For days, Mom and I didn't talk to each other. It was like we were ghosts. Completely invisible to the other person. We didn't even look at each other.
That changed when in September, I would go back to school. The week before school was supposed to start, Mom came to my bedroom. She wanted to talk.
"Terry," she said as she ruffled my hair. "I know life's hard these days."
I looked at her face, looming over me.
"Yeah," I said sarcastically. "As if you understand."
"Terry," she said and I felt guilty. "It's hard for me and Matt too. And it's hard on everyone at school, and the school board itself."
She pursed her lips and rubbed her chin. "You're going to start school next week. The school is offering to email you your assignments instead of you physically being there if you don't want to face anybody."
What I hated was the fact that I wanted to see my friends a lot, but at the same time, I didn't. I wanted to see Dana, Max, Chelsea, Nelson, Blade, Jared, and my teachers. Besides, even if I took emails from the teachers, I'd still have to see them.
But what would they say when they saw me for the first time in months? What would happen if I was there? How would they feel about me being Batman? Would they mob me and ask what it was like to be Batman? Would the girls try to get me to date them even though I was already set onto one girl? What would the guys say?
"You have to think carefully about what you're going to do, Terry." She kissed my forehead and left.
I went back to sleep, or I tried. I couldn't sleep because of what Mom said. What was the lesser of two evils?