Cell Mates

08|| Behind Enemy Lines

08

When I woke up that morning I was out for blood. Whoever did this to me was going to pay big time. I didn't care how long it took, I would eventually track them down. After yet another chewing out from my sister as soon as I got back from school for my outburst in Mrs. Clark's office she was twice as determined to get me moved out by the end of the week. Mystery Guy was going to regret ever having gotten in my way. If he hadn't been there I'd have no criminal record, or the obligation of repaying my debt to society. I'd still be living at home and most importantly I'd have avoided Connor altogether. Now we were both hopelessly stuck after school on this preposterous contract, left to tolerate each other for THREE WHOLE MONTHS. I didn't think anything could be worse until this morning.

This morning really took the fucking cake. Divine intervention, fate, the miserable series of coincidences that comprised my life – I didn't care what you wanted to call it – definitely had it out for me or else when Mia pushed me out of the car in the early hours of the day with a box of junk from my room grasped tightly in my arms I wouldn't have stumbled directly into my worst nightmare.

It was 7:01 am, exactly one hour before school started. I didn't actually have class until 9:30 since my day started off with a convenient study hall and I was planning on getting a couple more hours of bliss. Mia, however, had other plans. She'd whipped off my covers and dragged me by my feet kicking and screaming off the mattress until I had no choice but to get up, and get dressed. It's safe to say she's hasn't been keen on my attitude and repaid me in kind at every opportunity she got. This for me meant that she insisted I get up early so we could get a head start on moving all traces of my existence from our house to this shitty new residence no one's ever heard of. I'd spent my fair share of time down this boulevard and not once had I come across a Fairmont Hotel. If this was some Motel 6 she was sticking me into she could forget it. I'd be outta there faster than Usain Bolt no matter how much anger she harbored and how many threats she threw my way, she couldn't keep me here against my will if I wasn't okay with the conditions. At least I hoped. But last time I dealt with any legal ramifications I'd gotten myself into this mess so I wasn't relying too much on the law being on my side. 

"Sam, I took the liberty of packing a few more things while you were at school yesterday. They're in the trunk. Get those too will you?" Mia said and the truck popped open to reveal several stacks of boxes and piles of magazines that hadn't fit anywhere. You could tell immediately which ones were mine and which were of her doing. I'd mainly shoved in every visible item haphazardly so the boxes weren't properly closed and pieces of clothing were spilling out over the edges. Mia's packing was in comparison methodical and clean. 

"Someone's in a hurry to get rid of me. Packing my shit up so this process takes less than a day, huh?"

Mia frowned. "Not at all. I just didn't want to leave you hanging between two places. I'm trying to make this easier for you," she explained in a matter-of-fact voice. She'd been nothing but cold in the past few days so this surprised me that my statement had some kind of effect on her. Thinking back though, they didn't reassure me at all. I'd heard those same words out of Connor's mouth the day before and a chord struck inside me. If this was making it easier for me she'd been poorly mislead on what that actually entailed.

"You know what? Save it." I held up a hand, waving off whatever explanations she was getting ready to spout and picked up two cardboard boxes to carry off towards the front entrance.

I hadn't really gotten a close look – admittedly I hadn't had much time to investigate – at the place I'd be shacked up in. We'd parked down the street figuring that if we parked near enough to the entrance there would be less of a hassle. It wasn't. My arms felt laden and my muscles still carried the memories of the night I was arrested. A fight, climbing over fences and being shoved around by pompous police officers didn't take well with my body.