"Bye Sammie!" Summer calls from the front doors of Kingsley Elementary School, waving frantically.
"Bye-bye Sammie!" Jake says, giving me a quick hug and kiss before following his sister.
"Bye, love you both. Summer, take his hand and walk him to class." I yell after them, my stomach clenching with worry.
"Sam, you're going to be late for school. Again. I'll make sure they're okay." One of the kindergarten teachers, Mrs. Sanchez, lays her hand on my shoulder.
I look at her for a minute, suspicion being my first reaction, before relaxing a bit and nodding stiffly.
"Thank you." I smile, almost as if I'm on autopilot, before hurrying off towards the high school.
I enter the school just as the late bell's ringing. I throw the doors wide open, running with all my might.
"Son of a-"
"Language!" A teacher yells as I run past him. "And no running in the halls, Samantha!"
I give him a thumbs up as I put in my combination and basically ransack my own locker, looking for my history book.
"Shi-"
"Sam!" The same teacher yells, looking at me with the same expectant look.
"Sorry." I mumble, though truthfully I'm not.
I race off to English, hoping Mrs. Heiman will let me in her room without a pass. As I push the door open, all eyes go to me. I flush red, my face burning hott instantly. I make my way to Mrs. Heiman's desk so I can speak to her privately.
"Samantha Barnes, do you have a pass?" Her stern voice is clear even though she hasn't even looked up from the paper she's grading.
"I'm sorry I-"
"I don't want to hear it, Sam." She sighs, looking up at me with irritation. "I don't want another excuse. Yesterday, your sister puked. The day before that, your father worked night shift again and you had to walk your sibblings to school. The day before that, you were looking for your homework. I just can't let you get away with it this time. Go to the office and have them right you a tardy slip."
I'm speechless for a minute, unable to even think right. Then it hits me, causing tears to well up in my eyes. She looks back at the paper deliberately, thinking I'm just trying to play head games. I'm not.
"Mrs. Heiman, please." I start, trying to keep my voice from quivering. "I already have fifteen tardy's, if I get another their going to send me to school court and make us pay a fine."
My insides clench, knowing exactly what dad will do if he has to sober up just to come here for me and then give up some of his prescious alcohol money to pay a fine. He won't even buy food, and they expect him to pay my fines? Not in this life time.
"I'm sorry Ms. Barnes, but that's how it has to be." She looks up again with an irritated huff.
That's when she gets her first real good look at me. She study's my swelling cheek and eye.
"Where'd you get that, Sam?" She asks softly as the rest of the class continues to stare at me with their morbid curiousity.
"My sister accidentally hit when I woke her up this morning." I avert my eyes subtly, knowing they always give everything away.
"Sam, that hand prints too big for an eight year old." Mrs. Heiman looks closer.
"Mrs. Heiman, I'm fi-"
"Samantha Barnes, do not lie to me. Someone hit you and you will tell me who it is this instant!"
Her stern voice makes me flinch, having been smacked, hit, kicked, or slammed into a wall every time someone used that voice in the past. She notices the flinch and stares at me harder, her hazel eyes piercing into me.
"I got jumped on the way to school." I lie, holding up my hand when she opens her mouth to say something. "No, I don't know who they were. They just wanted my money, so I gave it to them. I'm not pressing charges or even going to the police. Can I please just sit down now or do you want to send me to the office."
"No, you may not sit down!" She gasps in horror. "You're going straight down to the nurses office."
She gives everyone a harsh warning to behave. And with that, she marched me out of the room, not allowing me the chance to say no. I pray silently, hoping they'll just take my little lie and leave it. As she sits me down in the waiting room, I can see that won't be the case. The old ladies bright, green eyes widen with surprise as she takes in my swollen cheek and black and blue eye.
"Oh my, Samantha. What happened this time?" She asks, slightly breathless.
"Samantha here, says she got jumped on the way to school." Mrs. Heiman cuts in.
The nurse, Mrs. Manula, looks at me expectantly.
“Are you sure that’s what happened, Dear?” Mrs. Manula raises an eyebrow, having seen me in here for cuts, bruises, bumps, and slight sprains before.
I seriously hope the thinks I’m just clumsy. The look on her face says my bad luck streak is about to continue.
I put on my good little girl smile anyways, and nod. “Yeah, it was just a basic mugging. The girl smacked me when I tried to fight back. I didn’t know her, though. I’d rather not let anyone know about this happening. I find it rather embarrassing.”
“Save it, I’ve been a grandmother for twenty years now. I can tell when someone’s lying.” She looks at me with determination, her eyes practically green fire.
She turns back to Mrs Heiman. “I’m conducting a full examination on her. You may leave.”
So, having been dissmissed, Mrs. Heiman leaves me alone in this potentially threatening situation. Okay, so maybe she didn’t know it’s potentially threatening, but she's still leaving me alone with this old bat.
“Where do you want me?” I sigh with resignation.
“In there, come on hurry. I don’t have all day for this.”
I sigh again, frustrated, scared, and just a little pissed that people chose today, of all days, to start caring.
I didn't want it to end. 
Gender:
Points: 943
Reviews: 3