29 Chapter 10B (1/2)

”I can't believe they let you off that easy” Avian said in disbelief as we walked towards our biology class. I laughed and adjusted my bag on my shoulder, before glancing at Avian.

”I told you I don't do trouble” I said with a shrug, laughing when he eyed me.

”You ditched school with me,” he said, opening the door for me and I entered the classroom ”how do I get detention and you get a warning? That isn't even fair.”

”I have my skills,” I said as we took our usual seat in the back of the classroom. Avian put his backpack on the table and sat next to me.

”Or you're just a teacher's pet” he said, nudging my side and I glared at him, rolling my eyes.

”I don't know what you're talking about”

”Sure you don't.”

I ran my tongue over my teeth and was about to respond, but Mr. Darwin walked in then, carrying a load of papers in one hand.

”I need you in your groups to work on your projects” he said, placing the papers on his desk. He sighed and pushed his glasses up his nose, before placing his hands on his waist ”now people.”

There was a lot of shuffling around as people struggled to get to their partners; Avian and I sat patiently and silently in our seats as we waited for the rest of the class to get settled.

”Are you sleeping over?” Avian placed his lips near my ear and whispered.

I felt a shiver running down my neck.

I automatically moved away from him slightly and turned to look at him

”I think I'll go home” I whispered back and he looked uncertainly at me

”Are you sure?”

Was I?

I had two options; I could go home to stay with my mother and her boy toy, someone who had almost raped me, but there was also a slight chance that they would not be there.

On the second hand, I could go sleepover at Avian's but after the constant chills he'd been giving me recently and the constant butterflies that magically showed up whenever he got too close to me, touched me or whispered in my ear; I didn't think I would last one more night.

”I'm sure” I muttered meekly and looked at Mr. Darwin who cleared his throat to get our attention.

”I'm sure you have started some of the work,” Mr. Darwin said as he walked around his desk to the chalkboard ”so please bring out whatever you have so far.”

I looked at Avian and he muffled his laughter, glancing at me in amusement.

”This is your fault” I hissed silently, and pulled out a sheet of paper from my bag. He looked in disbelief at me and also pulled out a piece of paper, placing his bag in the center of the table.

”You were in my house the whole weekend! We don't have anything planned because you were too preoccupied with Lexi, watching 'Flintstones'”

”I didn't have a choice! If I tried to get out of it, she pulled 'The Look'” I muttered.

Avian sniggered, and then covered it up with a cough when I turned to glare at him.

”I know, I'm sorry,” he chuckled, writing the topic ”The growth of bacteria” at the top his piece of paper ”okay, let's brainstorm”

”Doesn't bacteria grow on spoilt food?” I asked and he wrote on the paper ”we can just put food there to spoil.”

”I doubt it's that easy,” Avian said, rolling his eyes ”this is Mr. Darwin we're talking about. Nothing is ever that easy. He'll want a lot more than that”

”Okay, so what is your idea genius?” I asked, rolling my eyes at him. He smiled and pulled out a plastic bag from his backpack.

”Well, last night after you had gone to bed, I looked it up online.”

I cut him off. ”You looked up ”the growth of bacteria?” I asked, smirking at him. He rolled his eyes and ignored my retort.

”And I found this experiment that should be fairly easy to pull off” He pulled out a bunch of items out of the plastic bag.

”What's the experiment called?” I asked, looking over his shoulder at the piece of paper he had printed off the internet.

”It's called growing bacteria in Petri dishes” he said as he handed me a copy of the printout.

I rolled my eyes ”How original”

”It wasn't my idea,” he sneered and stared blankly at me ”but it's easy so we're doing it.”

”Yes father” I retorted sarcastically and he poked my side, causing me to laugh out a little too loud. Mr. Darwin glanced up from the papers he was grading.

”When the two of you are done fondling each other,” – the class sniggered – ”you can get on with the assignment at hand.”

We muttered an apology and I glared at Avian, who just snorted.

*****

”I'm home,” I called out as I stood in front of the door, silently waiting to see if anyone responded.

When no one did, I sighed in relief and walked towards the coat rack to hang up my jacket.

As I passed the living room, I stopped and stared at the couch ”Like me”

I shivered slightly and ignored the voice.

I walked to the boot rack, took off my shoes, and strolled into the kitchen.

Slowly, I got out a cup to get some water, and opened the fridge, realizing that I still hadn't gotten any groceries.

I sighed and took out a pen from my bag, then wrote ”Buy Groceries” on a piece of paper that was stuck to the fridge. With that, I took my cup of water and trudged up the stairs.

As I climbed the stairs, I slowed down and turned around, slowly taking in my surroundings. The house was completely quiet.

It was a little too quiet.

I walked carefully towards my mom's room, and stopped in front of the door. I took in a deep breath then knocked hesitantly on the door, and in response the door opened slightly.

It was currently a little past four pm so she had no excuse not to be home, not even to go out drinking.

”Mom?” I called out in a whisper, slowly making my way into the room.

It had been a while since I had been in here.

A long while.

I reached for the light switch on the wall, and then gasped when I took in the state of the room.

There were papers everywhere, on her bed, on the floor, and the desk. The chair had been turned over and the bed had been knocked down.

I walked further into the room, my heart beating faster in my chest as I placed the glass of water in my hand on the table closest to me.

”Mom?” I called out again but there was no answer. I walked to her closet and opened it, only to be greeted by nothing. There were no clothes left in the closet, not even her underwear or any of her bathrobes and towels. Everything was gone.