Fish Eyes

18

She was ignoring everyone and she didn't know how to stop.

Homework and school had her all worked up, and it wasn't even her fault.

It was Lawrence's.

To make a long story short, her parents got a call the evening prior, which said, "Your daughter, Dalia Glees, missed 3/7 classes yesterday, May 12th. This is the fourth occurrence of multiple unexcused absences. If absences continue, disciplinary actions will be taken." That was all it took to drive Joelle Glees insane.

Dalia walked in her house that afternoon with new clothes on. That was her first mistake.

Joelle was there waiting for her; John was nowhere to be found.

That was peculiar. The house was usually empty when Dalia came home, even if that was 7 o'clock in the evening. She'd learned to memorize her parents' schedules and habits as to not have to face the very situation she found herself in. In her opinion, it wasn't sneaky; it was smart. She definitely wasn't making any bonehead teenager decisions. That was for the weak.

All she was doing was skipping school, once or twice. It was actually four times, but who was counting?

She had just left Lawrence's Thunderbird after they planned their next adventure. She'd walked in the house with a dopey smile on her face. That was, until she saw the look on her mother's.

"Oh boy," Dalia said.

She still had her Mary Janes on, because Lawrence liked them. The rest of her clothes were in her hands, clear as day. She held them to her body as she waited for the confrontation.

Joelle had half a mind to look out of the door that Dalia had left ajar, and she spotted Lawrence's red Thunderbird leaving their lot. It was a long driveway; Joelle had enough time to get a good look. The wrinkles in her forehead deepened.

"That's not Wendy's car."

Shit.

"Yeah, it's a friend's."

"Since when do you have those?"

That was all Dalia needed to hear.

"Oh."

Dalia balled her clothes up in her fists before she pushed past her mother and tried walking up the stairs. Joelle, determined to make her point, rush-walked up to the stairs herself.

"Your school called earlier today."

Dalia froze in her tracks. There was silence, all throughout the house.

"So you're skipping now?"

Dalia couldn't think of a good lie, so she reached for her only lifeline remaining.

"Where's my dad?"

He'd be able to get her out that mess. Or, at the very least, he could calm Joelle down.

"At work. And he will be hearing about this. He's on his way."

Dalia was trembling in her seat, trying not to make too much noise clicking her pen. She felt on edge. She'd almost made it throughout the year without a curriculum-induced panic attack.

She took a big gulp of air and tried to be present where she was. It wasn't working. The board kept moving out of her focus. She discreetly unbuttoned the top button on her blouse. That was strictly against the rules, but her problems breathing didn't care about the rules.