Free Bird

I walk into my art class with Shay by my side. I so don't want to be here, but Shay takes a seat and I sit next to her.
"She still calls your name everyday, everyone else she stopped calling two weeks ago." she informs me
I don't care. I have not spoken to my mother since before Christmas, and now I don't look the same and I'm pregnant. Boy has things changed. Just then she walks into the room, she sets her stuff down and pulls out her attendance book. She goes through the list, and when she gets towards the end she sighs...
"Neveah Tanner?"
"Heeeeere." I drag it out to show I'm not happy about it, but I'm here
Her head snaps up and she looks my direction. The smile immediately replaced by confusion, but she hides it and continues on down the list. Once attendance is done we are given our topic of the day to draw and I begin.
"Well I already know what inspires your heart, and other things." Shay laughs as she winks at me
I groan at her horrible joke, but she's right, Ashley is exactly what I was going to draw about...
Just then the daily music kicks on. A poppy song that is remixed to all hell is first.I try not to cringe as the sound fills my ears. Once it's over "We Are Family" is the next song on the list, and while it's not a favorite it's bearable. Then is our school song. Now I'm getting curious as to who this person is. Oh GOD another remixed poppy song? Shit. Final song....wait is that? Black Veil Brides? Who the fuck is this?
"Is everybody done with their drawings? It's time for our playlist maker of the day to come up and explain her songs."
I look down at my sketch. I drew a bass, with the word OUTLAW across it, Hello Kitty, and a princess crown. All represent Ashley, well the crown represents Chantel, but she's a part of him. Anyway I don't pay attention to who she said our playlist maker was until Shay stands up. Wait? This was Shay's playlist?
"Hey everyone. My name is Shay. As you know, this is my playlist and every song on here is special to me for reason I'm about to share. The first song was the cheer mix I cheered to in high school. Cheer-leading is a huge part of my life, I have been doing it since I was two. The next song is kind of a joke between me and my sisters. Being the youngest of three girls was tough growing up, but whenever we would start an argument, my mom would turn on this song and make us sing it as loud and as out of tune as possible until we were laughing so hard we didn't know what we were made about to begin with. The next song, as you can tell is our school's song. This college has been my dream since I was fifteen, and the day I got my acceptance letter I actually passed out from screaming and crying so much," she laughs as she remembers her sisters and passing out, "Now as you can tell the fourth song is another cheer mix. Well it is the cheer mix for this years performance at competition. And finally, the last song is from a band called Black Veil Brides. They are an amazing group of five guys. Me, and two of my best friends are lucky to call three of these goofballs ours. My man, Jake, inspires my heart. He may be a bit older than me, but that doesn't matter. He loves me for the person I'm striving to become, and I love him for the man he has already become. Thank you."



After Shay sat down we were told to turn in our assignments on the way out. I hand mine in and as I turn to leave I hear,
"Oh, Neveah, could you possible stay?"
I grab Shay by the arm and she stays with me.
"Can we not talk alone? Mother and daughter?"
"No. Talk now or not. Five seconds." I say, acid in my voice
"Okay, well it's about time you show up for class, you know attendance counts as points. Your grade is at a very low C"
"Don't lecture me about my fucking grades. I know what they are. Anything else you have to say?"
"Yes. In fact I do," she glares at my stomach, "I see you've managed to get knocked up."
I deck her in the face, I feel her nose break and blood gushes everywhere.
"Let's get one fucking thing straight. Don't ever talk to me like that, you have no right too, you are not my fucking mother. Yes I am pregnant, but that doesn't concern you. Yes I am still in school, but I have a great man and great friends as a support system to help me out. And yes, I will be a better mother than you ever fucking were. Never speak to me again. I will come to class, but no words will be exchanged between us. You are fucking dead to me, you hear me."
She lays on the floor, blood still gushing from her nose, and she looks at me, anger in her eyes.
"Well, when he leaves you, don't crawl to me."
"FUCK YOU!" I kick her in the stomach and pull Shay from the room
"Neva. Neva! NEVA!" Shay screams at me, eventually pulling me to a stop outside the building
"What!" I shout back. tears are falling down my face.
How dare she say those horrible things. She has no right too. Ashley won't leave me, Chantel was made from love, not a one night stand. God I want to go kill her.
"You need to calm down, you just attacked a teacher," she explains, "that's grounds for expulsion if she takes it to the dean."
I shake as she tries to calm me. I start to panic. I can't breath.
"Neveah. Neveah!"

Notes