Left Behind

Episode 1

© Happy William

Harriet’s POV

Creole_High

I sat on the top of my desk with a half butt as I used my phone and chewed a bubble gum.

It was the final session of the final year, and Mrs. Johnson was giving some really crazy announcement.

One I wasn’t interested in.

I popped the gum with my eyes still glued on the screen, not minding the stares that earned me.

That is, until Mrs. Johnson said in her no nonsense voice, “Miss Anderson, would you pay attention and stop being so arrogant!?”

I paused in my chewing and looked up at her, as well as the other classmates of mine.

Damn Mrs Jackson. I hate her…. no, sorry, hate is too strong. I dislike her because she is the only one in the whole school who doesn’t care if I’m from the wealthiest family, or if my dad, Jacob Anderson was the senator of Creole, or if my mom owned the largest fashion store in Creole.

My boyfriend, Luke Hetman, was always treating me like an egg, as if he was scared I’ll break and call off the relationship once I do.

My best friend, Katherine Paulo, always liked to hang around me and offer to do anything I wanted to do.

Yep, the egg theory again.

Even my other mates and my parents did same. And I’m tired of it all.

That’s why, on second thoughts, I like Mrs Jackson.

“Oh ma’am, I’m sorry I didn’t know you were there, I couldn’t see you,” I said in a mucky tone. Well, she was a short woman, and rounded in every way.

Classmates giggled.

Mrs Jackson frowned.

“Miss Anderson…..” she said in a warning tone.

I know that tone: it either results in detention, or suspension. And I was careful not to have any red on my slip.

I smiled and got off the desk.

“Alright, I’m listening,” I said.

She scoffed and continued, “So endeavor to get your parents signature on those slips, and pack up your things. We’ll receive all the letters tomorrow at 12:00 PM, and we’ll move.”

The students chorused their approvals and they seemed really excited.

For what???

“Um…excuse me Mrs Jackson. Could you like repeat the announcement?” I asked innocently.

“Go ask a friend!” she glared at me and walked, more like marched out.

God, I like that woman.

I giggled to my self and made to put back the earpiece into my ears, when Katherine came rushing towards me.

“I’m so excited!” she exclaimed, jumping and clapping her hands with a childish grin on her face.

“About what?”

“The excursion.”

“What excursion?”

“Girl are you from this world at all? Didn’t you hear a thing Mrs Jackson said?” she said in disbelief.

“No.pe,” I replied.

She groaned in frustration and slapped her forehead.

“OK. The final year students are going on a field trip tomorrow, and we’re to obtain permission from our parents by giving them this slip to sign…” she handed me one, great, she even collected it for me when I wasn’t even listening! “…. and we’ll be off tomorrow once we’re permitted!”

“Yay!” I said dryly as I read the paper. I wasn’t interested.

And my parents would never sign such a piece of trash for an even bigger trash.

“What!!!” I exclaimed in shock when my dad penned down his sign of approval on the dotted lines.

I can’t believe this!

“Dad no…why?”

“Honey don’t you want to go on the field trip?” mom asked in a soft tone that was characteristic of her.

“I don’t!” I yelled getting up from my seat at the dining table where we were having dinner.

“Why?” dad asked sternly.

“Because I don’t want to!” I said.

His brows furrowed. “I won’t tolerate that anymore, Harriet. You will go on the trip! Case closed.” he continued his meal, but I lost my appetite.

I scoffed and ran upstairs to my room and shut the door behind me so that mom won’t come in and start lecturing about why I should listen to Jacob and how he knows best.

I groaned.

If I was going on the excursion, I might as well start packing for the three days trip.

___

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Anderson_Home

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Harriet’s POV

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“Harriet???”

I groaned and turned in my sleep.

“Just five more minutes…” I murmured sleepily. I knew that that was mom calling me to wake up, but I spent half of my bedtime last night reading a really interesting novel.

And I was a great deal of sleepy right now.

Mom giggled and pulled off the blanket from around me and said, “Come on, sleepy head. Time to wake up.”

