Lucy Lahey trusted the man she was dating, and it turned out to be her biggest mistake. Reeling in the aftermath of a rape that stole not only her virginity, but her confidence, her love for MMA, her clarity and more, Lucy now finds herself in Jerse...
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Dad kept his promise and we went shopping together for 'school clothes,' as he kept calling them. It's been kind of strange spending time with him, but I have to admit, I don't hate it. We haven't fought or argued, he's had dinner sorted every night and this morning I woke up to a lunch sack. He also left a twenty on the counter, I decide to take that instead.
The weather is warm, morning sun warms the hand rails outside. The breeze rustles the tree leaves overhead. The street is busier than I've seen it since I arrived. Teens and children are leaving the neighbouring buildings and heading toward Hamilton Park. It cuts through to numerous different locations and I know there's a few schools in the area.
I wear a pair of leggings and an oversized t-shirt this morning because cute casual is essential at school. I'm envious of girls that can do a six-hour stint in jeans, especially at school. The discomfort is too distracting for me to consider that wardrobe choice. And right now, jeans would do nothing but irritate the self-inflicted wounds on my upper thighs. The less I have to think about them, the better.
A black car pulls up beside the curb just as I'm coming down from the steps and the back door opens, dad leans out. "Ride?"
"Sure."
I slide in next to him and drop my bag on the floor. The car smells like aftershave and coffee, he offers a takeaway cup.
"I don't drink coffee, dad."
"Oh," he nods. "That's cool. I'll have two. Wouldn't be the first time."
Nerves wouldn't allow me to eat breakfast, let alone drink caffeine. I never used to skip breakfast. The morning started with a high protein smoothie, or muesli, depending on what mom wanted to make. She always made sure I didn't leave for school without a meal.
If I had a tournament, she upped the protein and stacked the cupboards with post work out shakes. I turn my phone over, palming it, wondering if I should reply to the text she'd sent me this morning.
Good morning, Luce. Have a great first day of school. I love you so much.
"Nervous?" Dad asks.
"Sort of," I admit. "I'll be all right."
"You will be," he says.
"Thanks for the lunch," I say. "I took the cash instead."
"Get an idea of what the norm is at school, right?"
"Yeah." I'm glad he understands. I grip the handle of my new backpack as we pull up beside the curb. It's a short two-minute drive, quicker than I realised. I'm not sure why I needed the ride at all, but i'm not complaining.
We're not in front of the school, but that's because there are buses lined up at the gate. Students file out of them, pouring onto the sidewalk like a sea of color and individuality and damn it's threatening but I'm sure I'm not the only new student or even the most nervous. People struggle with crowds no matter how familiar the place is.
