A fresh start is exactly what London McLaren needs in order to forget the demons of her past. A new last name, a new town and a new school.
She's about to start her final year of high school, ready to obey her parent's orders to keep her head down a...
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Thursday, June 4th, 2020
"I didn't expect to see you so soon."
I'm back in Mrs Thornbury's office, tapping my fingers against the couch. She had begun to clean out her office, removing pictures from the wall and books from her shelves. She only had three weeks to go. I wasn't sure I'd even be here to say goodbye.
"I wasn't expecting it either. I felt good after leaving last week but now...I don't know. It's different."
"What makes you say that?" she asks.
"You once said that every time I left this room, it looked as if I had a weight lifted off my shoulder by talking to you. Now I feel like there isn't any weight left to remove."
"You feel free?"
"In a way, yeah. Although the truth isn't easy, it has made me feel like maybe I can finally breathe again. I don't have to hold onto these secrets anymore. No more lying."
"I'm proud of you, Lonnie. Despite everything that has happened this week, you've still been able to find a shred of hope."
"I have to," I say.
"Not everyone can do that," she speaks.
"I guess I've just had a lot of experience with being disappointed. It makes it easier to not be so negative after a while."
"Well, I think my job here is well and truly done," she smiles solemnly. "You've been through a lot. I could say talking to me has helped you entirely but I don't think that's true. If it wasn't for you opening up to me, I think everything would be different."
"You really helped me, Mrs— Sal."
She sighs, shaking her head. "I should have done more, though. I should have stood my ground and told the school. I'm the adult here and I should have told the school that Aubrey had approached you."
"It's not your fault. I asked you not to."
"I'm sorry, Lonnie. I could have prevented all this from coming out if—"
"No," I interject. "I mean, I hate the way it was revealed but...I'm not angry. I wish— I wish I could explain everything to my friends but as I said, I feel a lot better. No more secrets."
She hmphs, sounding satisfied with my answer. "You've come a long way since our first meeting. Remember that? You completely ran out on me," she smiles.
"Yeah," I nod. "I remember."
"You're almost there, Lonnie. I see it. You're moving forward now. You're not living in the past."
I offer her a small smile as she walks me towards the door. She wraps me in a firm hug, her swollen belly bumping against my hip.
"You will get through this, Lon. Don't listen to what anyone has to say. This is your life and you will get to live it."
