Chapter 4

So the Thanksgiving Break has been very weird. Life seemed to have had went back to normal after the car accident even though I've been getting threatening text messages and phone calls on my cellphone to a point where I had to change them. The looks that I get in school has intensified. The rumors has risen. Stories are twisting. My dad had a so called relationship with Claire and she was carrying his child.

A lie that she started cause she has become mentally unstable for some strange reason. The detectives found no evidence supporting her claims from both ends. Hers and my fathers. The marriage has been cracked over her allegations. I can see the emotions running in my parents' eyes. This teenage girl came with intentions to destroy a marriage and she possibly could have.

I breathe out walking down the steps of the bus and onto the sidewalk. I look to the right. I'm five minutes away from the public library. I have no car now. It is completely totaled so I'm catching the bus. The doors closes behind me. I sigh holding my purse close to my side as I head for the library. I walk past the parking lot to see both Cliff and Paul's cars.

The drama that got me fired is the drama that nearly killed me. I sigh coming up to the building. I walk up the stairs and head inside to see Paul sitting at the main desk. He glance. I head down the Main Hall taking out a list of books that I will need for my upcoming SOLs. My first step is the M Section. My school life is very good. I'm excel in my studies beyond recognition. I have yet to fail any tests nor quizzes.

It takes me forty minutes to collect seven books throughout the library and take them to the main desk for check-out. "How it feels to walk?" Cliff asks stamping the finance book. "What does that mean?" I ask not liking the tone of his question. "Cause you don't have your yellow buggy, Mary. Not trying to be offensive." He say taking the books from me. Well, I can't tell.

"It's okay. Things has been very odd lately. I'm popular in school now. I'm being bullied and talked about. It's horrible." I say shaking my head. "So how your parents doing?" He ask checking my books outs. "The relationship is...kind of apparent. You can tell that...Claire's accusations has brought a stone to a glass house."

"Do you believe her?" "I can't believe her. I believe that the situation is between my parents and I have no right to step into their marriage. I can only show support." I strongly say. I'm not discussing personal drama. "Well, her girlfriends spoke a different story. It seems word went around that you can see the future." "Lord!" I shout in disbelief jumping like a five year old child in frustration.

Why do I keep hearing this? "The idea came from somewhere, Mary. She felt strongly about it to a point where she wanted to kill you." Cliff say. "The crazy thing about is that all of this is fake accusations. I have never heard of that before. It just came out of nowhere. No need to act the way that she did. She tried to kill me and she flung out of a windshield."

"How is she doing?" He ask. "She made it through the window of opportunity of life and death. She's still in a coma. She lost the baby." "Was it you-" "I have no clue. I am not discussing my family's personal issues. That is between them, Cliff. All I am speaking on." I seriously say. Now, he can stop asking me. Paul look at him. "Just want to know, Mary. If you can tell the fut-" "Can I have the books?" I ask taking my library card out of my purse.

"Sure." He say in a low voice taking the card. "You should be fired for starting drama in a library." Paul say. "I should." He say scanning. "I speak nothing as he is standing here gossiping to a point that the end of the main hall can hear his words and mine. Hand my card." I say holding my hand out. I need to go before my anger rises. "December 22." He say handing me the card. I take my books off the desk.

"Her friends said that her diary spoke on your fa-" "It was no diary. The detectives found no indication to back her accusations that she was having a relationship. The fact that she was so hooked on an accusation that I could tell the future painted a very unstable mentality of an eighteen year old girl. I'm not surprised seeing how I'm the new gossip of the town. What happened to that girl with the brown hair and that group of sibl-" "That was a year ago." Paul say.

"Oh!" "The Cullens moved away. Kind of cool but I'll watch my back, Mary. You're the talk of the town." Cliff say. "I know, Cliff. Than-" "So what you get for causing the accident?" Paul ask cutting me off. "You think I got something?" I ask putting the heavy books back on the desk. Is that what a lot of people are thinking? "It was a car accident." He say staring in my face.

Paul is so cute. I wonder how him and his girlfriend are doing. "Four years in a mental institution." I bluntly say. "Wow." Cliff say shocked. "Yep. I start my prison term on the fifteenth which is four days after SOLs. At least I will graduate with my class. Just won't be there for the second semester nor graduation. No charges of assault or anything but it was recommended by I'll be okay. I'll be out when I am twenty-two years old."

"So did you do it on purpose?" He ask me. "Bye, Cliff." I bluntly say grabbing my books again and leaving out of the library. The nerve of this teenager to continue to think that I can tell the future. I am not a seer. I am not a psychic. I am Mary-Ann Burk.

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Dinner is going well with my parents. The Chicken Soup is delicious but I can tell that a dark cloud hangs over the dining table. "Did you get your books?" Mom asks me. "I did. Mathetician Vol.4 was not in so I had to get the fifth volume so I'm studying more than what I know so I'll be trying hard to get into college." I say. "College is always after you serve your time in a ment-" "I was not gonna be charged by mother went to Claire's parents with a suggestion, Dad."

