Taking in a deep breath, I knew this had to be better than an old office. Coming back here to go to school was a baby step towards freedom. I was able to leave the house again. I had to be smart, though. I had that stupid tracker in my neck like a tagged animal. I dropped my bag onto the bed and started to unpack. There were only a few things in the bag, so it didn't take me long. I placed the bag under the bed then sat on the mattress. Now what?
I had a smile on my face as my hands wrapped around the straps of my backpack. It was partly cloudy, but the campus was active. People were walking all over. Some were holding coffees as they were standing off to the side, talking to each other. I took a deep breath as I started up the sidewalk. I didn't turn around to watch Dr. Vodola drive off. I felt eyes on me, but I kept on walking ahead. My sneakers kept rolling on the path towards a new beginning.
"Madeline?"
Turning, I watched as Justin was standing in a glass doorway. He jogged over to me. Justin was grinning at me as he held a notebook in one of his hands.
"Hey."
"You're here?" Justin questioned.
I nodded and crossed my arms as a breeze swept through the buildings.
"Yeah, Dr. Vodola and I had worked out a deal. So now I go here."
"Does that mean you're back home?"
Home. Could I call Dr. Vodola's place home?
"Yeah, it does."
"Does Sawyer know that?"
I shook my head. "I've only been back a couple of days."
"He's going to be happy. Sawyer was crazy after that video of you was leaked."
My cheeks warmed.
"Yeah, not my finest moment."
"So, what classes are you taking?"
I pulled a print-out out of my back pocket of my jeans. My eyes ran down the list.
"I have some math class, writing, science, and Spanish."
"Do you have writing today?"
I nodded and shifted my weight from one foot to the other.
"Yeah, that's where I'm headed now."
"Sounds like we have a class together then. Are you ready to head that way?"
"Lead the way." I opened my arms.
He laughed.
Between the writing and math, I would hide out in the library and use my school email to contact Sawyer. Dr. Vodola couldn't screen those emails.
Justin was talking the entire way to class. I just nodded along with what he was saying. We climbed the stairs of a brick building. We squeezed by a few people and walked into a room. There were a few people already in there. I picked a seat in the second row. Justin was almost to the last row before he turned around to see me. I was already putting my bag down and settled in the seat when he came to take the seat next to me.
"Really? The front?"
I shrugged. "You don't have to sit with me."
He plopped down at the desk next to me. Justin opened his notebook then slumped in the seat so that his legs were outstretched. A tall thin woman with glasses perched on her nose came into the room holding a stack of papers.
"Hello everyone. I hope that you all did the homework from last week that went along with the reading. We will be going through some editing and revising before going over the next prompt."
Community college was still school. I could do this. Her voice was quiet as she read through the reading parts that I had missed before starting the new one that we were to finish for homework. The teacher reminded us about how often we'd be writing and what format she preferred the papers needed to have. Then she let us leave forty minutes early. I put the syllabus into the folder for this class then into my bookbag. I got up and started to head out the door.
"Hey, since we're out early, do you want to catch something to eat before your next class?"
Justin quickened his pace to catch up. We headed down the stairs, and our steps echoed in the hall.
"Actually, I'm heading to the library."
Justin raised his eyebrow. "You just started classes. Why are you going to the library?"
"I'll see you around, though."
I knew that I didn't answer his question. My insides fluttered. I waved over my shoulder and turned on my heel. Thinking back to the campus map that I had looked at home, I tried to guess where the library was. Turning a couple of times, I found the sign that read 'Library.' I smiled and darted inside. Off to the library's side, there was a café then a large hallway that I could see shelves of books at the end. There was a multi-person check out then a staircase across from it. I turned the corner before the stairs, and there were rows of books then some tables that had white dividers around them. Ambling to one, I grinned. Bingo. There were computers! I pulled the seat back for me to sit in and placed my bag next to me. I got online and logged into my school email. Opening a new email, I put my name as the subject line.
Hi Sawyer,
I have a lot to tell you. A lot has happened since our last email. I thought that your dad has access to my other email, so sorry if you didn't hear from me. He and I made a
