February
Lucy's Age: 17
So I figured out the best way to use what I found out about Mrs. Phelps. I'm blackmailing her into letting me do pretty much whatever I want. The expression on her face was priceless when I told her that I knew she'd been stealing from 'my dad,' and that either things were going to change or she was going to prison for a long, long time.
I probably shouldn't have felt so happy at how scared she got, but it serves her right. She's a terrible person. Hopefully something nasty will eventually happen to her, but for now I'm going to be able to come and go as I please.
I still have to make sure that I'm meeting with my tutors on a regular basis, but other than that the sky is the limit. I've rearranged all of my tutoring sessions so that they are in the morning, which means that I'm free to sneak out the window and down the fire escape each afternoon.
Mrs. Phelps will text me if Geoffrey happens to show up, but I'm not expecting that to happen given how scarce he's made himself lately. As long as I remember to go back up via the fire escape so that the two goons in front of our apartment door don't see me, I'm pretty much golden.
So far I've experienced more than two weeks of glorious freedom and it's everything I hoped it would be. I've found a wonderful little bookstore with a café that makes a really good espresso and where you get the wireless key for the day on your receipt.
That means I can spend a measly few dollars, sit down at my favorite tired, old wooden table and then read and play on my tablet to my heart's content. The wireless connection is unfiltered, so I can read current events or even watch internet television. Watching TV was an interesting novelty, but I'm realizing that the stories there, for the most part, aren't as good as my books.
That's okay though because there are a whole new set of books in the store that haven't been previously selected by Geoffrey or Renworst, and when I get tired of all of the new books I'll still be able to people-watch.
I still miss Renworst, but this is the best thing that could have happened short of him still being alive and here with me. I've decided that this is my birthday present to myself this year. Happy birthday to me.