A New Perspective

Chapter 16

Vivian's Perspective

When I got up this morning, something felt different. My chest felt tight and overall, I didn't feel great. I didn't mention any of this to Gwen. I felt I should be fine and maybe I'm just feeling off today. So she drove me to school and now I'm sitting through first period, still feeling a bit weird.

It almost feels as though I know something's going to go wrong.

It's difficult to concentrate on what's being taught. At this point, I would have preferred a work period. I'm begging not to be called on because I'm pretty sure I wouldn't have the answer. All of this is just making this feeling worse. I need to figure out what I've done to bring this feeling upon myself. It must have been my fault because the last time I felt this way was when I ran away from Gwen and that was all caused by me.

"Vivian?" My name is being called by the teacher and before I know it, class is over, "can I speak with you?"

I look up to meet the eyes of Mrs. Mallory. She's in her forties at least and curls her shoulder length brown hair every day. Her glasses are in need of an adjustment as she keeps pushing them up her nose. Her skin is a light olive tone and her features give away that she's of French descent. She's a good teacher, but I wouldn't say that I'm fond of her as a person. There's something about her that makes her seem cold more often than not.

"Yes?" I go up to her desk, holding my one binder close to my chest. I have no slight idea what she wants to talk to me about. I can feel my palms growing sweaty at that thought.

Her hazel eyes look up at me, curiously, "is there anything you want to tell me about your home life that may affect how you are in class?"

I bite my lip, wondering if I'm even allowed to say anything about Gwen. I don't think I should, but then again, it's out there in the media although they haven't yet identified who I really am. Mrs. Mallory must have seen those articles.

I finally answer, "Nothing that will have a negative impact on me, Mrs. Mallory."

She stares me down, but it's not intended to be cold or accusing in anyway. That's just the look she has.

"They didn't say your name in the article I saw, but it was clear that it's you with an international superstar," she says, raising an eyebrow.

"Yes," I nod, not sure what else to do.

"Hun," she pushes her glasses up her nose again, "the school knows that you're on and off living with your mother."

That sentence alone shouldn't hurt as much as it does. My chest tightens and it feels as if my mother just slapped me across the face. If they know that I'm not with my mother all the time then where else do they think I am. I know I don't deserve anyone looking out for me to the extent of making sure I have somewhere safe to live (although Gwen already has). That aside though, it kind of hurts that they never did anything about it.

"This is far fetched, but are you living with the pop star?" She asks. I say screw it in that current moment. They didn't care that I had nowhere to live at one point so they won't care that I'm living with someone different from my mother.

"Yes."

She looks at me like I just told her the most shocking news. She doesn't want to believe me, but the pictures in the article are a little too much proof not to.

"Really? Interesting..." she pauses for a second, "she has the time to look after you with the kind of job she has?"

I try my hardest to keep a frown from showing on my face, "I suppose..."