✅ A Dose of Humiliation

14. The Other Half

"Hello, Mr Gellert?" Lorna called out cheerfully, after telling the car to call. Presumably it was connected to a phone in her pocket or somewhere.

"Yes?" the principal's voice emerged from the air. In surprisingly high quality as well, I noticed. The acoustics for this car must have been amazing. I was still getting over the fact that someone in my class would even think of calling the principal directly. I didn't even have a number for any of my teachers; just the school's reception office. "Something I can help you with, Miss Tong?"

"Yeah, hi. I skipped morning classes yesterday, and I'm stuck in traffic now. You know how Daddy wants me to have a perfect attendance record, so can you fix that for me?"

"Yes, certainly." The tone of the answer made it clear that the guy had some integrity, but wasn't about to argue.

"Oh, and I got a friend with me. Lorna Peen. She's not late either, okay?"

"As you say, Miss Tong. I expect she's in her form meeting right now."

"Thanks. You're always so helpful." And just like that she hung up. My mouth hung open in disbelief.

"How...?" was all I could say.

"Oh, my brother was a big science nerd, so Daddy sponsored a new science building when he came to the school, with state of the art whatever it is they need. And I was getting into hockey, so the school got a whole bunch of new sports equipment when I started. So everybody wants Daddy to stay happy."

I couldn't believe it. But I couldn't argue either; that had been the principal's voice on the phone, and the resignation in his voice told me that people with enough money really could ignore the rules.

"Thanks," I mumbled. "You're a lifesaver. Just wish I could clear my head so easily."

"Right. Time for breakfast. My brother's not so cautious with the booze. But he swears by exercise, starch, and protein. A good breakfast, and then an intense workout to burn the last of the booze out of your system rather than letting it turn into toxins. Best way to beat a hangover, he says. Get up and exercise just before you hit sober."

I didn't know if that was true, but I was willing to try. We went to a truckstop café and I got a plate of everything fried. Bacon, egg, beans, and bread; a solid meal that would surely have gone straight to my waist. And then on to an exclusive members-only sports club with epic views over the bay. I hadn't even known the place was there, but the staff clearly knew Serena and swung straight into action doing everything she asked. It was like a completely different world.

We chatted more in between running laps. And I was sure that I felt my head clearing up with each circuit, my body starting to feel fitter. Serena talked about growing up with everything she could ever have wanted. If she asked for something it was there for her, from a week in Cairo to a party dress exclusively created by some fashion designer with a name that made headlines. She told me that while everything was so easy, nothing felt like it mattered, and she wondered if that was making it harder to work out who she was.

I hadn't even thought about trying to define myself. I was there for my friends, I'd help anyone I saw having trouble, and I always tried to do the right thing; but the last few days had shown me that I didn't know how much of my dreams was really me, and how much was my parents' expectations. When they betrayed my trust, it felt like a whole chunk of what mattered to me had just gone away. Now I needed to rediscover that side of myself, and decide on my own if I cared about the rules or not. If it was only fear holding me back, and it seemed like the worst had already happened, then perhaps I should reassess my priorities.

"If your folks get really bad, you can stay with me awhile," Serena offered, as we got back into the car. By this point yesterday we'd already been at school; but apparently today I wasn't even late.