Chapter 141: Scattering Friends
The last day of school for the year was supposed to be fun. Just a half day where some teachers showed movies and the cafeteria made real pizza instead of the cardboard they usually served.
Not so much this year. I should have been enjoying myself. I'd made it through a whole year with friends and everything. I was even pretty sure I'd passed my courses despite all the interruptions in my life in the last nine months. For the first time ever, the last day of school was going to be as fun for me as I always imagined it was for everyone else.
Maybe if my friends weren't totally bummed out over Pain. Or if the whole town, heck the whole eastern seaboard, wasn't about to be demolished by a 'hurricane'. It was all everyone talked about. Not their plans for the summer or what their marks were like, but just the stupid storm.
It grated on my nerves. Mostly because I moved past being able to worry about everyone else and focused on my family. I could barely look at my friends without a spike of fear going through me. Made for a very pleasant morning, let me tell you.
So why did I go? And stay for that matter? Because I was out of the house. And not alone. It was the better of two awful choices.
Blood was the worst of the group. Simon and Beth may have been worried about the storm, but he pined for his girlfriend.
I finally risked it and asked how she was.
He offered one of his characteristic Goth shrugs. "Her mom put her back in treatment," he said. He made it sound like she'd been sent to prison. "She's a mess, you know? But it's worse for her, being in there."
"We should go visit her." We were free now anyway and I needed an excuse to see her. This was perfect.
Blood immediately perked. "She'd totally take that in."
"I can't," Beth said. "I'm sorry, but we're leaving as soon as I get home."
Right. Auntie in St. Louis.
Simon's head bobbed. "Me either. Mom and Dad decided we'd go on vacation early because of the weather."
Blood nodded slowly. "Completely understand."
Alison shook her head at me, smile strained. "We can't either, remember? We're leaving too."
Wow, that was selfish. How long would it take us to stop at the hospital and check on Pain? "I want to go."
Her face scrunched into a momentary scowl. She hooked my arm and led me a short distance from the others while Blood's hopeful look sank.
"I'm not going." It came out of her in a harsh whisper. "Forget it."
I jerked my arm free. "Well, that's very sweet of you," I shot back. "She's our friend, Al."
Her lips were almost white as her mouth thinned out, whole face pale except for two bright pink spots on her cheeks. "I just can't." She shuddered slightly. "Syd, please. I can't."
"Because of Suzanne?" Yes, that had been traumatic, I got it. But it was Pain we were talking about.
Alison shrugged, gaze dropping away. "There's nothing we can do for her." She kept her voice down, so low it didn't sound like her at all. "We need to just leave her alone. She's got issues, you know?" Alison rubbed her arms with both hands, almost hugging herself. "She's obviously lost it and I just can't watch it happen again."
Any other time I may have reacted differently. I might have understood and even sympathized. After all, I was there for the whole mess with Suzanne, just like Alison. And I knew because of her mother's drinking issues dealing with stuff like this couldn't be easy for her. But it was Pain and she needed my help. And as much as Alison didn't want to go and using the excuse she wasn't strong enough to handle it, I knew she was just being selfish.
"Fine, I'll go myself." I left her standing there so she had to chase me. She caught my arm and turned me around.
"You can't. Mom's picking us up at one." Was that desperation in her eyes? Why didn't I care?
"That's nice," I said. "Have fun." Problem of the lake house solved after all. Mom wouldn't have a choice now but to either let me stay or send me with Meira. I'd tell her I was no longer invited. I didn't want to fight with Alison, but this situation did kill two issues with one argument.
Blood and the others were already gone. Damn, I'd missed him. To find out what hospital Pain was in, I'd have to text him.
I glanced back only once as I left, trying not to feel guilty about the tears of rejection on Alison's face.
I stormed through the front door with enough momentum Mom knew I wasn't taking no for an answer.
Without giving me the time to argue, she deposited a suitcase at my feet and scowled at me so darkly I lost my nerve. She handed me the phone and mouthed the word, apologize.
Damn it. The receiver was warm against my ear. "Al?"
She was crying still. "Please come with me. I'm sorry I said that about Pain, I really am. It was wrong and I feel terrible."
I rolled my eyes at Mom. "Al..."
Mom's foot tapped on the floor. "You're going."
I could have fought her. Wouldn't have won and I knew it.
I sighed, defeated. "It's okay, Al," I said. "I'm sorry too."
As she babbled her joy at my change of heart, I glared at my mother who glared right back.
"One condition," I said, knowing Alison would agree to anything.
***
