SoE: Chapter 1 part2
Expelled. This time (like always) it was my fault. I didn’t think I did anything wrong… except for yell
at the principal. I threw my backpack onto the bus and slumped into my seat, as others showed up.
Evelyn sat down across the row, feeling my anger from the other side of the buss. Only Knole had
the nerve to sit down next to me. He seemed withheld for a moment, but I didn’t care. I knew mom
was going to be disappointed in me.
“Hey… are you okay?”
I looked at Knole. “I’m fine.” I spat angrily at him.
He seemed withdrawn, and I suddenly felt guilty. “I’m sorry… I’m just mad.”
He nodded and looked at me. “I know I’m not supposed to say… but I believe you about Ms
Dodds.” He said looking around.
“Really?!”
“What? I said nothing.” He said looking around. I smiled at my friend. At least I have someone… well
now I’m expelled. I had. Is that better.
The buss dropped me and Evelyn home, and I knew I was in some deep cheese. We walked into the
apartment, and I saw mom with her eyes on me. They weren’t warm like the summer sky anymore,
but cold like the winter sky.
“Well I have to say, I’m impressed you two lasted ALMOST a whole year—”
“Mom we were—!”
“Not now Cypher!” She yelled at me. My anger vanished magically, and was replaced with fear!
Yay… I’m dead.
“Evelyn, go to your room.” She said sternly. Evelyn didn’t hesitate and ran to our room, but gave a
‘good luck’ look. Mom took off her beach hat, and sat down. She looked like she had had the best
day in years, and I had ruined it. To be honest, she looked extremely happy, but now disappointed.
“Mom I’m sorry! I just—”
“Cypher… I understand.” She said rubbing her eyes. “I was just talking about how good you were,
and how Evelyn was… well we both know she likes to be a wild cat, but I was talking about you. He
was so happy to hear about how long you both were at school and….” Her voice trailed off, and she
looked down. Mom always looked young, but her eyes seemed older, because how hurt she looked.
I looked down, then up. She mentioned a he.
“Who is he?”
She looked held back for a moment. “Your… your father.” She said softly. My eyes widened, but
then scowled. He never showed up for us. He never helped mom with the bills. He shows up now
out of the blue, and sees mom and not us.
“Don’t hate him Cypher, he had to do what was best for us.”
“For us, or for him?”
She looked at me carefully. Kids at school had told me how their dads said it was for their good, but
it never was.
“You don’t understand Cypher.”
“Okay and? He didn’t want to see us?! Me and Evelyn?!”
“He—”
“I GOT ATTACKED TODAY BY MY TEACHER! SHE HAD WINGS AND—!”
“What?!”
I stopped and looked at mom. Her eyes were full of worry and fear. I nodded, and explained what
happened to me and Evelyn earlier. She wasn’t shocked to my surprise and sent me to my room. I
walked in and slumped on the bottom bunk of me and Evelyn’s bed. She appeared over the top,
and into my bunk.
“Told mom?”
“Yup.”
“I heard you yell at her too. She saw dad today?”
I nodded and looked at her. Evelyn had the same expression of hurt on her face, and felt how I did.
We both felt abandoned by him… whoever he was. She disappeared, and came down the ladder to
the top bunk and sat on it. She looked at the wall. I felt bad again, for getting us both expelled, and
she didn’t do anything.
“Hey, I’m sorry for getting us expelled… again.”
She looked over at me and her eyes filled with warmth. “Thanks… I knew it was coming.” She said
giving a laugh. I gave a slight chuckle, and she punched my arm. I laughed and punched her back,
but she fell off the bed and hit the ground a few inches from the bed. Someone cleared their throat
and me and Evelyn’s heads poked up. Mom eyed me, and Evelyn.
“Sorry mom.”
“Sorry mom.”
She gave us a smile, and Evelyn sat down next to me. Mom smiled and pushed her blonde hair out
of her face and sat in between us. She wrapped her arms around us and kissed us both.
“I love you both. No matter how hard I am on you two.” She said smiling. It soon faded. “That’s why
I’m sending you two to a summer camp. It’s for people like us.”
“As in, no father?” Evelyn asked.
Mom eyed her but then giggled. “I suppose so. I will explain everything when we get to New York.”
“New York?!”
I looked at mom like she was crazy. We live In Georgia, not New York. And did the summer?!
Something told me in the look mom had that she wouldn’t come with us.