Chapter 20

The crowd sat in silence for a second, confused, but then they started clapping and hollering. I stared at my dad in total shock. He motioned me to come and stand with him at the microphone. I looked at Callie to see that her expression was the mirror image of mine, along with o few other people in the audience; only Callie's and my expression had fear mixed into it.

I put on the best fake smile I could come up with then I stood up from my seat and walked over to the podium.

"Dad, I'm so surprised to see you, what are you doing here?" I asked in my best omg-I'm-so-surprised voice. I wasn't going to show any fear. I'm through being afraid.

"Well as soon as I became the new school director, the first thing they had me do was look at all the school files to get a good feel of what was going on at all the schools. When I was looking through this schools file, I noticed your name on the students list and I decided to stop by and talk to your school first so I could see you." He explained with a wide, happy smile on his face.

"Well boys and girls, this is my daughter." He said giving his attention back to the students. "Sara, say hi to your fellow classmates."

"Hey guys." I greeted everyone. I smiled once more at my dad and then went back to my seat.

After that, he began his speech on what he planned to do for the school and what he thought we should all do help ourselves and our fellow classmates. I just sat there slouching in my chair the entire time and stared at the floor. I mean it was just an average, boring speech that you hear candidate say when they want to be your next school president. Nothing really special.

When he was finally finished with his speech, the students and staff clapped for him and then they all fled the courtyard to enjoy the rest of their Saturday.

Callie and the others all got up to leave once the courtyard was empty.

"Sara?" Callie said when she noticed I wasn't following.

"I'll be there in a second; I just have something I need to take care of." I told her with a half hearted smile.

She looked behind me at my father and his bodyguards, Shades and Brock.

"I'll be fine."

"Are you sure?"

"Positive."

"Call me if anything happens."

"I will."

"Promise?"

"I promise." I smiled.

She hesitated for a bit looking back at my father, and then she headed to our dorm room. Once she was out of hearing range I turned to my Father and his boys.

"What the hell do you think you are doing here?" I hissed narrowing my eyes at them.

"What, is it a crime for me to come and see my daughter." He said sounding hurt.

"We'll if it isn't, it should be."

"All I wanted to do was see you. I haven't seen you in six years."

"Well whose fault is that? Huh dad? I specifically remember you wanting me to just disappear." I said raising my voice.

"I want to make up for all of that. I know I did some things in the past that you're not very proud of."

"You think?" I interrupted him sarcastically.

"I'm not proud of them either," He continued, "but this is the perfect chance for us to forget everything that happened in the past and to move on."

"Move on? You want to just move on?" I said. I realized that I had been holding my breath the entire time he was talking because my words came out in short breaths. "What happened back them haunts me everyday of my life. I still wake up screaming in the middle of the night on that day every year. Nothing you say or do will ever change any of that."

"I know Sara but I can at least try. Why don't you come by the room they are letting us stay in later on tonight and we can go get some dinner or something. We need to talk some more."

"As horrible as that offer sounds," I said sarcastically, "I can't

"And why not?"

"Because I already made plans." I snapped. "Now if you'll excuse me, it's already one, I need to go." I stormed off without looking back.

"You'll regret this, Sara." He called after me. I just waved my hand in the air letting him know that I had heard him and that I really didn't care.

I took my time walking back to the dorms. I needed time to clear my head, I mean come on, and who the hell does he think he is showing up here out of no where like that. And if that wasn't enough, now he just wants me to just forget everything and move on?

I noticed a giant old tree next to the wall. I looked around and saw that no one was near. I walked over and climbed up to the first branch. It hung about six feet into the air. I close my eyes and rest my head on the huge trunk. Soon enough, I was fast asleep. By the time I woke up it was already six-thirty. God I was asleep for five and a half hours? I thought to myself. Jason is coming to pick me up in half an hour. I headed back to my dorm room to get ready for my date tonight.