Lost Nor Found

Chapter 1

Laelynn tore down the street, the cold winter air seeping through her thin clothes.

Ring!

The sound bounced around in her ears as she sprinted through the front doors of Silverleaf High, filling her with dread. The warning bell. If she got there late, all eyes would be on her, the taunts like ghosts haunting her, glares pinning her to the spot...

She stopped abruptly, just a mere hallway away from her class. A dark, tumbling panic rose in her throat. What would they say today? Of course, they knew she wasn't there yesterday, and they probably knew why...

Why can't I just go home? Why do I have to go to school every single day?

She tore a hand through her long hair. Her breaths became shallower as panic and fear bubbled in the pit of her stomach. Hot tears spilled down her face, quickly becoming ice cold. The entire hallway seemed to elongate, pulling her farther away from the class and urging her to turn back.

Go back. Stay home. Be safe.

It was all so tempting - but Laelynn reminded herself why she was doing all this. To help her mom. If she went to school, she would learn. The more she learned, the more education she obtained, the more likely it would be for her to get a proper job. Then she could earn money to take better care of her mom.

Her mom could get better.

No, her mom would get better.

Taking a shaky breath, Laelynn calmed the whirling thoughts, pushing her panic to the pit of her stomach. Wiping away her tears and plastering a smile to her face, she continued towards her classroom.

She slipped into class just as the second bell rang. Keeping her head down, she trudged to her usual spot - the desk close to the back of the classroom, beside the window. Whispers erupted around the class as she passed, causing her to shrink even further. Something hit the back of her head, but she kept walking until finally - finally, she reached her desk. Her eyes found the object of impact, familiar to her daily routine - a small paper ball lying barely a meter away from her desk. Slinging her backpack off her shoulder, she collapsed into the squeaking plastic of her chair, wincing at the snickers the sound produced. Not daring to look up, her fingers slid into her pack and pulled out her notes, wary of every single noise the movements made. Knowing that every movement was being scrutinized. The teacher rolled through attendance.

Laelynn hated Tuesdays. Every Tuesday she had socials class first - the one class where her three dear tormentors were in one place. She clenched her jaw, both angry and afraid. Angry that she had to be in the same class as them as if it could get any worse. Afraid of what their next move would be. Angry again that she was afraid of them.

She snapped out of her thoughts as the teacher called her name for attendance.

"Here," she squeaked, quietly, but just loud enough. The teacher glanced up from her list.

"Miss Esmeray, why weren't you here yesterday?" Mrs. Reynolds asked, not realizing how much Laelynn dreaded this question. The room filled with echoes of shuffling as everyone turned to look at her, judge her. Her heart beat faster as she was forced to speak more than she intended to, but she kept her eyes away from the rest of her classmates.

"My mom wasn't feeling well, so I stayed to take care of her," Laelynn mumbled, keeping her eyes on her desk. Her shoulder muscles tensed as she listened to her own voice, drawing her brows in distaste. Snickers flew around the class. She briefly closed her eyes, letting her shoulders relax and roll back, gaining more strength as she looked back towards her teacher.