I shook my head and placed a strip of crispy bacon in my mouth. I may have been nervous and dreading walking back into those halls, but that didn’t mean my body would reject the delicious food. It would probably be the only meal I’d eat sitting at a table today because as soon as lunchtime rolled around, I’d head straight for my safe place: under the bleachers.
With only half a pancake left on my plate, footsteps sounded down the hallway, and I heard a groan that could only be deciphered as, “Coffee.”
Mom drifted into the kitchen—drifted was a nice word. She practically dragged herself. She gratefully took the cup Sal handed her and groaned again as she took the first sip. By the time I’d finished the last of my breakfast, she’d drunk half of her coffee and resembled more of a human.
“Morning,” she announced, first looking at me and then Sal.
“Morning,” I answered back.
“Jan,” Sal said with a nod. I nearly snorted at his greeting, which I should have been used to by now. You’d think he would at least have said good morning or maybe greeted her with a kiss, but that wasn’t Sal’s way. He was who he was, and that was the reason my mom loved him so much.
Mom blinked several times, and then she darted over to me. “It’s your first day back, and I overslept!”
“No biggie.” I shrugged, pushed myself up out of the chair, and carried my plate over to the sink.
“I’ll do that,” Mom said, following me over and ripping the plate out of my hand. “Give me ten minutes, and I’ll be ready to take you.”
I glanced at the clock on the wall and shook my head. “I need to leave now.”
“Crap!” The plate clanged in the sink as she scurried across the kitchen, and I winced. “I—”
“I’ll take her.” We both swung our attention over to Sal who stood in the same spot but with keys dangling from his fingers.
“I can’t miss her last first day of school,” Mom whispered. “I’m coming with you.”
“Mom.” I blinked and blinked again. She was wearing an old band T-shirt and booty shorts. “Not like that.”
>
“I won’t get out of the car.” She grabbed my hand and walked past the table where she managed to hook my bag and jacket over her other arm without even letting me go. “Come on, Hope is probably waiting for you.”
Crap. She was right. We’d arranged to meet on the south side of the lot, and she was probably already there.
I didn’t bother trying to get Mom to lessen her grip on my arm as we exited the apartment because it would be a useless task. We all piled into Sal’s pickup truck and off we went with Mom squished in the middle but bouncing in her seat. I wasn’t sure what she was saying on the way, because the entire fifteen-minute drive I was trying not to throw up what I’d eaten. Maybe a big breakfast the first day of school wasn’t such a good idea after all.
“Do you have everything?” Mom asked, and from the look on her face, it was definitely not the first time she’d asked me.
“I—”
“Cell, backpack, notepads, pens—”
“Yeah, I got everything,” I interrupted, knowing she’d go into everything I should always have on me, including sanitary products, body spray, and a rape whistle. Mom made sure I was prepared no matter what. I loved her for it, but she was overkill sometimes. I had to make allowances, though. We’d gone through hell together, even though she liked to pretend it never happened.
Sal pulled into the school lot, and I slapped my palm against his dash. “There’s Hope.” He slammed on his brakes, not giving one crap that he was now blocking the entrance.
“We’re both working the late shift, but call me if you need me!” Mom shouted as I pushed out of the truck.
“Have a good day,” Sal said in his usual gruff tone.
I nodded as my feet hit the gravel. “Okay.” I turned around. “I’ll probably go see how Belle’s first day was after school.”
Mom grinned. “I had a feeling you might. See you tomorrow morning, hunnybun.”
I rolled my eyes at her nickname and slammed the door shut. My gaze was set on Hope as she tried to make herself one with the wall. She didn’t want to draw attention to her ink-black hair and pale face. She wasn’t a goth, but she naturally looked like one. I thought she resembled more of a grunge Snow White, but she was adamant she was more Wednesday Addams.
The lot was filling with cars now that Sal and Mom had pulled out, and by the time I got to Hope, the loudness sounded more like a party—not that I had ever been invited to a high school party.
“And so it begins,” Hope said, not looking at me but staring at something in the lot.