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Abruptly, she cuts across the street and yells, “See ya later” Her blonde hair bouncing down the street is the only part of her I can see

Drops of rain begin to pelt my head Seriously We had a beautiful day the whole time I was in school today, and now that I aI ate, the rain has stopped I nearly topple over Percy,him behind the ears When he purrs it sounds like a motorboat I drop him over the fence into his own yard

My s “The school sent home a note that says you were absent the second half of school well over a week ago I called and told theot to check you out I don’t knohere you were, but this will be the only time I cover for you” She puffs hard on her Marlboro and her lips are starting to shorinkle lines when she puckers and sucks Toopuckering up

As I a to eat, she says, “I have a friend co over around six”

Don’t worry Nancy “I’ll be out of your way,” I tell her, settling on a can of vegetable soup We don’t speak any further

I fix oing to pass the tiht I don’t have anywhere I want to be Guess Nancy will be dealing with e froe is a picture of a carpet nore it completely I only have a few raduate Another e pops up from Becks

Becks: I didn’t paint that on your house It was Penny Don’t tell her I told you I a crazy She is obsessing over you and Aaron

I don’t have the energy to text him back No matter what I say, he will still feel a way about e I know people makeme explain because he was butt hurt, isn’t cool

I hear the front door open as nize Part of me wants to peek and see who Why couldn’t I have a normal mom that likes to bake and shit? I have to be stuck

with a prostitute, and better yet, why didn’t she give me up for adoption? Maybe I would have ended up in a nice home like Kai’s

My h the house at only God knohat Popping et lost in the music I have saved to my phone

Sleep eventually takes me, and I awaken hours later from a drea with Aaron and they were both pointing atin Raven’s ear When I walked passed Becks, he heckledme earlier before I fell asleep My cell phone is dead, andin h juice to power on, so I can check the time

I pad over to ainst the wall I try to listen for any signs of , I decide it is safe to brush my teeth and washof the baseboard heatersoundly and there is a dude still in bed with her This freaks me out Her dates never stay over

I shut the door to her roo ht won’t kill me Back in my room, my phone is on and it is three am, so yeah that is definitely out of character for my mom

Making sure my door is locked just in case ht sleep until it’s ti, I keep lying in wait to hear , whichmy stuff quietly, I hurry to the bathrooet ready for school