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Her dad could barely look at me. Poppy was avoiding me. Ashleigh wanted nothing to do with me. They were all acting like we’d committed a personal attack against them, when no one had stopped to consider how hard this had been for us. For me.
The only person who had shown me even a glimpse of sympathy was Bryan, but I’d refused his numerous offers to rescue me from the Ford’s house.
“Peyton,” Felicity called from downstairs. “You have a visitor.”
For a split second, I imagined Xander standing on the doorstep. But I knew better. He was gone, and he wasn’t coming back anytime soon. Ignoring Lily’s heavy stare, I climbed off the bed and pulled on a Rixon High hoodie.
Mrs. Bennet was waiting downstairs. “Peyton,” she said. “I hoped we could talk.”
I glanced at Felicity, and she put up her hands. “This wasn’t my doing, I swear.”
“Is there somewhere we can talk in private?”
“Of course,” Felicity said. “You can use the living room. I’ll be in the kitchen if you need me.”
Reluctantly, I followed Mya and sat down on one of the chairs. “I’m assuming they told you?”
“They did.” She sat opposite me. “But I didn’t come to discuss Xander.”
“Oh?”
“I finally heard back from the school board. If you’re still serious about graduating early, they are happy to approve your request. You’ll need to complete your outstanding papers, but you have enough credits and a strong enough GPA that it’s possible.”
“I want to do it.”
“Are you sure?”
“One-hundred percent.” The sooner I graduated, the sooner I could pick up more shifts at Cindy’s and start saving for my own place.
“I have to ask, Peyton. This plan… it didn’t have anything to do with—”
“No. I wanted this before we…” She nodded, saving me from saying the words. “I refuse to be someone else’s burden.”
“You know they don’t feel that way.”
“It’s not about how they feel, it’s about how I feel, and I need to know I can do this. I want to earn money, Mrs. B. I want to provide for myself.”
“I understand. Once I get back into the office, I can start the paperwork. You’ll also need Jase and Felicity to sign off on it since they’re your legal guardians. Would you like to talk to them now about it? I can stick around if you want some moral support.”
“No,” I said. “This is something I need to do alone, but thank you, for everything.”
“Once school is back, we’ll make an appointment for you to come by my office and get the ball rolling.”
“Okay.” I got up and followed Mya to the door. “I’ll see you soon.”
“You will. And, Peyton, I know things seem bleak now but you’re a fighter and I have no doubt you’ll come out on top. Tomorrow is a new year, a clean state.”
Like that changed anything.
Mya went and said goodbye to Felicity and left, while I inhaled a deep breath and braced myself for the conversation I needed to have.
* * *
I foundJason and Felicity in the kitchen. “Can we talk?”
“Of course, sweetheart. Let’s all sit.” Felicity motioned to the table. Jason could barely look at me, tension swirling in the air. I knew he was angry. At Xander, at himself… maybe even a little at me.
“A few weeks ago, I asked Mya—Mrs. Bennet—to look into my options for graduating early.”
