I Never Told You What I Did for a Living
High School
I walked quickly through the hall, feeling the all too familiar burn of eyes on me. I unlocked my locker and pulled out my books, not looking at anyone, despite their stares. It wasn't long until the whispers followed.
"I heard she ran away to be a groupie for some creepy band," one boy hissed to another.
"No, I heard that she killed a kid and had to disappear for awhile until the whole thing blew over," the second boy replied.
"You're way off," the third voice made me stop dead in my tracks. It was Jill. When I looked at her, I was shocked to see her smiling. "I need to tell you something."
We walked to homeroom together, and she talked as though we'd never had a fight.
"On the last day you came to school, some person called my house and somehow convinced my mom that I'm pregnant!"
She hadn't figured it out.
"You're kidding!" I gasped. She was so caught up in her own thoughts that she didn't catch the sarcasm that laced my voice.
"I know! So now I'm grounded and can't see Todd for a month. How unfair is that?" she suddenly noticed that I wasn't focused on her rambling. "Where have you been?"
"It's a long story."
"Why are you back?"
"It's an even longer story."
"Fair enough. Tell me if you want, you don't have to."
I gave her a confused look, and she shrugged.
"I learned my lesson after I blabbed to your mom. I want you to trust me again. Besides, this place isn't half as interesting when you're not here," she grinned.
"I'll bet. Who else do they all have to talk about if I'm gone? So how did all these murderous rumours about me start?"
"How do any rumours start? You disappeared, Lily. It makes people talk. How's your boyfriend?" It was amazing how fast she could change topics.
"I honestly don't know."
She looked concerned. "What happened?"
"I don't want to talk about it now."
I slipped into a desk and Jill sat in the one beside me.
"You look upset," she observed.
"I'm fine. I just don't want to be at school."
"Nobody does. You need to go somewhere, don't you?"
"Can't. Mom took my keys."
"Shitty."
"Do me a favor, okay Jill?"
"Sure."
"Tell your mom that it was me, and you're not."
"What?"
"Hopefully she'll get it."
The bell for first period rang as if on cue, and I left the room. As I headed down the hallway, my phone vibrated silently in my pocket. I dashed outside and checked the caller ID.
"Hello?" I asked as I answered the call.
"I'm ready to talk, are you?"
"I think so."
"I heard she ran away to be a groupie for some creepy band," one boy hissed to another.
"No, I heard that she killed a kid and had to disappear for awhile until the whole thing blew over," the second boy replied.
"You're way off," the third voice made me stop dead in my tracks. It was Jill. When I looked at her, I was shocked to see her smiling. "I need to tell you something."
We walked to homeroom together, and she talked as though we'd never had a fight.
"On the last day you came to school, some person called my house and somehow convinced my mom that I'm pregnant!"
She hadn't figured it out.
"You're kidding!" I gasped. She was so caught up in her own thoughts that she didn't catch the sarcasm that laced my voice.
"I know! So now I'm grounded and can't see Todd for a month. How unfair is that?" she suddenly noticed that I wasn't focused on her rambling. "Where have you been?"
"It's a long story."
"Why are you back?"
"It's an even longer story."
"Fair enough. Tell me if you want, you don't have to."
I gave her a confused look, and she shrugged.
"I learned my lesson after I blabbed to your mom. I want you to trust me again. Besides, this place isn't half as interesting when you're not here," she grinned.
"I'll bet. Who else do they all have to talk about if I'm gone? So how did all these murderous rumours about me start?"
"How do any rumours start? You disappeared, Lily. It makes people talk. How's your boyfriend?" It was amazing how fast she could change topics.
"I honestly don't know."
She looked concerned. "What happened?"
"I don't want to talk about it now."
I slipped into a desk and Jill sat in the one beside me.
"You look upset," she observed.
"I'm fine. I just don't want to be at school."
"Nobody does. You need to go somewhere, don't you?"
"Can't. Mom took my keys."
"Shitty."
"Do me a favor, okay Jill?"
"Sure."
"Tell your mom that it was me, and you're not."
"What?"
"Hopefully she'll get it."
The bell for first period rang as if on cue, and I left the room. As I headed down the hallway, my phone vibrated silently in my pocket. I dashed outside and checked the caller ID.
"Hello?" I asked as I answered the call.
"I'm ready to talk, are you?"
"I think so."