Page 60 of It Was Always You

I waited for him to say more, but when he didn't, I asked, "Yes as in yes you know where my money is?"

I heard his chair scrape across the floor in the background, like he was standing from his nice warm dinner with his perfect little family. "I put a hold on your account and transferred the rest of your money out this morning."

"Youwhat?" I raised my voice.

"I noticed that your account went from about two-hundred fifty dollars to only thirty in less than a week. And the only reason I can think of for a high school student to blow that much money that fast is if they're up to something illegal."

"Are you serious right now?" I blinked my eyes in frustration.

"I told you to stay out of trouble, Noah. To not get into drugs. But since you can't seem to take responsibility for yourself, I had to take matters into my own hands."

Hot anger burst through me. "For the last time, Dad, I'm not doing drugs! I'm not getting into trouble anymore." I stopped getting into fights—aside from the ones Paul picked with my mom. I stopped making out with random girls. I had practically lived like a saint for the past two months.

He sighed loudly like he didn't believe me. "Then what is it, Noah? Why did you withdraw so much money this week?"

"Like I told you, I got kicked out for the week. Paul went on a stupid rampage andI'mthe one being punished for it." My throat constricted with the emotions threatening to bubble over. "I had to go buy myself a freaking sleeping bag, so I could sleep in my car since I'm not good enough to stay with either of my parents. I withdrew the cash for my expenses, so you wouldn't know I was homeless!"

Tears sprang to my eyes, and I hated that I was getting emotional over this. I would not let my dad hear me cry like a baby. I'd cried the day he moved out and I had watched him drive off to his new life with his mistress. After that day, I promised I wouldn't show emotion in front of him ever again.

The line was silent for a moment. Then after about ten seconds, my dad's voice came through again, "Y-you're sleeping in your car?"

I bit down, already regretting telling him that much.

When I didn't respond, he said, "Noah?"

"Yes," I grunted.

"How can you be sleeping in your car?"

"Well, I park in the woods and just don't get out of it. Eventually, I fall asleep."

"This is not something to joke about."

Oh, believe me, I knew that.

When I didn't say anything, he said, "You know what? Let me give your mom a call. Let me see if I can arrange for you to go home again tonight."

I rolled my eyes. Of course, when faced with the option of inviting me to stay in one of the spare bedrooms at his house, or push me onto someone else, he still chose to keep me away from his precious perfect children.

"Don't bother, Dad. I'm fine, really."

"Don't be like that, Noah. I'm trying to help."

"Dad, we have to go now, or I'll be late for my recital."I heard my step-sister, Paige, say in the background.

"Noah," my dad spoke again. "I need to go. But I'll call your mom and get you back home."

I leaned my head back against the headrest, fighting the wave of emotion threatening to topple over. Once again, my step-siblings came first. I was never going to be as important to my dad as they were. "Don't worry about me, Dad. I don't want you to be late for your recital."

And then I hung up and tossed my phone onto the seat beside me before he could say anything more.

I pulled onto the road again, driving back to the north woods. If I wasn't going to be getting any dinner tonight, I might as well go to sleep now. Then I'd swallow my pride in the morning and use some of the money in my schoollunch account to buy myself breakfast. I could ignore the gnawing, empty feeling in my stomach until then.

The roadto the campground hadn't been plowed since the recent snowstorm, so I ended up driving toward the school. Maybe I could park in the back lot and go unnoticed for the night.

I passed my house on the way and couldn't help but look in the windows as I drove by. The warm, yellow glow coming from inside would have me tricked into thinking it was a nice cozy environment if I didn't know any better. But I did know better. I just hoped my mom and Brielle were okay. Paul should have heard about his promotion by today.

I pulled my car into a corner spot at the back of the parking lot, popped my trunk, and grabbed my camping stuff. After shoving them in the backseat, I slammed the door shut, but it popped back open—I hadn't put my sleeping bags in far enough.

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