AllFreeNovel
Share Us
For the past two weeks, I’ve mostly been with Nimona. She has helped me pick my college courses, though I hadn’t decided what I want to major in.
During one of my more desperate days—a day of pure loneliness and confusion—I called my mother. I still feel painfully betrayed by her, but in comparison to my father, I kind of feel like she’s in the same boat as me. She’s the one I’ve always turned to when anxiety and depression hit me and she’s the one I turned to this time.
When she answered, I straight up told her I didn’t care to know about anything from the past and all her attempts at apologizing would fall on deaf ears. I needed to get that out before I heard her sob through her remorse. After breathing through her emotions and clearing her throat, we moved on and blissfully pretended to be a normal mother and daughter speaking about a normal college and what I should choose as my major. I went with criminal justice and readjusted my courses to fit the major.
I could tell she wanted to ask me questions, to bombard me with endless peppering. It reminded me of the time I went on my first date. When I got home, mom was there to bombard me. Still, aside from the nostalgia, I’m thankful she contained herself because if she had asked, I know I would have opened up about what happened on ritual night and right now, I don’t think it’s wise to completely trust her. I may be a daughter in need of her mother, but that’s as far as I’m allowing my need to go.
We hung up and I spent the night in Noah’s arms crying. It was awkward, but when I cried, everything melted away and he drew me into him. We smoked, talked about the past and what majors we’re debating with ourselves…It felt like old times, when things were simpler.
Though I could tell the conversation was on the precarious edge of turning down a path I know neither of us wanted to travel, we were careful not to comment on how our friendship has begun to pull in two separate directions...at least that’s how it feels.
When I woke the next morning, he was gone and didn’t show his face for the entirety of the day. It makes me tear up even now.
I lean in close to my mirror and will my tears to dry before I ruin my make-up on the first day of classes. I want to skip it, but I doubt that’ll look good on me, no matter who my father is. After all, according to Nimona, Coventry seesmeas the Calavera bastard child. No one knows Rey isn’t even of the same blood as my father, and I won’t be the one to tell anyone…unless it suits me.
Rey said I started a game, but the thing is, I never start shit, I only end it, and this will be no different. I just hope I come out with my heart intact. With the way things have gone so far, I have my doubts I won’t be broken at the end of it all.
I straighten and pull my shoulders back, breathing deeply and reminding myself that broken or not, I’m never letting these fuckers knock me down and keep me there.
“Why do we have to wear uniforms in college?” I mumble to myself as I gaze at the unknown woman staring back at me.
I’m wearing black knee-high socks with the typical red and black plaid uniform skirt -which is shorter than one would call appropriate- and white a stark white button up shirt.
I was dumbfounded when Nimona brought a week's worth of uniforms to me. Hell, they even came a with a fucking manual printed on the extravagant tag safety pinned to the fabric.
Apparently, there’s a proper way to wear these ridiculous porn movie outfits.
My self-respect demanded I set the rules on fire, and I happily obliged.
I have the black vest with the school’s crest richly stitched into it and the blood red tie, but decided to leave the vest open and leave the tie in a loose knot so I could have the top button of my blouse undone. I took one look at the shiny black bricks they called shoes and threw them into the deepest part of the closet where no one would be subjected to their hideousness ever again and grabbed my black Devon Heart Doc Martens instead. The last two weeks, I went on an online shopping spree, purchasing things for both me and Noah like Cher inClueless.
Noah wants to major in music, so I ordered him the guitar he’s always wanted but could never afford unlesshe sold a kidney. The beautiful white Steve Vai Signature JEM series Ibanez beauty has yet to arrive, but I cannot wait for him to see it. He’s going to lose his mind.
I also bought a shit ton of clothes for us. When he said it was too much, that I shouldn’t spend my money on him, I simply smiled and said, “It’s not my money.”
After the millionth delivery, he gave up and just started accepting everything.
Like I said, it may be immature as hell, but I’ll make sure my father’s bank account feels my presence.
He’s called me a few times, but I just don’t have anything to say to him. Well, I mean I do, but I don’t have the energy nor the inclination to deal with him right now. I just want to ignore his existence while I fulfill my ‘obligations’ here until I turn eighteen.
I pull my hair up into a high pony, leaving a few curled locks down to frame my face and apply some lip gloss before deciding I’m ready to go. I grab my satchel and snatch up my phone, noticing I have a text from the scarecrow himself.
Rey: Check under your pillow, muñeca.
What the fuck? I changed the sheets last night before I went to bed, even the pillowcases; there was nothing there.
Goosebumps rise on my skin as I walk over to the bed and cautiously lift the pillow, preparing to make a break for it if a snake slithers out. I honestly wouldn’t put it past the asshole to be that childish.
The corner of something black comes into view and I toss the pillow to the side, revealing a key fob with the Rolls Royce image embedded into the leather rectangle.
I snatch up the key, but my excitement for the car I drooled over is overrun by the realization that Rey was in my room while I slept. I know he’s expecting me to call him out on it, hell, he’s probably excited for me to yell at him.
With a grin, I text him back.
Me: Thank you, diablo. I’m sure daddy dearest is pleased with how well you do his bidding.
I click off my phone, feeling high on my petty behavior for a second before remembering that I’m off to college and not grade school. Then again, the creep did sneak into my room while I slept so, eh, I’m not sorry.
