Returning Home

"What happened to the excitement here at Lakeside High?" Victoria's voice is rushed and filled with mock disappointment as she comes to a stop on Alexandra's left.

"Let me guess, Drama class didn't cough up any new developments in the strange world of gossip you follow so closely?" Alexandra replies with the bump, squeak, and click of her locker closing. The two of them turn towards Chemistry, extra pencil in hand.

"Not a peep! I almost, almost, fell asleep listening to Mrs. Ratchney lecture about the importance of practice and facial expressions for, like, the fourth time this year and its only November." Victoria laughs this time, but the sound is empty and the smile she throws Alexandra's way doesn't scrunch her eyes in the 'cute yet ugly' way it does when it's a real. Sense the day Victoria showed up at St. Joseph's 3 years ago Home for Troubled Girls, the two had just clicked. Alexandra often thought it was because of their similar family histories of abandonment and never landing in a temporary home, but Alexandra knew that wasn't really the reason. They just fit, like the toddler toys with the block shapes and holes in the box to fit the blocks through; they just worked. They fought, of course, and sometimes as a result, they wouldn't speak for days but no matter what; Victoria would always be the closest thing Alexandra had to family. If it weren't for their drastically different appearances they would pass for sisters. Victoria's straight black hair, green eyes, and olive skin had always been a sharp contrast to Alexandra's long, untamable red hair, blue eyes, and barely sunkissed skin.

"Vic, it's not even lunch yet. You'll have plenty to think about after school." Alexandra responds, leaning over to bump her shoulder into Victoria's; sending her a few inches away and making her smile a little more genuine.

Once upon a time Alexandra might have cared about the things going on within the walls of her high school but not anymore. After what happened with James Colt she just stopped caring. Anything and everything that didn't involve graduating and college scholarsh.i.p.s flew in one ear and out the other. She had a few colleges in mind, but she wasn't hopeful based on her lack of extracurricular activities, though she didn't have a choice in that matter. Now the hallways were almost void of students except for a few stragglers rushing to class. Ms. Walker's Chemistry classroom was only a few doors away when Sarah Marr comes sashaying around the corner.

"Look who it is, my two-favorite people. How's it going on this fine Tuesday morning?" Sarah's voice slides through the air and into their ears. Neither of them bother giving her a response and move to go around her but Sarah's hand catches Alexandra's arm before they take two steps.

Sarah Marr is, and forever would be, the 'it girl' at Lakeside High School. To everyone else she has everything: the big house, the designer clothes, the sought-after distant parents, and the right to flaunt it all. Not to mention everyone, including teachers, want a part of her exciting life style. As much as Alexandra hates to admit it, Sarah is smart enough to keep everyone at an arm's length. The only people in the school she considers friends are two girls with similar family and money situations. On a good day, Sarah would simply stick to teasing the cheerleading squad, but most days she focused her anger on others. Unfortunately, it seems that today, Alexandra and Victoria are her targets.

Sarah looks them both over, disdain joining the discontent in her eyes. They honestly don't look that bad in their second-hand clothes and well-worn shoes, though Alexandra supposed to Sarah they looked closer to homeless people than fellow classmates. Victoria shifts under Sarah's harsh gaze, driving the tip of her torn black flats into the tile floor, trying desperately not to engage her.

"You girls shouldn't be so rude," Sarah's grip tightens around Alexandra's thin arm, "not with the fundraiser coming up tomorrow." She heightens the tone of her voice in a failed attempt to sound cheerful.

"We weren't trying to be rude Sarah, only get to class before the bell." Alexandra, always playing the diplomat, gently pulls her arm free of Sarah's grasp. Sarah's long pointed fake nails scraping sharply against her skin, hopefully not leaving marks. Alexandra quickly moves away and into the security of Chemistry class, Victoria right behind her.

An hour of scribbling notes later they are forced to leave the safety of Ms. Walker's classroom and head to English. They were lucky enough not to cross Sarah's path this time, but the halls were alive with a different kind of nervous energy. The energy grows between the students the longer the two girls walk down the hall and with it the sound of whispering. People move quickly back and forth across the hall, more preoccupied with gossip then getting to class. Victoria's eyes light up as she recognizes the new development. Unable to resist the urge Victoria takes a detour.

"Hey Sheela. What's all the whispering about?" Victoria tries to keep the excitement from her voice but fails like a little kid trying to act uninterested in the possibility of candy.

"Jackie was caught stealing personal files from the counselor's offices last period. One of the other students saw her slip them into her book bag and reported it." Sheela's face is grim as she explains the situation. Jackie and Sheela were from St. Joseph's with Victoria and Alexandra and they all knew what Jackie was in for when she got home. Mary is not a kind or forgiving foster mom. It doesn't make any sense that Jackie would risk getting caught just so she could have a few more moments with other people's files. She had worked day and night to prove she was reliable enough for that elective class.

"Who else work's in the office when Jackie's there?" Alexandra says before she thinks it through. They all know how crazy it sounds that Jackie would try to steal files, but Alexandra had a hunch she couldn't help but follow.

"Sarah and Marcus." The answer doesn't connect any dots for Sheela, but Victoria catches on to what Alexandra was thinking in a heartbeat.

"You think one of them planted the files?"

"I think Sarah planted the files and made sure Jackie was caught." Alexandra's bitterness makes its way into her voice and the two girls look at her with wide eyes, "You both know she would have done it if she were cornered. It's not that hard to figure out." She adds quickly, trying to diffuse the sudden tension.

