Just as I Begin to Fade

One. The First Day... Again

"I can pick you up, if you--"

"I'd rather walk," the teenager stated, her tone not so welcoming. "I don't wanna disturb you and your afternoon plans."

Nodding, "Okay... Just-- are you sure?" her mother asked. "New town---I want you to feel safe."

"Positive," she gave an unintentional smile. "That shouldn't worry you, anyway."

"Look, Gwen, honey---I get that a lot has gone on and that you're not happy. If you need to talk to somebody, I'm here for you..."

Looking back at her mother, "I am already missing one parent because you guys can't seem to figure your shit out... I'm only here because you wanna go hook up with one of the divorcees on the block, so forgive me for not wanting to share. If I share, I might as well just call social services myself and let them take me away from you."

"Fine," she put her hands up. "Just don't get into any trouble, I don't want any calls on your first day... I know you didn't mean to get kicked out of your last school but you did and for that, we had to move."

"There were plenty other schools I could have gone to... I could be near home, near dad," she crossed her arms---not too enthused by starting a new school in the middle of the year, but she didn't really have a choice. "But instead, I'm stuck with you and you're pimping from the house... I think you just wanted to move because your name was being spread too thin over the city."

"I don't want to hear it, Gwen," she assured. "You're not going to disrespect me and tell me how to run my life---I'll do things my way, you do things your way."

"Then you should go back on the road, where you belong," she opened the door, ready to let herself off.

"I love you," Stevie stated before anything.

"Yeah, I know you think you do," she slammed the door shut, looking over the huge building she was to enter for education she knew that was going to get repeated.

Every time she seemed to have move from school to school, they wanted her to retake courses she had already taken, even if it was seeable that she had passed.

Letting off a huge amount of air, she looked around and her eyes landed on a secretary who didn't really seem to acknowledge anybody even when there was an obvious presence. "Excuse me?" she cleared her throat, getting the woman's attention.

"Can I help you?" she stood, coming to meet the girl at the counter.

"Uh, yeah... I'm new---I'm supposed to be meeting with Mrs. Baxter...?" she squinted, unsure of herself.

"Oh, yes----are you Gweneth Jones?"

"Though at times, I wish not, but yeah---I am," she agreed.

"Right this way, dear---" the woman gestured and then pointed it out. "She's going to discuss with you, classes and teachers."

"Yep, gathered that---" she gave a thumbs up as she moved passed the older woman. She then made her way down the small hallway and knocked on the cracked door.

The woman with short brown---nearly black hair spun around in her chair. "Hi," she gave a soft smile.

"Hi," she waved. "I'm Gwen Jones," she showed her the paper.

"Yes, come in," she gestured more happily than one would. "I've looked over your files and I am setting you in these main classes---what you need. Then you have the choice of two electives."

"And what are these main classes?" she asked. "It's not Physical Science, Life Science or Algebra, right? I've taken all those things and nobody seems to get that. I even took a summer session."