I made sure to groan as my mom entered my bedroom.

"Oh,"

"Sweetie, what's wrong?" my mom actually looked genuinely concerned for once.

Maybe I was wrong...

No, that didn't account for all the thousands of other times I felt so ignored. I had to be right, I just couldn't be wrong!

"Honey?" mom asked again?

"I feel really bad today mom. Can I stay home?" I pleaded, forcing some tears of fake agony and sickness.

"Well," she felt my forehead. I forced myself not to grin. I had just been running in place, jogging in and around my room. "Oh, my gosh. You'd better!" She hurried into the bathroom and wet a cold compress for me and put it on my forehead. "Stay in bed today sweetie and take your temperature every few minutes. Let me know if you get higher- call me at work!"

"Okay mom." I said softly. Oh so weakly. I smiled pathetically at her.

She smiled lovingly back.

Could it be...

No. I had to be right...I just couldn't be wrong...

There was definitely something wrong there.

But I just couldn't figure out what it was...

My mom prepared my breakfast and quickly set it down on my night table on a little tray. "Call me if you need me baby. Okay?" She placed the cordless phone beside my bed on the night table too.

"Okay mommy." She kissed my forehead. "Love you sweetie."

"Love you too momma." I had to keep the tears from coming. I hadn't called her that since childhood.

There was a flicker there, of something, in her eyes. Then it was gone.

She smiled and left.

I love you momma. I thought. I promise I will find out what's wrong and help you somehow.

Somehow...

After she left, I waited, heart pounding, to hear the door slam and then the car door open and slam and her engine rev and fire up as she drove away.

My dad had already left much earlier. He has to get up really early always and be at the school extra early, really, really early.

I quickly got up and dressed, my white spaghetti strap pj top under a comfortable black hoodie and jeans. I slipped on my sneakers. I grabbed a black beanie and slipped it on my head, then pulled my hoodie up over it.

I could not be recognized.

I would have to follow my dad around all day and see what was going down. I could probably have done that at school, but me being 'sick' gave me an immunity. I didn't have to sneak out of classes to do this now.

I hurried out the front door making sure to leave it unlocked. I would have to get back home before dad did.

I had slipped down the breakfast mom had prepared for me quickly and so I was now full and ready to go.

Alright, time to find dad.

I got to the school and followed him around most of the day. Nothing happened in the morning. I kept having to hide behind walls and in spaces next to lockers and sometimes even in the bathrooms too. It was embarrassing when somebody I didn't know saw me doing it and stared at me funny. Like I was weird or something.

"What are you doing?" one girl said.

"Shhh!" I said in response, putting one finger to cover my lips vertically for a second.

She just smirked. "Tuh..."

Nothing conspicous happened really.

Until my dad went into a closet.

And didn't come out for nearly half of the rest of the day...