The Acceptance of Change

Chapter 8: The Invitation.

My father never had a funeral.

His assets were left to me because he had no other living family, but I wasn't allowed access to them until I was 18. So at the time, I was essentially broke. When I was at the coroner's office where I saw my father for the last time, the only thing they could offer me was the burial of my father in an unmarked mass grave, buried in a plain box. It was the only option I had. I watched my father get buried, but it wasn't pretty. They dug a hole, a two man team lowered him in, then threw dirt right on top of him. I wasn't thinking when I was watching the men bury my father, I was somewhere else. This was before I was on my medication, so maybe that had something to do with it.

Now, though, it is Monday morning at summer school, and The Mange is looking at me with a smile as I walk towards my desk positioned right next to his.

"Hey neighbor," he said.

I glance at him with an unamused glare.

"Woah, woah, Satan. Didn't mean to get you so riled up so early in the morning," he said in a joking tone.

He doesn't pity me, I'm grateful for that.

"Uh huh." I respond, still unamused.

At that moment I realized that I had not taken my medication for that morning. I was told that if I forget it, I should just skip it and take my second daily pill and I should be ok, however, I've been living with that mentality for the whole week and I have no idea why. It's just a pill.

"Me and Sadie were wondering if you wanted to go to a youth group kind of thing later. There are a bunch of kids our age there, and free pizza."

"Why not, I don't have anything better to do," I said. I felt my shell pry open just a bit more, The Mange was winning.

"Alright, I'll be at your house at 5:00?"

"Sure."

[———————]

5:00 o' clock came and went. No Mange.

I went back into my room and decided that he was either late or I was forgotten.

30 minutes went by.

"Hey Jonas!" My stepmom yelled.

"What?" I yelled back. I assumed she wanted me to do something for her.

"Come here!" She yelled back.

I walked out into the living room where I found Sadie sitting at my dining room table talking to all of my host siblings and parents.

"I didn't know that you lived in a foster home," said Sadie, "not that there's anything wrong with it."

I didn't know how to respond. I felt super awkward.

"'The Mange' got caught up at home. So I came to pick you up. Hopefully he meets us there soon. Sorry for being late," she said.

I spaced out for a few moments, then collected my thoughts and responded.

"Alright, let's go," I said with a sigh.