By the time the final bell rang, I could barely manage to stand on my own feet. I gathered my books with hands that felt completely detached from the rest of my body. Toby appeared at my side in the crowded hallway and looked at me with wide eyes.
He told me that I looked absolutely terrible. I tried to tell him that I was fine, but he didn’t believe me for a second. He asked if he should walk me to the office, but I told him my mom was already on her way.
Toby did not look reassured by that statement because he had known me since our freshman year. He had seen enough missed pickups and heard enough strange comments to understand the reality of my family life. He knew that the sentence “my mom is coming” carried very little weight in my world.
He asked me to text him as soon as I got home. I nodded and began the long walk to the front office by leaning against the walls for support. Mrs. Gable, the school receptionist, looked up from her desk and sat up straighter when she saw me.