Mandy: Homecoming

It was Tuesday morning and Mandy woke up confused about her surroundings. She looked around at the brown interior of her Plymouth and then just watched the rain race down the window. “That’s right, I’m in my car.” She wondered where she would have to go today. Her friend, Maddie, let her park in her driveway the night before but her parents would not let Mandy in the house. They always looked down on her. “I guess I should head to the school. I can get a shower in before other girls start showing up.”

The school’s janitor stood at the door watching Mandy shyly walk up to her. “Heading to the showers Mandy?” Looking down at her torn and stained knockoff converses she nodded her head. The janitor ever so kind never said anything to anyone about Mandy coming in early for a shower in the school gym. Instead, she would just let her in and walk away.

The bell rings for the first period, Mandy throws what is left on her tray from breakfast into a trash can before walking out of the cafeteria. Just before she could cross the threshold, she feels something at the back of her heels. It felt like pins going up her ankle and then her cheek hits the floor. Dustin, a tall boy with no meat or even a sliver of fat on his body looks down at her laughing. He isn’t in any sports or extracurricular activity. He doesn’t really belong in any clique, but most of the groups like him. Mandy never understood why because it wasn’t like his family was rich.

At that moment she remembered his sister Faith. They were friends for a time taking hydro’s and oxy’s in the school bathroom together. Faith never told on her but one day Faith bought a few pills from her friend Josh. She went to the bathroom alone and was caught by a teacher and then told the school who sold her the pills. Josh and some girls ganged up on her a few days later and after that, no one had seen Faith again. People talked about her going into rehab, shortly after she was sent away to live with a relative. Mandy would never know and it was for the best.

Dustin and his friends walked away laughing without saying a word to her. Mandy wondered if he held it against her for his sister being sent away. It wasn’t like she forced his sister to snort pills or rat out on Josh. She got up and dusted her jeans off then headed down the hall to her first class of the day. She was ready for it all to be over with so she could see if her mom would let her come home.

When the last bell rang, she ran to her car thinking about what she would say to her mom. Linny was unpredictable, Mandy never knew what side of her mom was going to appear when she walked through the door. Sometimes, Linny would be a loving, thoughtful mother but, other times she would be a screaming banshee. As the car slowly cruised down the driveway she listened to the crunch of the gravel as a distraction from her thoughts. “I will just go in and make my way to my room and maybe she won't remember what happened.”

Reaching out for the doorknob her heart pounded against her chest as she remembered every detail from that day last month. Mandy had just got home from school and was in her room listening to her favorite band when her mom swung open the door. “Mandy! Why are the dishes not done? When are you going to take out the trash?” Without a word, Mandy stood up and walked to the kitchen to discover a coffee cup in the sink and a paper towel in the trash, but nothing else. She was confused and her mother was standing in the doorway with her arms crossed. “Well, get busy!”

She watched her mom grab a beer from the fridge and plop down on the couch. Her anger started to rise through her body but told herself to hold it back because it would not end in her favor. She cleaned the cup in the sink and went back to her room. Her mother’s footsteps could be heard the moment she closed the door. Quickly, Mandy backed away from the door bracing herself for what was to come. The door flung open and felt a fiery sting across her face. “You did not take the trash out.” Looking into her eyes, holding back tears, she calmly took a deep breath. “There isn’t anything to take out mom.” Her mother flew into a rage knocking notebooks and nick knacks into the floor. Then she pushed Mandy onto the bed and climbed on top of her slapping her. Mandy fought back kicking and punching her mom until she finally got off. “Get out of my house you ungrateful brat!”

Mandy stopped reaching for the doorknob and thought maybe she should turn around and go somewhere else for another night. The door gently opened and her mom appeared. “Are you coming in honey?” She gave Mandy a smile and grabbed her hand leading her into the house. Mandy was relieved she could sleep in her bed tonight but decided that something had to be done. She felt safe at the moment but knew that could change at the drop of a hat but for now, she just wanted her bed.