False Confidence

8

"-She is your daughter?" I am incredibly shocked, my jaw reaching the ground as I try wrap around the idea that Alena has a daughter. She is our age, and she is, well. I try picture her fat and it does not suit my mind. "You were fat?"

There is stunned silence between us and both Spencer and Alena are looking at me like I grew another head and I realize how odd that sounds. I just found out that Alena has a child and might be living out her car and my first thought is that she was fat? What is wrong with me. 

"Not-not that that is a bad thing!" I all but shout "Just, didn't picture!" I wave my hand in explanation but I think I am just digging myself a deeper hole. 

"Shut up Harper." Spencer mutters and I gladly follow his orders.Alena is glaring at the two of us in seconds.

"If you tell anyone at school about this-"

"-What? why would we-" I pause "You live in your car? with a child?" It is an assumption but by the tightening of her jaw I see I have hit the nail on the head. "That can't be legal!" Later, if I was to look back at my words I could see how this sentence could be threatening but I do not think my mind was in a fully functioning capacity at the moment. Alena is in my face in a moment, Kid clutched to her closely.

"If you tell anyone, you will regret it!" Her hiss is low, I do not think she wants to further upset the kid. 

"Why do you live in your car?" I ask perplexed. How does she go to a prep school  and live in her car? She isn't a scholarship kid, I know that much. "Were are your parents?"

A flash of anger and pain filters over her features before her stoic face is present once more. "It is none of her business, Harper." The venom in her tone hurts but I want to know, why I need to know, the thought of her here, despite all the shit she has put me through, she shouldn't be here, living in her car with a child.

"Alena, if you do not tell me I will call social services!" I threaten, I know I won't but the ice that follows my words is enough that I see a slight tremble in Alena's shoulders, a slight crack to her confidence. 

"We have no choice." Her voice doesn't crack like her exterior but she draws herself towards herself, towards her daughter. "You can't call them, they will take her away and put her in a home!" At the end her voice displays the fear she feels.

"We are not going to call social services," Spencers steps in, placing a hand on my shoulder "We would not do that, But Alena, are you in trouble?"

"No." She seems to relax upon hearing his words but her eyes are still focused on me "We are fine."

"No you are not! You are living out your car!" I yell pointing to the car. 

"I would not expect you to understand, with your little naïve perfect life, you never have to lift a finger or worry an inch," Venom spits from her mouth "Your mom cuts your fruit and takes care of your wishes, you can't understand anything outside of your little bubble!" I feel like I have been punched.

"I can!" I protest and she raises an eyebrow in disbelief. 

"When did you ever have to worry about going hungry or having enough money to put petrol in the car?" Never. I have never had to worry about that, we have our own cards, we have food always in the house and my parents are always there. "You think you are an exception to the Princess fairy tale you live in, but you are not, you are just as disillusioned as everyone."

"I am not-"

"- I do not have time for this, I have to feed Emma and get her to sleep." She doesn't say bed, she says sleep and it breaks my heart a little. Emma, the name suits the little girl and I know that it is Alena's favourite book. I want to smile that she named her daughter after the main character but now is not the time.