"But there is no way to prove your theory." Victoria's voice echoes with truth in Alexandra's ears but there was no time to think about it now. If they didn't start walking they would be late to class.

"Do you honestly think the files were planted." Victoria's worried voice snaps Alexandra back to reality.

"Yes, I do." She responds as they turn into 3rd period English, wishing there was something they could do to help Jackie. Their 3rd period class goes by quickly as Alexandra thinks through Jackie's conundrum and soon her and Victoria are back in the throng of the hallway. The school was still in an uproar over what had happened with Jackie but it seemed no one believed the story. As the duo walked down the hall Alexandra caught pieces of what everyone was saying and smiled at least some others were putting the pieces together too. She was so wrapped up in eavesdropping she didn't notice the hall grow quieter and people looking down at the floor. Sarah and one of her goonies came up next to them, slipping their arms through their elbows mischievously. Sarah and her goon looked like they were in the mood for trouble as they slowed the group of four down to a lazy speed that made Alexandra's skin crawl with warning bells. It wasn't until Sarah slowed even more so that Victoria and the goon were in front of them did Alexandra realize things were taking a dangerous turn.

"So, I heard you think Jackie was set up." Sarah shifts her oversized designer bookbag on her shoulder as she says this, Alexandra keeps her gaze on the tiled floor, "Don't engage. Don't engage." Alex told herself.

"Yes, I do." Alexandra responds, unable to ignore Sarah's blunt comment. She focuses her attention on the conversation in front of her, hopping their conversation would end there and she would be able to stay calm.

"Why would you think that?"

"Because you were there too." Again, unable to keep her mouth shut, Alexandra tries to keep her voice void of anger or any other emotion, but internally scolds herself and the situation. Sarah's intensity grows. Alexandra knew she wasn't helping the situation but still, it felt good not to hold it all in for once.

"But that's hardly a reason to accuse me of anything. Though I am the one who told Marcus about it, but I didn't know he would go turn her in." On the surface Sarah's voice sounded normal, bored even, but Alexandra could hear the anger behind her façade. In front of her, Alexandra could hear the edge in Victoria's voice as her patience thins but the goon continues to talk her ear off; completely unfazed by her irritation. People were staring now.

"Besides what does it matter if the files were planted or not," Sarah straightens up slightly before she continues, "she deserves whatever punishment she gets, just like the rest of you do."

A memory snakes its way into Alexandra's mind's' eye and she sees the bruises on the 11-year-old girl had across her abdomen for coming home from school with a failing grade. She even had some scratches the older girls had to scrub so they wouldn't get infected. Alexandra's stomach turns over with the memories of Mary's recent ideas of punishment and the idea of them being inflicted on Jackie. It had been a while since Alexandra had been in Jackie's shoes but she still remembered each bruise and the pain that accompanied them for days afterward. The first time is always the hardest to recover from physically and emotionally.

"The only person that deserves punishment is you. You toy with other people in order to feel better about yourself." Alexandra responds, trying to sound bored with the conversation and. Sarah's anger could practically be seen rolling off her body in waves. Victoria must have heard Alexandra because she turns her head slightly to the right as if she was trying to listen in.

"You don't know anything Alexandra." Sarah's attention is solely on Alexandra; her goon and Victoria officially ending their conversation.

"Yes, you're right. The 3.8 student raised in the slums knows nothing but a 2.8 student who has never faced a homeless man looking to grope you knows everything. My apologies, I forgot my place." Alexandra couldn't help the sarcastic comment and she knew it would only escalate things; but it felt so good standing up against Sarah's illogical thinking. Even if some of what she said was embellished a little.

"Oh shut it Alexandra, just because you were found on the edge of a forest, pushed from foster home to foster home until you had been to every house in West V.i.r.g.i.nia and no one would take you so they dumped you in Mary's l.a.p doesn't mean you know anything worth preaching." The complete disapproval in Sarah's voice is so thick it could have passed for bullet proof glass. Alexandra shy's away at the mention of her past and the happier memories that accompany them. It wasn't Alexandra's fault that all the families sent her away, or at least she told herself that.

"Sarah..." the goon speaks up, shocked by the viciousness her friend had showed.

"What Jennifer? You think they are equal to us?" Sarah's voice clipped, each word carefully enunciated. "They are below us both, they do not control what we know about them or how we use it. They are more like common trash then fellow students."

"Why not? Money doesn't make you better than us. The family you were born into doesn't make you better than us. Those things only mean you have more to spend on unnecessary accessories to add to the life you hate so much." Victoria slips into the conversation smoothly with her shoulders pulled back and her spine is as straight as Sarah's. Proving that the only difference between them is their upbringing and outward appearance.

"And here is gentle Victoria swooping in to Alexandra's rescue. What no one realizes is the you really are the weak one hiding behind her; not the other way around. Your past is even more pathetic then hers! Nearly six years old when your parents packed up and left you behind. No note. No money. No baby sitter. No one to come and check on you. You were all alone for three months before someone bothered to come looking at the house and found you. They say you hadn't showered in more than a month and hadn't eaten it a week. They say that you had been getting water out of the toilet..." Sarah is cut off as Victoria's hand connects with Sarah's face before she can say anymore. The sound, loud and crisp, seems to bounce off the walls as Sarah stumbles backwards; one hand covering her reddening cheek and the other reaching for something to study herself. Her goon doesn't rush to her side but fades away into a passing crowd. Before either one of the girls can say anything to Sarah she's down the hall and around the corner, heading in the direction of the office.

It was then Alexandra decided, that this day had been doomed from the beginning and there had been no saving it.