Chapter three

 

Chapter three

 

     I finally run into Sam on the way to second period. His eyes nearly pop out of his head. It takes me a minute to realize that he’s staring at the cut on my cheek, which didn’t need stitches. 

     “Oh My God! Who did this to you!” He grabs my hand, and when I wince looks down and finds the cut on my arm. This one needed stitches.

     “You’re so concerned about someone whose name you don’t even know.” I say, taking my hand back.

     “ I’d know your name if you told me.”

     “ Nice try, but that’s not going to happen.”

     “Why can’t I know your name?”

     I don’t answer him and decide to go back to my theory and hope he catches my vibe. He’s still behind me, following me like a lost puppy when I finally get to my second period class. Right as I reach to open the door, he grabs the knob and opens it for me. After I walked through the door, ignoring that he was the one holding the door open, he told me he’d see me next period. I’m beginning to think that my telekinetic powers aren’t reaching some people.

 

     I get to Ms. Shames’s class early. I wonder why she’s named Ms. Shames. Maybe because she brings shame to all the math teachers on this planet with her horrible way of teaching math. Don’t be me wrong, she’s a nice lady, but she’s not very good at teaching a bunch of uninterested teenagers with raging hormones math.

     Sam comes in just as the bell rings, along with the rest of the class. Ms. Shames doesn’t give him, or anybody, a chance to say anything because she launches herself into a rant, yelling at everyone. Even nice people can snap I suppose.

     “Sit down!” When nobody moves from their spots, she added “Now!” Everybody is so shocked they had no idea how to react, except do as they are told.

     “I know you are all a bunch of young teenagers with lives and other things to do, but you all have to start taking responsibility. There’s only one student in this class who has managed to keep her grade at an A.”

     I have a strong feeling in my gut I know where this is going, and I’m not going to like the outcome. I try using my powers to communicate with Ms. Shames and tell her to stop, but once again they fail me. She charges on with her rant, careless of the damage she is about to cause to my life.

     “You all should learn to be like Sophie and do your homework and study for your tests. Failing this class isn’t something you want to do, unless you want to spend another year with me in this class room.”

     If looks could kill, I’d be dead twenty times over as the whole class turns to glare at me, making it my fault that Ms. Shames decided to rant this morning. I try to disappear by sinking lower and lower into my chair, but the cold stares I’m getting seem to be preventing me from becoming invisible.

     Why does Ms. Shames hate me? I haven’t done anything to her. In fact, I’ve been good to her. I do all of my homework and ace all of my tests, just like she just pointed out. I see no reason for her to target me. But she’s betrayed me and ripped off my invisibility, and now I’ve been fed to the wolves.

     And the wolves aren’t very nice creatures to kids who make them look bad.

     Finally the bell rings. I throw myself out of my seat and through the door. I run to the only safe place I know, the attic.

 

     I wait till the bell rings before I sit down. I breathe in the dust of many years, causing me to cough suddenly. Looking around I decide that maybe I should clean this place up, but change my mind when I realize the dust gives it character. I don’t want to ruin the only place that keeps me safe.

     I ditch the rest of my classes. If one teacher is going to ruin my life, what’s going to stop the rest of them?

     Lunch has passed, and Sam didn’t come up. Perhaps now he’s seen that he can’t hang out with a person that others are so willing to sacrifice for their own purpose.

 

     Sam caught up with me after school. I’m starting the think that he’s bi-polar. One minute, he’s trying to be my friend, the next he’s ignoring me, and then he’s back to trying to be my friend again.

     “Hey!” He grabs my arm to keep me from walking away.

     “Don’t touch me.” I say, taking my arm back.

     “What’s wrong?” He asks, trying to be innocent.

     I don’t answer him. Instead I keep walking. I see Chris and Jake leaning on the wall, waiting for Mrs.Fallstaff to arrive and pick them up.

     “You know, walking away from me isn’t going to do you any good, since we ride the same bus.” He grabs my arm again, and this time I turn around and face him.

