*Ryleigh’s POV*
Do you ever feel like you just don’t belong? The older I get, the more I feel this way. Maybe it’s because I don’t have a real family. My so called “foster parents” are always either drunk or strung out on meth, I have a few people I consider friends, but I’m not exactly popular. I need to get out of this town and find my purpose. There has to be something bigger out there for me than being stuck in Bedford, Indiana for the rest of my live.
My name is Ryleigh Jenkins. I’m 18 years old. My birthday is March 12, 2004. It is currently April of 2022, my senior year is almost over and as soon as I graduate, I’m getting the hell out of dodge! The only reason my foster parents, if you can even call them that, haven’t kicked me out already is because the state told them that they’d still get their monthly check for taking me in up until I graduate high school. Dumbass methheads only care about the money, they don’t give a rats ass about me. I cannot wait to get out of here.
“Miss Jenkins, can you head down to the principal’s office, please?” Mrs. Jones, my home room teacher, asks me
“Yes Mrs. Jones.” I reply. What on earth could the principal, Mr. Crowley, want from me? I haven’t done anything.
I quickly make my way to the principal’s office. I knock on the door and wait for Mr. Crowley to answer the door.
“Yes, Miss Jenkins, please come in.” Mr. Crowley opens the door and lets me step inside. I’ve always found him a little creepy. Despite how attractive he is, something just seems off about him.
“Mrs. Jones said you needed to see me, sir.” I tell him.
“Ahh, yes, your foster family called. They said that they wanted to let you know that they needed to leave the state for a while and probably won’t be back until after graduation. I told them that at this point in the school year, you’re passing all of your classes with a 4.0 GPA so I could go ahead and let you graduate a month early so you could go with them. They said to leave that decision up to you.”
“Graduate early? Um… yeah that’d be great. Thank you Mr. Crowley.” I’m shocked. Graduating a month early? No finals? Hell yeah. What kind of moron would turn that offer down?
“Alright, how about you got clean out your locker and gather all of your things and meet me back here and I’ll have your diploma ready for you?” He suggests.
“Okay!” I smile politely and walk out of his office to go to my locker.
