Total pages in book: 111
Estimated words: 111038 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 555(@200wpm)___ 444(@250wpm)___ 370(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 111038 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 555(@200wpm)___ 444(@250wpm)___ 370(@300wpm)
School was mostly done for seniors. A few tests and a few papers to turn in, but we’d gotten most of our work completed a week or so ago. They had to have time to make sure we all had passing grades and could actually graduate. People were still showing up because they didn’t want to piss off the administration, but I was different. No one really knew I existed, except Blaise now. And my biology partner. But neither of them would care. And neither might notice anyway.
When I got home, I pulled up the last of my remaining projects. I emailed the teachers, and within two hours, I had the final details for my last assignments. My plan was to complete everything. I made arrangements to take two tests the following morning, missing my slacker classes to get that done.
Since being here, I’d never caused a problem.
My grades were good: A’s. I already had college set in stone: Cain University. My parents didn’t know that was my final choice. They thought I wanted to attend Hillcrest’s sister university because so many of my Hillcrest friends were going there, but nope. I wanted to go where my brother had gone. Nate had found himself there. I knew things had been rocky in the beginning, but that smoothed out, and at Cain was the first time I saw him happy. I wanted to go there and understand.
But back to camping. Because camping would get me through the last weeks of school.
Camping would get me through the summer.
Camping let me breathe.
“Honey?”
I stilled, hearing my mom’s voice at my door.
A polite knock came next, and I had to answer. My stomach was in knots, but I pushed back from the desk and walked over. My legs felt like wood.
My mom was on the other side, frowning, concern pulling her eyebrows together.
She wore a light summer dress, an artsy scarf wrapped around her neck with books on it, and her hair coiled up in a loose French twist. It was a mess of brown and gray since she was letting her last dye job run out. Minimal makeup, and she had on hemp sandals that wrapped around her ankles.
I already knew what mood she was in that day.
She was feeling an artsy/creative/loving/spiritual vibe. In these moments, she loved life and tried to be a beacon of light to everyone. This was the perfect time to make my request.
“Mom.” My voice went all warm and happy, and I made sure to smile, radiating peace and tranquility.
“Daughter.” A flicker in her eyes, and she tilted her head toward me.
She was on to me. She knew I wanted something.
Good thing I knew she wouldn’t mind in this mood.
Right now she wanted to go to the desert and commune with nature and take mud baths, all while dosing up on some really great pot. I never saw this side of her until she and my dad had their midlife crisis. Now this was a regular occurrence, and the vibes in the house were a lot more relaxed because of it.
“I want to go camping for my last week at school.”
She didn’t even blink. “Absolutely not.” And damn, her smile never wavered either.
“Mom.” I was getting serious now.
“Daughter.” So was she. “It’s your last year. You’re not missing any projects or memories to go camping alone.”
Well…damn.
“I’ve gotten permission to finish all my projects and tests in the next three days at school. And I can do it. I’ll have everything completed and handed in by Thursday. I can take off on Friday.”
Wait.
What was I doing?
I didn’t want my parents to know when I graduated. I’d made up a fake email for them, so everything school-related actually came to me. I knew my grades for months before my parents remembered to ask. With their old-school way of thinking, no news from my school was good news. That meant I wasn’t having problems, so they had no reason to worry about me. And straight As—a 4.2, with the new ranking system. School had always been easy for me. It was just the social scene that presented a challenge, but what parent actually waded into that world?
I needed to go camping.
I needed it like I needed to live. This past weekend was supposed to have fed my soul, but it hadn’t.
I was going anyway. Regardless of what my mother said.
I made the decision right then and there. My projects would be done. My tests would be taken. If I didn’t show up, no one would care.
I was doing it. My mom would never know anyway.
And so now I had to distract her. I moved in, wrapped my arms around her, and buried my head in her shoulder. “I love you, Mom.”
She stiffened for a second, then she melted. “Oh, honey.” Her hand came up to the back of my head for a moment before she hugged me. “I love you too. So very much,” she murmured next to my ear. “You know that, right?”