My Little Decoy

♪ Best Be On My Way Out ♪ {19}

"Well you treat me just like another stranger
Well it's nice to meet you sir
I guess I'll go
I best be on my way out." -Ignorance

Maybe it was fate?

I rummaged around my closet, looking for something clean to wear. I could hear Marco snoring in the room next to mine. With a sigh, I settled for a plaid shirt and a random pair of jeans from the top of my clean pile. Sauntering over to my bed, I flopped onto it and closed my eyes, rubbing my temples as I thought.

Fate seemed to be the only explanation: not that I believed in any of that shit.

Luck really needed to get its mind straight: fortunately, everytime I entered the house after a practice, Marco was either out of the house, or knocked out cold. Unfortunately, he was only the least of my problems right now. Opening my eyes, I stared blankly at my ceiling, everything I've been worried about suddenly rushing to my head. Has worrying become my new hobby?

Glancing at my backpack, I emitted a small groan. Since my suspension ended, I had to go back to school today. Honestly, what was the point of education? But if I wanted to escape, I needed to make sure I had a back-up plan. Sadly, Weston was the answer for that. Take my diploma and go.

Well, if I weren't already gone.

Which is probably not going to happen since Mike Vaughn is either going to report me to either the judges or the authorities. Please let it just be the former. Or even better, no one at all. Letting out an angry sigh, I grabbed my lumpy pillow and threw it at the wall, satisfied with the loud thump it created.

"Who's there?" I heard Marco snarl groggily from the other room and I immediately sat up, grabbing my bag and drum sticks. That was definitely my que to leave.

Falling into my usual routine, I slipped my window open and climbed precariously onto the thickest branch. Taking care not to jostle my healing stomach, I slipped down the tree and jumped to the ground.

The lights in the house flickered on behind me, but I was already gone.

---

Arriving late as usual, I ignored Jack's accusing glare and shrugged past him, heading to the Grinch's classroom. My mind was so foggy that I didn't even think about drumming, and that's really saying something.

Rev was in my right boot, clanging around in the open space and practically begging me to take them out. Instead, I set an icy gleam in my eyes and opened the door to my math class.

"Late again, Ms. Carson? I assume your suspension taught you nothing." The Grinch pointed out as I made my way to my seat in the back by the window, setting my backpack on the ground beside me with a thump.

Not even bothering a snarky reply- though I did find some satisfaction in her surprise at my lack of sarcasm- I just leaned back in my chair and stared out the window.

"So tell me, Lacey. Which is your real last name: Carson or Corradino?" Mike's voice echoed in my thoughts. Sure, that was a completely acceptable statement to worry over. If I thought that getting my permission form signed would be the only problem I'd have in this competition, I was dead wrong.

A sudden epiphany came to me as I watched a bluebird chirp as it gracefully flew past my two-story classroom. It landed on the ground, pecking at some nonexistant source on the dirt ground. When I saw its head bob up, I noticed it had a little worm in its mouth.

As the Grinch droned on about the importance of quadratics, I wondered whether the situation I was in was just a game. Like chess. Like that bluebird and the worm and their game of hunter and prey. Like life itself. Every move I make, there will always be something to counteract it.