Page 27 of Ask No Questions

There was no way I could walk away from her after that. I turned to fully face her and glared down at her.

"I don't know what your problem is, but don't ever touch me again."

I kept my eyes on hers, but I could feel a crowd forming around us, waiting for a fight to break out. Just what I needed.

"You're my problem. You walk around this school for two days, and you act like you own it. Take your Midwestern trash out of here."

I was ready to start a fight after that comment, but I felt someone step up behind me.

I recognized Mike's voice. "Get out of here, Sydney. Jealousy is not a good look on you."

“Stop pretending like you care about her, Mike. She doesn't belong here, and it's time she learns that."

Mike put a hand on my back and guided me past her and down the hall to my class.

"Just ignore her, Aubrey. She's a brat that's used to getting her way. She's just threatened by you."

"She has no reason to be. I'm not trying to take her place."

"You might not have meant to, but you kind of already did."

I was confused, and it must have shown on my face.

"You have been here for less than a week, and you have a reputation of throwing parties everyone comes to, you got a spot in the dance class she wanted, and all the guys are fascinated by you. The best part is that you don't even notice."

"I just wanted to blend in. Getting attention was the farthest thing from my mind."

He opened the door for me to my class. "There's no way you could blend in. You stand out against girls like her. You're real, genuine, and you don't try to be like the rest of them. You're unique."

He really thought of me that way? I felt like I was barely getting by, figuring out who I am without my parents' influence. I just wanted to stay true to myself, and not put up with being pushed around anymore.

His words replayed in my head as I got home from school to an empty condo. How could he see me like that? He barely knew me. He was probably just being nice or flirting, and I was too oblivious to realize. I headed out to my favorite seat on the balcony to clear my head.

What Brandon said about Mom was still weighing heavy on my mind. Things were tense between us, and we definitely didn’t leave things on a positive note. I still thought it should be the parents’ responsibility to reach out to their child, but he was right. Mom was probably worried about me being too angry with her to even take her call. We might not get along all the time, but I realized I actually missed her bickering and reminders of parties I was expected to attend to represent the family.

I took my phone out of my pocket and pressed on her icon. She answered after a few rings and actually sounded relieved.

“Hello, Aubrey, I’m so happy you called! I miss you terribly. How are you?”

I smiled at hearing her voice. “Hi, Mom. Sorry, I haven’t called. Things have been busy with getting settled and starting school, but I really like it here so far. I’ve met some new people, and I found a studio I really like as well.”

“That’s great, honey. I’m glad things are working for you there. I expect you to maintain your technique, no slacking off. We didn’t work this hard for you to be lax now. You might have a few more months before universities will accept early applications, but you need to keep pushing yourself.”

Ah, there is the mom I remember. She gave me about ten seconds before laying into me.

“Of course, I start classes next week don’t worry.” I tried to cover the sigh that escaped, but I couldn’t believe that after not talking to me for a week, all she wanted to do was lecture me. Wasn’t she worried about my new school, or me making good friends? She didn’t ask about my car or living with Brandon. What did I expect? She was never the type to gush over how much she loved me or take an interest in my personal life.

I hesitated in bringing up the subject, but I needed to know the answer for my own peace of mind. “I was wondering if you heard anything about Morgan. Has he been to trial yet?”

“Don’t worry about him, Aubrey. He’s taken care of, and you shouldn’t worry about ever seeing him again.”

I released the breath I was holding waiting for her response. I was so relieved he was behind bars. I wanted him away from me, and anyone else he could hurt.

“Oh, one more moment dear. Peyton would like to talk to you.”

I heard Peyton take the phone and run up the stairs before she spoke. “Hi, Aubrey. I miss you.”

I could hear the loneliness in her voice. I felt bad leaving her alone, but at least she was the chosen child. If Mom knew she was sad, a gift would surely appear to cheer her up.