Ms. Anderson

Chapter 10

A/N
Mentioning of self harm and suicidal thoughts/ actions

I wake up to my alarm and groan, reaching out to turn it off. Today, I'm talking with Hannah and I feel a bit nervous. I want to explain a few things from last year so she understands better and can hopefully worry less. I consider getting her a gift to apologize properly, but the more I think about it, the sillier it seems.

I rub my eyes and grab my phone, sending my message to Hannah. As expected, I get the eye roll emoji in response, but it still brings a smile to my face.

As I'm getting ready, I hear my mom calling me from downstairs.

"Yes?" I shout back.

"Can you come down here for a second?" she asks.

"Yeah, just give me a moment," I reply, quickly finishing covering up the hickey before heading downstairs.

"What's up?" I question as I enter the kitchen.

"I wanted to let you know that your dad won't be home until tomorrow. He got called into work last night, and it's a case a few states over," she explains, and I nod in understanding. "I'm also heading out early today and won't be back until late, so feel free to order something for dinner if you'd like."

"Got it. Thanks for letting me know. Have a good day," I bid her farewell as she heads out the door.

"Bye!" she calls back before closing the door behind her.

Diva comes charging at me, and I have to steady myself to avoid falling down. She's just come in from the backyard, so her paws are a bit dirty, leaving tracks on the floor.

"Hey there, girl. Enjoy your time outside?" I greet her as I give her some pets and set out her food. While she's eating, I fix something for myself and settle onto the couch. It's normally a no-eating zone, but with my parents out, I take advantage and indulge in some TV time while I enjoy my breakfast.

After about twenty minutes, I switch off the TV, gather my school stuff, slip on my shoes, and head out the door. Thankfully, Dad was picked up, so I can have the car. As I'm driving I think about getting that gift. It doesn't need to be extravagant, just something small to show I'm genuinely sorry. And also just because I want too.

Passing by a jewelry store, I decide on a bracelet. I've noticed she always wears a simple gold one, so I opt for something similar. I settle on an 18k gold stainless steel snake bracelet that I think she'll appreciate. It was on sale, so the price wasn't too bad either.

I tuck the bracelet into my bag and head to school. Despite the slight detour, it's still early, so I make my way to my locker to grab my English. Since the teacher is absent for the second class, we have a free period, and I'm hoping we can have the talk then. I can't bear being nervous all day.

As the bell rings, signaling the start of class, I bump into Jennifer on my way.

"Hey! How was the fair after I left?" I ask, curious about what they got up to without me.

"Not much happened, to be honest. But why did you leave so early?" Jennifer questions, and I quickly come up with an excuse.

"I wasn't feeling well, so I headed home and crashed," I lie, and she seems to buy it.

"I think Rose wasn't too pleased about that," she chuckles, reminding me that I forget to let her know I was leaving early.

"I'll send her a message later to apologize," I promise, and Jennifer nods in understanding.