181 Days of Madeline Jesty

Chapter 52: Rank

My brows were raised in shock the next morning. What is Mom doing inside the car?!

"S-Suzie!" I paced toward the kitchen, looking for Suzie. I found her washing the dishes. "Aren't you going with me? Why is Mom inside the car?"

"She insisted."

"Sh-she?!"

Suzie nodded. "I didn't even tell her about the letter. She asked for it last night and told me she'll go. Now you better get your feet off here, or you'll be late."

I couldn't believe this was happening. Mom wanted to attend the card-giving day for the first time in years.

I breathed deep before going inside the car. She was already sitting at the other side of the middle seat, so I sat on the other far side. Troy played music to lessen the awkwardness.

"What made you go?" I asked, still looking at the window, not facing her. "A-aren't you busy with work? Where're your bodyguards?"

"I'm free today, and the guards are on a day-off" she said. "I promised to be more active this schoolyear."

"Why? Because I'm about to graduate?"

"Quite so."

You won't see me graduate, though, I thought.

We were both silent until we arrived at school. We were actually the second to arrive, next to Jane and her dad.

What a wrong timing to be early, I told myself.

Jane's father still had the same disciplinarian, authoritarian vibe, which we had seen for years. I heard he was still single, as it was general knowledge that Jane grew without a mother. If this guy and Mom had similarities, it was their allure that charmed single and unfaithful parents. People trying to pin them together was no news to me. After all, they were both single. But that would never happen as long as Jane and I were alive.

"Honored to be in your presence, Madam Isabella." Jane's father took Mom's hand and kissed it.

I raised a brow, wanting to yell at him to go away from her. Then we heard a chalk screeching. It was Jane.

"Oh, sorry." Jane smirked. "I was just . . . checking the chalk."

Maybe this is something we can agree about.

But her father just shrugged, his gaze going back to Mom. "You have no bodyguards today?"

"Day-off," Mom sparingly replied and took her hand away. "Sorry if I'm being disrespectful. But you are?"

"Ganymede Vicente, for the nth time, Madam Isabella." He smiled. Somehow, I felt that he was insulted, as if he had introduced himself many times but Mom kept on forgetting. "The father of this class's president." He then pointed to Jane, who immediately turned her back, making it clear she was uninterested.

"I see. And I am the mother of—"

"Of course, you are. Jane talked about Madeline more than anyone else. And I've been telling that little kid to be friendly toward your daughter. After all, you are Madeline's mother."

Jane and I looked at each other. Both of us hated our current situation.

"Are they good friends—"

I cut Mom off. Of course she didn't know who in this class were my friends. "No, Mom. Let's find you your seat, shall we?"

I pulled Mom away from Mr. Vicente and led her to her seat, which was my seat in class. It didn't take long before the classroom was filled with anticipating parents and guardians, as well as nervous students.