His face frown turning to mother. "Why would you do that, Ann?" "Cause of the rumors and words spoken on our daughter." She say. "Over the fact that her friend tried to kill her over false accusations. Those rumors and words are the reasons that your daughter nearly lost her life." He say voice laced with anger. "College?" "After you serve your time, Mary-Ann."

"You went to college, Mom. I think it's wrong that I have to pay for another girl's accusations against me. I'll be twenty-two when I get out. Four years gone. What am I supposed to do?" "Serve you-" "Is this punishment for what your daughter can so call do?" Dad ask her. "I believe only the dev-" "It is no proof. All it is words. I already have enough a hard time at school. Now, you're throwing my life away over words and rumors." I say getting a little bit mad.

"I believe some truths are real." She say looking in Dad's face. I frown scooting back from the table. I heavily breathes out getting up and storming out of the dining room. I run up the stairs and head into my room where I slam the bedroom door. Some truths are real? I groan walking to the bedroom window and looking out at the forest.

I sigh. I look at the night sky. Mom has no idea how it feels to be a teen like me. She just ruined my entire life. No Washington University. No getting a degree. Forced me into a mental institution till I am twenty-two years old. What kind of mother does that? I walk to my bed and sit down. I open the drawer of my nightstand wondering what Paul is doing?

He's probably with his girlfriend. A beautiful girlfriend. At least he talked to me and took notice of who I was when I walked into the library. I look at my shaky hands feeling my heart race. If I could tell the future then I would not be here. I would be elsewhere and I can't run now as I have been sentenced thanks to my mother.

Over the next few weeks, I found myself staying in a homeless shelter over the fact that I couldn't find myself being in the same home as my mother. How can you go sentence your daughter to a mental institution over another girl's accusation? I have to spend four years from the age of eighteen to twenty-two in which I could be in college getting a degree.

I cried. I cursed her. I cut her out of my life. I stay only in contact with my father. I call him only. I have only one parent. She's dead to me. A woman like her never should've been a parent seeing how easily she throws her daughter's life away over rumors and words. I feel as though she should get no blessings. The main reason why I decided to face my sentence in silent. She has no child as far as I am concerned.

(Greenwood Mental Institution)

The security guards opens the double doors open up to Visitors' room. This will be my first time receiving a visitor since I have been locked up which was three weeks ago. My parents has yet to visit me. I can't even bring myself to call my father's cellphone. Why should I? I'm not worth him visiting me. I walk into the room to see the patients sitting throughout the white walled room.

A glass wall shows the outside garden courtyard. I nervously pull my long sleeves over my wrists being escorted to table 8. I sigh placing my hands in my lap. I have been very sick lately. I think this depression is getting to my health. I'm not a high school student. My own parent ruined my life. Paul walk past me and sit down across from me.

I smile bringing my hands out of the table. "How you been?" He ask placing his hands on the table. "Good." I softly say grabbing his hot hands. I guess this is some type of warm blood trait that he has from being Quileute. I remember studying on his heritage over the days after we got together. "Parents visit?" "No. No hasn't visited me yet. Life changes and you learn who your friends and family is but I know God has my back. Three years and months to go." I say rubbing my thumbs over his hands.

I just want to lean over the table and kiss his lips. "Meds?" "Every single day. I despise that my mother sent me here. She said that it was rumors and words. I guess she heard. Funny. Real funny. I completely cut her off out of my life. She ruined my life thinking she was doing right by her beliefs. I had moved out."

"To where?" "A homeless shelter. I felt that I couldn't live in the same home as a woman who throws her child's future away so easily. I stayed till it was time to go. I took my SOLs. Twenty-two is a long time but I'll do something to appeal it in the future." I say licking my lips. "Can you?" He ask me. "I cannot tell the future. I do not know where it came from." I strongly denies.

So many people speak on me telling the future. If I could tell the future then I would not be here. Paul looks me in the face. I poke my lips out. He stare in my face. I laugh. "I'm only joking." I say getting up out of my seat and giving him a hug. He smells good. My heart speeds up. He don't hug me back but that's okay. I'm happy that he allowed me.

"Thanks for visiting me." I say sitting back down. "Tell me about yourself." "Nineteen. No siblings. One cousin. Great friends. Girlfriend. You." He say. I smile very surprised that he would tell me about himself. I must really be making a step forward. "Eighteen. Only child. Loads of cousins. Only you as a friend. No boyfriend." I say feeling relief.

"Can't be your friend. My only visit." He say. "Well, it's okay. I should've known from your leather jacket." I say pulling my sleeves down. He looks around. "You'll have a great Christmas?" I ask. Christmas is like three days away. "I will. You?" "Turkey will be served. Cranberry. Chocolate Milk. Just different from the regular." I say voice cracking. That nasty mother of mine.

Why would she do this? I throw my head in my hands and cry. I'm crying till the room buzz allowing us to know that our visit has come to an end. Thirty minutes seems like forever. I hug Paul one last time before leaving the room and heading back to my room with tears in my eyes. I did nothing for that mother of mine to imprison me in a cell for four years. Why, God?