I woke up to Paige and Ms Suave standing over me looking concerned.
"Ellie, are you okay?" Paige asked me.
"Yeah, I'm fine. It must just be that I'm tired or something."
"Ellie, we need to talk. And not the kind of talking where we sit in silence either. We need to really talk," Ms Suave said gently.
"Please, I don't think I can. Can't I just go? My mom's probably wondering where I am." I lied through my teeth. My mother, at this moment, probably was too drunk to realize that she had a daughter.
Paige snorted at this statement. "Ellie, school's still in session. You mom knows where you are."
I was at least grateful that she didn't say anything else about my mother.
"Besides, even if it was after school, I doubt she'd be worrying, would she?" Paige asked, gently.
"What do you mean?" Ms Suave asked.
Paige glanced at me, saw the panicked look on my face.
"Nothing," she responded, not convincingly.
"Look, I refuse to talk to you. You can call my mother if you want, but I'm not going to talk to you."
"Ellie, I hate to call you mom. I really think you'd be more comfortable if we just talked. But if you won't talk to me, then I will call your mother."
"Fine, call her. Can I have a pass back to class?"
"I'll write you a pass, Paige, but Ellie, you'll have to wait until I get a hold of your mother."
She sent Paige to class, and dialed the phone. I just prayed that my mother hadn't gotten drunk yet. Sometimes she managed to hold off until 10 o'clock, at least. And since it was only 8:30, well, I had a chance.
"Hello, Mrs. Nash, this is Ms Suave, guidance counselor at Degrassi School. I'm calling to give you some unfortunate news. I have your daughter, Ellie, with me, and she's been cutting herself. She refuses to talk to me, and so I'm leaving her treatment up to you. I have a couple of good names of therapists, if you want them."
She paused, getting my mother's response, and then rattled off some names and phone numbers. Then she said, "Do you want me to send her home?"
She paused again, and then responded, "Ok, if you're sure, I'll just send her right back to class. Call me anytime, if you need to. Bye."
"Well, Ellie, I think your mother's going to get you some professional help. She wants me to send you back to class, but you should be sure to go straight home today."
I didn't argue. By the time school was over, my mother would be drunk again. I was going to my co-op. I'd get home when I got home.
I headed back to class, rode out the day with no comments from Paige, except maybe a guilty look in my direction once in a while, and then I headed to my co-op, where I put in a ton of work. Then I went home, expecting the usual sight when I got home.
I wasn't disappointed. My mother was drunk, passed out on the couch. I covered her back up, and then went upstairs.