4th Missing Scene
Liz tore her way through her parents house, slamming her bedroom door behind her. Both parents were storming after her, shouting.
“How could you be so stupid! After everything we worked for. You just threw it all away!”
Liz had no clue how to even make this remotely okay. She was going to be kicked out of the running for homecoming queen all because she decided to listen to her bone-headed friends and hack into the school system. Apparently her brain decided to take a vacation because she can’t even recall another time In her life when she did something so risky and foolish.
She voted to hide under the covers for the time being, hoping she would calm down. Her body was shaking with adrenaline from the yelling.
“Open this door right now.” A fist hammered loudly at her locked door. Liz’s stomach did a flip-flop as she sat up and went to open it.
Her eyes, puffy from tears, were drifting closed when her mother walked through the door.
“Mom,” she breathed as the older woman approached her.
“Are you happy?” Her mother asked, stopping a few feet from where Liz’s arms were outstretched, reaching out for a hug. When her mother refused, Liz slowly dropped her arms to her side.
“I can explain.” She tried. But she was interrupted by a humorous laugh.
“I don’t think you can. So I am going to talk, and you are going to listen.”
Liz stood silently still, unable to look her mother in the eyes.
“Since you apparently have no regard for this family and our happiness,” Liz felt her stomach twist into guilty knots, “and since your new so called friends are practically criminals, we will be putting you into a private school.”
“W-what?” Liz asked, blinking tears out of her eyes.
“Don’t give me that look. The school is practically a resort. And it will give you a chance to start over and actually become popular, rather than a felon.”
“I - I just made a mistake! I’m sorry, mom. I’m so sorry. Please, please let me finish school at Midtown.”
“Your father and I have made up our minds.”
“Oh so that’s it then?” Liz said, clenching her hands into fists. “You’re just going to give up on me because I made one mistake!”
“Insolent child!” Her mother scolded, “I’m not giving up on you. I’m giving you a new start. You better damn well appreciate it. Private schools aren’t cheap.”
“Then please let me finish at Midtown. It’s more affordable and all of my friends are there. Please.” Liz choked.
“This isn’t a debate. You can finish the next month of Saturday detentions at Midtown but starting December, I’m pulling you out. Now stop blubbering, it’s bad for your complexion and eyes.”
Liz stopped crying immediately. It was like a light-switch in her brain. She could turn it on and off whenever she wanted. She learned to conceal her emotions ever since her first pageant.
“There.” Her mother said with a sympathetic smile. “That’s better. You’re an Allan. Allan’s don’t cry.”
Liz nodded at the phrase she’s heard all too often. She masked it well on the outside, but inside she was dying. It was one thing to lose homecoming queen. But to lose all of her friends... that was an unbearable fate.