I shouted and held myself, “Ahh…I’m n@ked!”

Then I blinked open my eyes. It wasn’t a brunette guy with hazel eyes and cute dimples that was staring at me while I was unclad in the midst of a forest, it was my mom.

Ugh…the way dreams work. But that guy was sooo handsome.

“Hi mom,” I said and rubbed my eyes.

“Good morning Harry, now get ready or you will be late for school!”

“School?” I asked as I slipped my elegant feet into a pair of kitty slippers. I scratched one of my butt cheeks and walked into my adjoining bathroom.

“School for what?”

“Have you forgotten? For camp of course!” she exclaimed and shook her head at me as if she couldn’t believe that I could forget camp. Don’t blame me, I’m still not interested.

I sighed and closed the bathroom door behind me. Soon I heard my room door closing and I knew mom was out.

Camp???

I’d rather rot in hell!

Excursion’s for babies and wussies, and I’m a damsel. I couldn’t afford to get my hands dirty, or my nails broken just because of living in dirt!

But dad was being dad: overprotective, and making decisions which he claimed were best for me.

But nobody had ever asked what I wanted!

I scoffed, took of my silk nightie and got into the shower room.

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Minutes later, I was done and dressed in a white and pink dotted tee-shirt tucked into a high waist black jean trouser, and a pink sneaker on my feet. I picked up my satchel and called for the butler James to heft my luggage to the car. Obviously, mom had added extra items to what I’d already packed while I was sleeping without even telling me.

I shook my head.

“Morning dad,” I greeted and kissed his cheek with my hand on his shoulder.

“Morning sweetie, slept well?”

I smiled and took my seat. “Yeah, and I had this wonderful dream of a lovely green shrubbery and a guy with hazel eyes and brown hai…..”

“Honey I’ll have to forward the memo to Kyle Galloway, you know how opposing the fellow is,” dad said.

“I agree. And maybe you should alert your campaign manager about it too,” mom added.

I rolled my eyes and focused on my breakfast of toast and scrambled eggs. They forgot that I was talking. They even forgot that THEY asked ME about my night. That’s how they were. Always showing care, zoning off the next moment and returning later on to treat me like their pampered egg!

I scooped a spoonful of egg into my mouth and gulped it down with a sip of my juice.

“I’m sorry sweetie, you said something?” dad asked later.

I shook my head with a fake smile. That was when I saw mom staring at me.

“What?”

“Baby what about that pink and white wedge I got you from my store yesterday?” she inquired. I resisted the urge to roll my eyes. They could be pampering, but they were also disciplinarians.

“What about it?”

“Well I think you should wear it instead of this…. stuff,” she said and pointed at my feet under the table.

For god’s sakes, I’m a tall girl!

“But mom…”

“Don’t start sweetie, hurry before you delay your dad,” she cut in.

I nodded solemnly, trying so hard to keep my anger in check, and went back upstairs.

Creole_High

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I waved to dad as he drove away, and walked towards my classroom. Just then, Katherine came to me.

“Hi girl. What took you so long? Traffic, right?” we did our secret handshake.

“Yeah,” I said. “Kathy, I wanna go change.”

“Change what? I could help you.”

“No, just submit my slip, I’ll be back soon,” I answered and handed her my slip and the form for the excursion.

I hurriedly made my way to the powder room, took off the wedge, and wore the sneaker again. Ah…much better.

I had hidden it in my bag after doing as mom said.

While I organized my face and my hair in the mirror, my mind strayed to the dream I had.

It was not long, like the beginning of something. And that guy….. so charming. He seemed like the Prince Arthur kind of guy, or the Legend of The Seeker kind, or the ancient Prince Charming kind.

Arrgh…what the hell?

I have a boyfriend, a handsome one.

I couldn’t afford to cheat on him, even in a dream.

I grrred and stormed out of the restroom and headed to the registration site.

I haven’t seen Luke yet. I need to see him, so that I’ll forget about that dream guy.

To be continued