for that?”

He takes a deep breath and sighs just before responding, “Parent’s don’t generally leave it up to the kids to decide.”

“But I'm not your parent.” I retort, hoping he dismisses the confused expression on my face.  

“You’re right, I’m sorry. So, what’s the plan?” he says as he takes a step towards the chair as if he's getting ready to sit in it and continues, “Are we going to bust Carol’s door down and demand she turn over our sister?”

I studied him very carefully for a few seconds while he's speaking, unsure if now is the right time to storm the castle, so I responded, “No! In fact I suppose it's time we should sign you up for Central Academy, before it's too late. That is where you wanted to go, right?”

In a huffy sneer he answers, “Yea, that's what I said on the plane, but I don't see how that is going to help.” then disappears from my sight. No doubt he’s angry with me for avoiding his eagerness for a fight but I had to, we’re outnumbered plus I don't even know for sure where she is. 

I decide to stay up drinking several more cups of coffee brushing off his resentment towards me while waiting for the high school staff to arrive in a few hours to open the doors. I sit back thinking about Central Academy - The only private high school we have in our district - and everything about the place. It's an elite school where most of the students that pass through elementary and middle school don’t get accepted based on their performance records. Most, if not all are rejected as a result of inadequate grades or unacceptable attendance versus the financial status of their parents. For example a wealthy child that misses one day of school for a funeral but passes all their tests and classes, is on the football team, won't get in. Even a poor single fathers son fails one test, aces all their classes and never misses a day of school but accidently hits a kid with his backpack as he's putting it on one day, he doesn’t get in. A rich kid that passes every test and passes all their classes but fails to have any sports or any extracurricular activity, won't get in either. However, a child that never misses a day of school even while his or her father is dying of cancer. who also passes all their tests and classes. Who plays baseball in the summertime with their friends and is an active member in the book of the month club, gets you in.