     “Actually, it will. See those two guys over there by the wall?” I point to Chris and Jake with my free hand, “ I’m getting a ride home with them.” I take my arm back again and start walking away.

     Unfortunately he’s a persistent boy, and he cuts me off.

     “Why won’t you talk to me?”

     “Because you don’t even know me.” With that I turn and walk the rest of the way to where Chris and Jake are watching. I keep my back to same.

     Mrs.Fallstaff finally came, and we all get into the last row of the van. It’s quiet until we get to the middle school. Once again, the twins had done some strange prank only their twisted little minds could have conjured, so Mrs. Fallstaff has to go inside and collect them from the security guards. Sitting in the car, waiting for her to return with the twins, I swear I felt eyes watching me. This feeling left when Mary and Jen show up arguing about something that only matters in their world.

 

     Kim was already at the house when we pulled into the drive way. Way back when I started bringing her here, we made a rule. She doesn’t go home unless I tell her it’s safe to. It’s going to be a while before I even go near that house again, much less take her there.

     The doorbell rang when I’m helping Mrs. Fallstaff cook dinner. I hear Jake get up off his spot on the couch and answer the door. Then he comes into the kitchen and tells me there’s someone at the door for me.

   I hand him the spoon I was stirring pasta with and go into the front room. There was about a million places I can think of that I’d rather be then here, because sitting on the couch across the room is my mother, the drunken b***h, herself. I step just outside the kitchen door and lean on the wall, as far away from her as I can get. I don’t say anything, since I have nothing to say to the woman who likes to pretend she is my mom.

     She takes a deep breathe. and starts talking, more to the tv salesman then to me.  “Listen, I know you’re upset with me, and you have every right to be. I’m sorry.” The salesman on tv is now shouting a phone number at us, hoping we will immediately call and buy his product. I stand there and continue staring and not saying anything. I learned well from Jake.

     In the kitchen I hear Jake stirring the pasta I was supposed to be cooking. Mrs.Fallstaff asks him who was at the door, and I smile to myself because I know that Jake will only shrug and keep stirring the noodles. My mother misjudges my smile, and thinks that I’m mocking her. She starts shouting at me.

     “Is this a joke to you?! Do you think this is some kind of game? You ran away from home, again! I have half a mind to call the police and report this place for harboring a child that has run away from home!”

     Mrs.Fallstaff turns off the burners on the stove and tells Jake to stay with Kim in the kitchen. She has figured out who is sitting in her living room, and she will not stand for shouting and yelling in her home, unless she is the one shouting out chores to be done. She comes into the room, about to give my mother an earful, but Jake, not the type to listen very well either, follows and stands next to my side. He and I exchange a look, and he turns to my mother, gives her the worlds coldest glare, then guides me back into the kitchen. He came when Chris took me to the hospital for stitches.

     In the living room Mrs.Fallstaff asks my mother on to the porch for a discussion. She’s going to yell at my mother, and she’s going to try her hardest to keep us from hearing. Unfortunately, the walls aren’t sound proof and we hear everything. Kim and the twins come in from the game room, curious about all the yelling. Kim tries to spend all of her free time with the twins. Those guys are her heroes. Jake gives them a look that tells them to go back into the game room and stay there until dinner is ready.

 

     After dinner I lay on the grass in the backyard under the tree. Looking at the stars is very calming and relaxing. These past few days have been kinda stressful, so this helps a lot.

     I must have dozed off because the next thing I know, someone is picking me up and carrying me inside. At first I thought it was Chris, but when whoever it was put me down on the bed, I realized that it wasn’t Chris because he was sleeping on the bunk above me. Behind the now closed door of the bedroom I was in I heard Mrs.Fallstaff tell Jake good night.

 

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     I woke in the middle of the night in a cold sweat. It was just a dream, I tell myself, a really bad dream. I get up and go to the bathroom as quietly as I can. When I turn on the light I see my face in the mirror. Pale and cold. I turn around and click the light off. Sleep would return the color to my face.