Page 103 of The Me I Left Behind

“I can’t. I’ll be late and you’ll have to take me to school.”

Her mother huffed. “Such an embarrassment. Go to school looking like a goddamned slut. See if I care, Mary Margaret Brennan. Just go.”

She ran from the house. Ran past Jack and as soon as the bus door opened, trotted up the steps. She took the first empty seat, scooted all the way to the window, and buried her head in her hands.

By the time she got to school, she prayed she had all the mascara rubbed off her lashes. But when she went to the bathroom, she realized all she’d done was smear it and make her eyes red.

Sue Martin stepped up beside her, staring at her reflection in the mirror, and grinned wide. “Oh, Mary Margaret. Soooo pretty.” She giggled and skipped back to a group of girls behind her.

She watched them in the mirror, staring, mocking. A sickening thud landed on her stomach, like a punch to the belly with a dodge ball.

She wanted to cry. Wouldn’t.

Then she heard their words.White trash. Slut. Ho. Tramp.

She wanted to go home. Couldn’t.

“Here.” Deni came up beside her, looking at her reflection in the mirror. She carefully wiped away some smudges under her eyes with a paper towel, giving the other girls a backward glance. “Don’t listen to them, Mary Margaret,” she whispered. “You’re beautiful.”

Eighteen

“Mom? You hear me?”

Maggie shivered, shaking off the old memory. She’d not conjured up that piece of her past in an exceptionally long time. “I’m sorry. What?”

“Logan is taking me to school this morning. I don’t need a ride.”

“Oh, right. Sure.” The remembrance had shaken her a little, leaving her a bit discombobulated.

“So,” Julia called out from the family room. “This boyfriend, Carol. I need details. What’s his name? Logan?”

“Hey, Aunt Julia.” Carol looked into the family room. “I didn’t see you there. I’m glad you stayed over.”

Julia looked up from her laptop and smiled. “And here I am sitting here, thinking I’m invisible.”

“Naw.” Carol smiled. “I like when you’re around. You’re never invisible.”

“And this boyfriend?” Julia prodded. “Details, girl.”

Maggie watched Carol blush and grin. “Well. He’s nineteen, really tall, dark hair. Super cute.”

“Nineteen? Older guy.” Julia winked. “Where’s he going to school?”

Jason snickered.

Carol stuck out her tongue at him. Maggie noticed her expression fall. “Oh, he’s not. He works at the engine plant over in Whitakers. Nights mostly, so he swings by in the mornings to see me before school.”

“Goodness. You’ll miss him then when you go off to ECU in the fall.”

Carol froze, looking away from Julia. Maggie watched her fiddle with her cell phone. “Maybe. Not sure of my plans yet, to be honest.”

Those words cut rather deep. “Excuse me?” Maggie said. “You’re going to ECU. It’s where we go.”

“No big deal, Mom. I might just go to the community college.”

“That’s not up for discussion, Carol.”

The look her daughter aimed at her then was obvious disapproval. “Oh, we will definitely discuss.”

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