Chapter Two

Beep. Beep. Smack. Beep. Beep.  She rolls out of bed slowly, after a mere five hours and fifteen minutes of sleep.

            “Kill me” she mutters, to no one in particular. Slowly dressing in her black jeans, and simple black t shirt, the girl hums to herself as she moves slowly down the hall. She steps carefully to avoid the spots that creak; and gently nudges the door to her mother’s bedroom. Peering into the room, she sees that her mother is still unconscious.

            “Bye Mom, I’m off to school. Yes, I will try to have a good day. Of course I’ll pick up milk on the way home, yes 6 ‘o clock dinner, I won’t be late,” she whispers out loud to no one. Pretending her mother was still the woman she used to be is what the girl does best.

            She exits the shabby little house, humming to herself, still.

            “Darcy, can I talk to you please?” Mr. Walden says at her. Like adults do. “I fear for your grades Ms. Esters, you are falling behind in my class, and many others might I add. If you do not do some catch up work fast; you will need to repeat your first semester. Not a good way to start your freshman year.” He continues to talk at her. Making her plus rise.

            The girl stares into the teachers face hard, turns and walks away, without a word.

            “DARCY! You will treat me with more respe…” The teacher stops dead when the girl continues to walk away acknowledging him only with the middle finger on her left hand.

            Entering the bathroom, she scolds herself.

“Why did you do that?!” She says aloud. Hitting the dirty teal wall, with all her strength; then shaking her hand, as if she could shake away the pain that was now pulsing through her hand. “S**t” she mutters to herself, when the bell for third period rings.

“Ms. Esters, I think you know where you’re needed.” Mr. Walden says, deliberately looking past her, as she enters his class room over five minutes late. Out the door, the girl follows the familiar path to the assistant principles office, and soon enters the door marked “Mr. Simons: Asst. Principle”.

“Darcy, please take a seat” The Assistant Principle directs as she enters his office. “Now tell me what brings you here to my office, again?”

“I flipped off Walden” the girl tells him, why beat around the bush?

“Why?” The balding man commands.

“Because, he pissed me off…uh- I mean, he made me angry” she stumbled over her words. “Listen Mr. Simons, give me detention, suspend me, whatever, can we just get this over with?”

“I’m going to call your mom, Darcy.” He states pulling his glasses down, as if to scare her.

“Good luck with that” she mutters under her breath.

“Excuse me?” Mr. Simons commands again, giving that, ‘I’m in charge here’ sort of glare, and looking over his glasses at her.

“I said Fine” She replies, slowly with a sarcastic sweetness.

“Good, now get to class” He sighs at her sarcasm, and waves her out the door.

“Yes Sir” the girl says, giving a mock salute. Smiling to herself as she leaves his office and plans her escape. Out the doors, down the walk and up the road. She leaves the school grounds, heading straight the record store, straight for Toby.

She needs him, his smile, his laugh, and his dark hazel eyes that see right into her mind. Him. Just him.

With that on her mind, the girl quickens her pace to a jog. Rushing to see him, and hear his voice, needing him to make it better.

“Your early today, you usually attend your morning classes before you cut out” Toby says, looking genuinely concerned about her, she’s a mess.

Looking into his eyes, the girl forgets to reply.

“Hello, Darcy? Are you in there?” Toby asks, stepping closer and starting to reach to touch her shoulder.

“Sorry,” She mumbles, looking down, ashamed.

“Darcy, why are you apologizing?” Toby asks a quizzical look on his face.

“I don’t know.”

“Darcy, You sound like you need the Carpenters, ‘Help’ or ‘Crescent Moon’, How ‘bout it D?” Toby questions, reaching out to her.

“This is defiantly a Crescent Moon moment” the girl sighs, giving into Toby’s reach for the first time. There in his arms, she is able to relax. His gentle touch helping her forget the episode with Mr. Walden. “MOM!” She screams, her head shooting up from his chest, the giant in-store headphones falling off. “Oh they are going to call Mom, and… Oh, Mom.”

“Oh Mom” The girl cries once more, sitting forward placing her head in her hands, she begins to sob. For the first time in her life, she lets herself sit there and cry; A fourteen- year old girl, who’s been taking care of mother her since she was just eleven. Her sobs, leading to dry heaves, her body lurching forward like a test dummy for car safety. She hears nothing of Toby’s words. Slowly she calms down. Falling back into his safe arms, she whispers something, he can't understand, and turns to bury her face in his chest.

“Somewhere in a fairytale forest lays one answer that is waiting to be heard” Toby sings along to the song, and strokes her hair. As the fourteen-year old girl, cries herself to sleep. “You and I were born like the breaking day. All our seasons, all our green Septembers’ burn away, slowly we'll fade into a sea of midnight blue and a falling Crescent Moon.”