FATHER ALWAYS SMILING

Chapter 38 ~~~~~

"Holy shit..." was the first thing she said after listening to it on my phone with headphones. "You actually put this all together. How long did this take?"

"The whole weekend." I knew how to do it thanks to Elain, but I didn't want her to be dragged into this as well. And I didn't want my Dad to know either, that's why I'd never leave any of it on my home laptop. Besides, at a certain point, he'd put it in his office and I didn't want to risk that chance.

Mia just stared at me. Before looking at me with an annoyed look. "You really are smart."

I gave her the same look back. "Did you think I'd cheat in school?"

"Duh. All rich people do."

"Well, I don't!" I snap back. "My Dad always says to do what I can through my own merits! And cheating is wrong!"

"Ok, ok, geez... you're such a Daddy's Girl..."

I felt my face getting warm. "I-I'm not!"

Mia scoffed. "Yeah you are, my Dad this, my Dad that. Daddy, Daddy, Daddy." She gave a sly grin. "I'm not saying it's bad. Hey,"
"Yeah?" I ask as I put my phone away.

"Do you think your Dad could beat mine up?"

I just looked at her. Understanding why she was asking that. "You really hate your dad don't you Mia?"

"Him and Mom, they suck. They don't even care... I don't think they ever did." She then turned to me. "So? Do you think you're Dad could do it?!"

No, he wouldn't fight him. My Dad would kill him. Especially given how my Dad never took kindly to those who would hurt me, and to an extent, other kids. But I couldn't tell her that, she might just ask for him to do that. Thankfully, I didn't have to steer the conversation since the bell rang meaning recess was over. "We should go before the teachers come looking for us."

Mia scoffed again but did so.

It was strange, seeing Mia act almost nice towards me, I doubt it would last but I knew that Mia wasn't a bad person, not really. But I still didn't like her much, and I'm sure she felt the same about it too. I doubt that would change any time soon.

When we got back to class though, I noticed something off, I could smell something different in the classroom. Someone had been here while everyone was gone.

And it was a smell I recognized.

Nick had been here, but as I looked inside my desk nothing seemed to be out of the ordinary. That made me feel a bit at ease since I still had two more classes before the end of school and decided to put it out of my mind as I placed my phone into my locker for safekeeping since I couldn't take it with me to my other classes.

When I came back, however, the lock for my locker was on the floor. It had been broken. Panic hit me as I opened my locker but found nothing different. Everything was still there even my phone. Except for the CD, it was broken. Well, not smashed into pieces but it was scratched all over to the point that it was useless.

A feeling of dread rested on my shoulders.

Oh no...

I wracked my brain as to how that could have happened.

Nick must have done that, why? Did he somehow overhear me and Mia? I would have known if he were outside with my good sense of smell and hearing. I couldn't think of what could have been the cause for him to do this. Unless it was to make me aware that he was on to me because I kept Kaya safe? Was that it?

I couldn't understand him, and I didn't want to. I just wanted to go home for now.

Yet as I gathered my things to go home, I kept feeling like I was forgetting something, even though I knew I wasn't.