Un-Ordinary Girl

Chapter 4

          After my run, I felt a lot better. I ended up going to Starbucks instead of the McDonald's though. One of mom's coworker's teenagers just started working there. I needed to find a new McDonald's. I ordered a breakfast sandwich and  a vanilla bean frappuchino. If I had coffee on my breath when I got back in, she would wonder where it came from. If she was even in the house when I got home. I have been out for three hours. I quickly finished up my meal and started the three mile trek home.

          I was almost there when I saw my mom. I hid in a close by ally. She was talking to Jackson! They seemed to be having a very intense conversation. Mom looked upset. Jackson looked angry. Mom looked close to tears. I decided to be a good daughter and crash the party.

        "Mom!" She looked up and saw me. Behind the hard expression she put on her face, she was relieved to see me. But I also saw that she was blaming me for something. I wonder what they were talking about. "What do you want for dinner? I'm going to start cooking early but I need to make sure I have everything for whatever meal that your in the mood for."

          "I'm going out for dinner tonight. You didn't tell me that we had a new neighbor. Much less that he knew your dad." Both Jackson and my own jaw dropped at the bombshell that my mom just dropped outside of apartment building 1140.

          "Excuse me? He knows my father? And not only that, you've never told me anything about dad accept that he was a monster."

          "Well he was. I wasn't going to stay around that beast in human form." I wondered briefly about what that comment meant but didn't let that distract me. Jackson then made his statement.

          "Don't talk about him that way! Just because you couldn't handle the truth doesn't make him a beast. Besides, if he was that much of a beast, then why did you keep his child?"

          "Um, right here. And I'm not a child. I'm about to be 16."

          "Because my mother at the time was going to kill me if she ever heard that I got rid of her. I still have to send her a Christmas photo every year of this scumbags offspring." I was taken aback by the blatant dis. I mean, I knew my mother didn't care much about me. But to hear how she really feels, that she wishes that I didn't exist, it hurt more than all the neglect. I felt something snap inside of me. I started to feel a new sensation building in my chest. Almost like a feeling of panic. I walked away from the two of them as fast as I could without running. They were still arguing anyway. It hurt so bad that I didn't realize that I had started crying in the hall until I noticed that Mrs. Wong was bringing me into her apartment. This was somehow where I always ended up when I was crying.

          "Here." She gave me a tissue, and a key? "You can come in here anytime you want while we are gone for the next two weeks. You look like you might need the reprieve. I set up the guest room for you as usual." I smiled up at her.

          "Thank you Mrs. Wong." After a cup of tea, I went home. A couple hours later, there was a knock at the door. Mom must have left her keys in the house again. I went and opened the door to see an apologetic looking Jackson. I was so not in the mood for anything else tonight. "What do you want?"

          "I wanted to apologize for earlier. I didn't know that you were his child. That would explain why you don't know anything either. I got to learn a little about it before I lost my parents." There he goes again being cryptic.

          "Let me just stop you right there. First off, your mood swings are killing me. Second of all, I have no clue about whatever sorry piece of s**t excuse you're currently spouting. And third of all, I need you to butt out of my life and stop acting like you know things when it is obvious that you don't. My life may not have been great, but at least it was peaceful and stable and that I didn't need some random person to convince a court that I would do better living on my own!" I shouted that last part at him. I knew that if the courts decided that he should live on his own after almost killing a kid, that he had an adult speak for him at his trial or else he would have just ended up in a juvenile detention center.

          He stood there stone faced and then walked back into his apartment. I slammed the door to mine and went back to my room and locked it. I counted the amount of cash that I had saved up. Since I didn't buy much, I had 100 grand saved up. Plus some coins left over from prior purchases. Another 100 grand and I could leave her immediately after I graduate high school. I could leave and no one would ever find me. I'll only tell the Wong's, Mr. Robert, and Nana where to find me and ask that they tell no one else. I'm trying to get a full scholarship to a college though. The less money I spend now, the more I have for my future. I still had three more years left though. I should have enough by then. Plus a scholarship.

          After I carefully put all of my money away, I heated myself up some Chef Boyarde, ate, showered, got dressed for bed, set my alarm clock, and went to bed. I still had to go to school in the morning. My dream started out the way that last nights started out. I was walking on two legs when this unbearable pain incapacitated me. This time though, I choked back the screams of agony so that I could hear Jackson when he would eventually appear. When he finally did, I listened very carefully to what he said.

          "Just calm down. Stay calm. It will all be over soon. It will only hurt just this one time. Once you get use to it, you will never feel agony like this ever again, I promise." He was about to touch my head when my alarm clock woke me up. When I went to stretch, I noticed that I had grown at least a foot in my sleep last night. I was 5'4". Now I looked taller. I guess I will have to wear shorts today. Luckily I never had any hair on my legs. In fact, I haven't gone through any puberty except that I wear a 24B in b*a size and developed slight curves. Oh well. Time to get ready for school.