Chapter 49

Arrick has been gone for almost two hours, and in that time, I have slept, eaten some food, and found my way into a tee shirt and leggings on the couch to watch cartoons, snuggled up with one of my many oversized fluffy unicorns. Despite the gnawing anxiety over what may be happening where he is, I feel a million times better, and yet I am glad I didn’t end up going.

I knew I wanted to face this and see out my last days of school, but the thought of facing Claude in that room full of people made me terrified. Memories of that court when I faced my father in front of all those people and strangers; hit too close to the bone, and I know I wouldn’t have coped. Being on a slab, being judged and ogled by prying eyes.

Nope, Nope, Nope.

I guess it’s why I ended up throwing up. An extreme reaction to a bout of sheer petrified nerves.

I roll on my back and drop my arm over my head as I watch Tv from a new angle. Janetta wanders in with a fresh glass of orange juice, r