Chapter Two: The New Normal.

 

Next morning Lindsay stretched muscles sore from sleeping on the ground.  Opened the tent flap to find it was still dark out, though some hours had passed since she'd fallen asleep.   Figuring she may as well close her eyes again, Lindsay lay down her head.    And woke again to find her mobile reading 7:33am.  Grumbling discontentedly, Lindsay knew she'd have to high tail it if she was going to make it to school on time.

Crumpled clothes, teeth unbrushed for now, Lindsay slunk into the back of class.    At least she wasn't late.

Finding her PE kit stowed in her locker, Lindsay found she had at least some means for a change of clothes.   She'd better find the local laundromat soon if she wanted to keep her secret for long.  Lindsay didn't stay long that first afternoon after school.  She put her sports jacket on while she aired her blazer on a tree.  Then she sat at the picnic table to study.

Tuesday morning, she arrived on campus early enough to shower.   The hot water felt so very good; and oh, to be clean again!  By now Lindsay had figured out her available resources and got a better handle on her situation.  Rindle Rose Laundromat was a small cafe and laundry on the other side of the pier, near Totter Park.  Local convenience stores and supermarkets were of course a source (if not free) of deodorant, toothpaste, soap and naturally some foodstuffs.  Lindsay couldn't precisely stock a pantry and had no stove or refrigerator but between the school cafeteria, ready to eat options and the carnivals junk food Lindsay would manage.  The school even offered a 'Free Fruit' program through some philanthropist effort or another so yay apples!

Thus began the 'new normal'.   Lindsay attended classes, frequently stayed at school after hours, and spent long nights in the dark of her tent in the park.  Though it was what she wanted, Lindsay was surprised when concealing her homelessness turned out to be an easy enough matter of keeping her head down.  Classmates had long since pegged her as the 'poor foster girl' but also mostly concluded she wasn't worth targeting.   Except that Savannah Price.  

Lindsay wasn't pleased when Savannah caught her in a Halloween 'costume' consisting of one of last year's cheer uniforms, compliments of one of the school coaches.  Savannah had laughed in her face.  Unable to come up with a retort in time, Lindsay left school with a scowl.

Still Lindsay wanted to have fun and who really cared what that bleep Savannah thought anyway?  Starting to strut her stuff, Linday rode to the pier in search of a bit of recreation.  She found the place weirdly deserted of students.   A quick search of social media revealed details of some party or another across town, to which Lindsay hadn't been invited.

In a disconsolate sort of way, Lindsay rode the haunted house alone.  The clunky attraction wasn't nearly as spooky or fun without others jumping and screaming around you.  Still, she went around twice for kicks and was mentally chalking up her cash reserves from sitting and odd jobs she'd found on a student job site.  With a big yawn, Lindsay twigged that she'd actually been burning the candle at both ends, trying to make some money and keep up her grades.

One large ice-cream treat later and Lindsay was stumbling around trying to locate her bike in the dark.  That's when she tripped on an uneven paving stone and fell to the ground.  Suddenly the pavement felt cool and smooth on her face.   Umm, Lindsay thought, perhaps I'll just stay here a moment...

Eyes jerked open, Lindsay rapidly stood up, snatched her bike from the stand and made her way home a little bruised and a lot embarrassed.