The Secrets We Keep (Formally WAIT)

Chapter 2

I slip back into my bedroom locking the door behind me. Sitting cross-legged on my bed, still in my towel, I grab my phone and scroll through my Instagram feed. It's only three a.m. Great. I've got three hours before I'm supposed to be up. I decide to pull out my calculus textbook and study for the quiz we have today. I really, really suck at calculus.

Sprawled out on my bedroom floor with my book and notes two hours later I finally give up and slam the book shut. I guess I can just get ready now and avoid seeing Avery or my mom. I walk over to my closet and pull up my weather app. 67 degrees isn't too cold, it's only October. I pull out my pair of black ripped skinny jeans and slip them on. I take my olive green knit sweater and pull it over my head. I go to smooth out my hair and remember that most of it's gone. I smile to myself and walk in front of my mirror. My waves a fuller without the weight of my long hair to hold them down and I decide not to pull my hair back. I swipe on some mascara and check the time.

It's 6 a.m. now. I quietly walk to the kitchen and pour myself a bowl of Cheerios with a sliced banana. I eat in silence scrolling through my Twitter. Everyone is talking about Halloween and what costumes are good to wear this year.

Why do I care, it's not like I'm going to dress up and go to a party. I lock my phone and clean my dishes. I decide to walk to school since it's early enough and return to my room. I lace up my boots and pack my work uniform and shoes in my backpack.

Just as I'm leaving my room Avery is entering the bathroom. Shit. She noticed me. Great, time for her wrath to spew insults about my new haircut. I continue to walk past the bathroom but she blocks my way.

"What the hell did you do to your hair?"

"I cut it," I say, staring into her cold eyes.

"No shit, Sherlock. I mean what were you thinking? Trying to make yourself more attractive?" She looks me up and down and gives me a disgusted look.

"Well, it didn't work." She laughs and I push past her into the foyer, closing the front door behind me.

Ugh, can she just mind her own business? Why couldn't her mom take her back, instead of leaving here to ruin my life? It's okay, Lyssa, only one more year of school. You can do this. Just keep your head down, and pass your classes. You've already applied to every university that's located as far away from here as you can. You just need to wait until January to hear back from them. With your GPA, you'll be able to have a variety of options.

Okay, enough pep talk Lyssa, people are gonna think you're weird talking to yourself. I plug in my headphones and blast my playlist Left of Center. It takes me about 40 minutes to walk to school from my house, but I don't mind. The air is cool and the sun is out, making it the perfect weather for walking.

I think I'm probably the first person to arrive at school, seeing as I'm about 20 minutes earlier than usual, and by that time I'm usually one of the first to arrive. Luckily the doors are already unlocked and I find myself alone in the school hallways. I walk to my locker and unlock it. I put my uniform and shoes on the top shelf and close it. I slide down to the floor and sit crisscrossed pulling my math book into my lap. I take out my notes and pick up where I left off last night.

I'm jamming out to DROLOE, trying very hard not to chuck my math book across the hallway (as you can probably guess, calculus review isn't going very well), when I a slamming sound alerts me to the presence of someone else in the school. I take out my earbuds and look around, straining to hear something.
SLAM! SLAM! SLAM!
What the hell?

I get up and follow the noise towards the end of the hallway. I peek around the corner to find Ryder Benson punching his locker. He kicks the one below his stops to shake his hand out, clearly in pain, and catches a glimpse of me. I quickly turn around and run back to my locker. I throw everything into my backpack and race into the girl's bathroom.