Chapter 54

I so did not feel like going to school, but I sure as hell wasn’t staying in the house, alone, with Mr. Lopez.

I went through the motions and smiled and talked at school all the while on the lookout for King. I couldn’t face him. I felt he’d know I was tainted.

I went to first period, but I cut second and third. I cut the rest of my classes. It was easy and felt necessary because King might be outside one of them waiting for me.

So when I walked off campus after first period I went down the street to the Seven Eleven across from the Menlo Park Cal-train Station.

I waited around there until two twenty-five and then walked to the bus stop across the street from M.A. I missed the first two buses waiting for Vicky and Amekia. I finally saw them midway through seventh period.

“Where the hell you been?” Vicky asked.

“Why wasn’t you in class?” Amekia asked, and I realized that I missed all our classes together.

I shrugged, “I went to the store.”

“Next time let a chick know when you cutting. I’ll go with you,” Vicky said, and I nodded.

I didn’t tell them the next day I cut either, and Vicky was heated.

I knew Mr. Lopez knew I wasn’t going to class. The school called home when you missed class without being excused.

He said nothing.

“Hey girls,” was his hello when we came home from school. I never responded, just kept on moving towards the room. No one seemed to notice. He’d be on the couch, drinking as usual and watching T.V. like nothing happened, and that was the worst part about it.