The Insanity of a Wallflower

Puppet Master- I

"Probably," I replied quietly, knowing how my next words would cause a problem. "And I'll miss my test and receive an F on it for failure to appear. Knowing Mr. Hasten's, I'll also get detention after school so I won't be home on time."

She was already heading out the door, unfazed by my words until the moment I said detention. Now I could feel her eyes on my back. Mrs. Anderson held a book club there in the library after school. I wondered what that woman would think of my presence there.

"Oh well now Alys, we can't let your grades suffer. I'd hate to think of you failing that test." A slight smile tightened my mother's lips, "I'll be in the car, we better hurry". And she turned to leave. I watched her go from under my eyelashes as I finished buttoning my pants. The door sat blank in my eyes as I heard her steps trail down the hall.

"How kind of you to finally give me a ride to school," I whispered.

..

.

The bun at the nape of my neck was sloppy and it barely controlled the half brushed blonde hair but it was good enough as I watched the cars that we passed.

"You're going to pass that test, right?" she asked.

I glanced to my mother and observed her form. Her lips were covered in a coral pink sheen, and all her makeup was perfectly set against her skin. She looked like the perfect house wife. How disturbingly ironic. My fingers trembled slightly before I pressed them into my leg.

"Yes, I'm sure I will." I replied in the same blank tone.

"Good."

She pulled passed the school parking lot and right up to the entrance so that I could hop out and dart for class. "Study well," my mother recited as she watched me lunge from her car.

"In school? But of course."

She met my eyes again as I turned to shut the door, "Alys, make sure you don't get detention; pass that test and stay out of trouble."

"....of course, mom." I replied finally.

She stared a while longer, as if some old worry was creeping through now that she was forced to face me on State owned grounds again. The consequence, I suppose, of never bringing her daughter to school was that the scene of it made her anxious when finally forced to. "And.... behave yourself Alys".

I said nothing as I held her eyes. My mother rectified that unease on her face, her eyes refusing to look at my sketchbook within my side bag. Finally, she smiled and blew me a kiss that we both knew I wouldn't catch. It was an act for others to see, not for me.

I backed away and jogged lightly up the concrete path into the front doors the school. Other students were still wandering the front side walk and I exhaled knowing I would have time to spare. I brushed a stray hair behind my ears as I glanced back to the road where my mother was pulling out. She had a lead foot; especially today.

I finally looked away from her car and stepped through the front doors of my school. Immediately, a crowd halted me as we were all faced with a scene of a student being escorted rather aggressively towards the front office by two frustrated security personnel.