Sang's Freedom (Original And Rewritten)

16

-Chapter 16-

Sang Sorenson's POV:

I was alone until the bell signaling the end of the day went off. It was time to go home and I took a very long moment to shimmy off the bed. I had taken the fever reducers like Dr. Green had asked and was feeling a little better.

My body still ached, but it wasn't as miserable as before and I was glad that Dr. Green had made me rest for the last half of the day.

I looked out the windows of the nurse's office and the lights were already off.

I had expected Gabriel or maybe Victor to come get me since they had offered to drive me home, but no one had shown up yet and I was going to need to get walking if a ride wasn't in my future.

As I dipped into the corridor, most of the hallways were already empty. It surprised me how fast the students got out of the school.

"Song Sorenson."

I turned at the sound of my name to see myself face to face with Principal Hendricks...again.

I tried not to let the displeasure show on my face, but I think he noticed it anyhow.

"I called you to my office several times today, Song. Where were you?" His beady eyes searched mine in the darkness of the hall. It was kind of creepy being in here with him all alone and I was torn between telling him he had gotten my name wrong and just walking away.

The goody-two-shoes within me produced a third option. "I was at the nurse's office, Mr. Hendricks. I wasn't feeling well."

"Your father said you might pull something like this. On your first day you got into a fight, and now you're trying to ditch class in the nurse's office; trying to game on your phone all day, were you?" He looked down at me as if he had me all figured out.

"I don't have a phone."

I think it was safe to assume that Mr. Hendricks was lying about my father. There was no way my dad would say that I was a bad kid or playing hooky. What would be the point? Drawing attention to me would only draw attention to Mother.

Plus my father was out of town. Why would he have stopped to talk with my new principal? It just didn't make any sense.

"You don't know when to keep quiet, girl." Mr. Hendricks snorted and I found myself taking a step back.

"I...really need to get going, Mr. Hendricks. If you need to call my father, go ahead, but I have to get home to my mother before she starts to worry."

"You'll be in my office before school tomorrow, Song. Is that understood?"

"Yes, sir."

He left me in the hallway then and I swallowed my fear. It's not like I could stop time. Whatever was coming would come tomorrow and I would just have to buck up and face it.

I watched Mr. Hendricks completely disappear into another corridor before turning around and heading for the doors of the school. The buses were gone by then and I hadn't run into any of my new friends.

Friends.

Well, hell. If I was going to start using the F-word, I really was going to have to be careful about Marie. Tomorrow was Friday and I would have to have the fifty dollars for her.

Maybe I should just tell the guys what is going on...Maybe they would help... The idea died right then and there. I wouldn't ask for their help. I was on thin enough ice as it was with them.

They were being nice because they knew I was having problems at home, but the friendship we were building was real, and I liked that.

I wouldn't put it in jeopardy over fifty dollars.

"Sang!" I looked up from the sidewalk to see Victor and Gabriel driving alongside me in an expensive-looking silver car. "Why'd you leave the nurse's office? We went back to get you, but you weren't there."

"I thought you left without me," I said as they pulled up to the curb.

Gabriel wagged a finger at me. "Don't you start with me, Trouble. You should know we aren't going to just leave you."

Why the hell should I know that?

Victor laughed at my expression, getting out of the driver's seat to open the door for me. I thanked him, slipping into the backseat.

"Your house is across from Kota's, right?" Victor asked. I watched as he drummed his fingers on the steering wheel as if he were seated in front of a piano instead.

"Uh, yeah, but you probably should drop me off at the end of the block. Here is good."

His amber eyes caught mine in the rear-view mirror. "Are you sure?"

"Yeah, my parents wouldn't be happy to know that I'm..." making friends?

"It's no problem, princess. I prefer to drop a girl off at her front door is all. I want to make sure you get in safe. Could you text me or something when you get inside?" He pulled over on the side of the road.

"I would, but I don't have a cell phone." Why did that make me feel so embarrassed? A lot of people didn't have cell phones. It had never mattered before.

The corner of Victor's mouth dipped down in a frown before he fished his phone out from his pocket and offered it to me. "Take this one. I have another one at home and all of our numbers are in there."

"I can't." There was no hesitation to my words. "I can't accept something like that. No way. I know Gabriel said you have a lot of money, but you already bought me clothes. A cell phone is too much. I can't accept it." I was rambling. "I mean, I can't even imagine what you spent on the clothes in the first place. I should return them because there's no way I can pay you back for them. I've tried to think up ways, but nothing seems good enough--"

"Princess, slow down." Victor turned in his seat to press the phone into my hand. "I'm letting you borrow my cell phone. There's nothing wrong with borrowing. I'll see you tomorrow and then you'll be able to return it."

"What if I break it?"

"You aren't going to break it."

"I could on accident and then you'll be mad at me."

"I won't mind if you break it, Sang. Like I said, I have another at home. Just text the contact: Victor 2 and you'll be able to reach me." Victor smiled as my fingers closed over the smooth screen.

"Text me, too, Trouble." Gabriel winked at me and I found myself blushing as I stepped out of the car.

"We'll pick you up right here tomorrow, okay?"

"Okay, Victor...and thank you. Bye Gabriel. I'll see you guys tomorrow."

"Later Trouble."

"Have a goodnight, Princess."

I walked up the road to my house trying to ignore when Victor and Gabriel inconspicuously drove past, just as I tried to ignore the weight of the cell phone in the pocket of my cargo pants as my house approached.

With any luck, Mother would still be asleep and I could just go into my room and text Victor that everything was okay. Unfortunately, I was not a lucky person.