Presley's point of view;

As I tossed in my bed again trying to find a comfortable way to lie down. I heard my alarm go off. I succeeded with yet another restless night without sleep. I wish I'd left this bad habit back at home. Though to be fair I don't think I ever had a good night sleep even before my grandmother moved us from the shelter. I didn't expect her to be so kind to me and even made sure I enrolled in school.

Until then it was only my mom who taught me how to read and write. She would give me a book during the day and teach me new words when dad showed up angry as usual she would leave me in the shelter for days. But always came back with a book, until more than a year passed and she didn't show up.

That's when Grandmom and she treated me as if I was of equal value to the rest of the family. I know my cousin was adamant at me as he was no longer the only child but I stayed with her most of the time. She became my mom now but her will still surprised me and now I went from being deadweight to the family to public enemy number one.

I take off the alarm on my phone and rise up feeling more tired than I did when I went to bed last night. That funeral was one of the worst I've ever experienced. These things aren't really for the person in the casket it's for us, the living. If I didn't have to give the eulogy I wouldn't have shown up. The strength it takes to go up on the stage in front of all those people I'd have traded places with her in a heartbeat. It was such a tough atmosphere when that lawyer told the rest of her family that all they would be inheriting was various donations for charities Grandmom supported.

My cousin stood up and demanded what will be happening to the house and her antiques. I swear you could have heard a pin drop when the lawyer said that it was going to me. I couldn't say anything and just saw their shoes leave with various whispers. Whatever they were saying couldn't be good because I'm the one who they all pitied because of my father and the way my mom lived.

My cousin made sure I heard him since he said it to the room. It was a promise that he was going to do everything in his power to get what he deserved. He wanted me to look up and face him but if I could have answered him in that moment I would have told him he could have it.

They would probably want to sell it but I have to think of my mom. I asked the lawyer to find her cause she may need it more than anyone. My memories of her are far and in between but maybe after all these years maybe I can leave her something other than reminders of a bad decision.

I heard another all too familair notification from my phone and I knew it must be the group chat asking me when they want to run rehearse face-to-face today. We did a lot of that over the weekend online and that wasn't easy as I had to try to make all their ideas fit. That's the only good thing about not sleeping when the night comes; I have a lot of time to read or study stuff for class if I'm not too restless.

I sighed out loud because I had lost this sleepless battle and there was no point to it anymore. Just like how I wanted the funeral to come to an end is how badly I wanted this assignment to be over. The only difference is that everyone there was even more cold towards me. Then my dad showed up only because he heard I was in town and got the inheritance and visited the house sometime when Mitchum was out but I didn't answer.

I didn't want him to deal with him pretending he cares because he thinks I could give him something. He also came at the funeral to met me backstage but I was under a lot of pressure already. I know I overreacted when I told him I don't need him here and that was probably why he left right after.

Mitchum was my only support there outside my family and asked me a couple of times if I was ok but what was I supposed to say? It's not the first lie I ever told. With everything my dad has done and said to me or was it what he didn't do or say? How could I be fine? I'm supposed to be over it by now anyway since I'm almost an adult.

I get my headphones from my nightstand and put them on as I laid back down. Since I used them most of the night hoping it would at least get me bored enough to sleep the battery was low. They had at least two hours of charging now.

At times like this, I'm thankful to Grandmom for buying me them as a going-away gift. When I'm wearing them it soothes my mind enough so I don't have flashbacks. But even now what used to be my favorite songs don't even make me feel better anymore.

I know I should start journalling again but I don't have the motivation or energy to make it a daily habit. School takes so much out of me that getting out of bed seems impossible most days and I don't even see the point of it all anymore. I've even been missing my morning classes cause I just can't deal with a rigid schedule and long lectures in a classroom setting along with other students choked in. It's a good thing the school is hybrid and the notes get put on the group chat by the class administrator. At times I push through but lately, I just con't do as much anymore.

Gail even sent me the research I asked her to do before I left for the trip and I still haven't emailed her back to thank her. I just hope not to run into her because explaining anything is the last thing I want to do. I know she would be interested in what happened and I don't want to have to make up another excuse for my lazy behavior. Her research was a big help cause it proved what I already thought. I haven't taken any action on it at all since I had the funeral over the weekend.

There is another crime going on more seriously than cheating in a Chemistry contest and something has to be done about it right away. Since I don't have real proof, I can't pass it on to someone else so it's going to take all the energy I have to get it done today. When my mom wasin her position she would do something like drop me off at the shelter and she stayed elsewhere for a time and when she left I did the same. That's what I have to help someone else do. I've put off this case long enough.

Let's see, I have no classes today because the teacher had a workshop so she just expects us to put the finishing touches on our presentations. I organised the group presentation on a way that way I wouldn't have to do all the talking and they could also demonstrate and what they were familiar with to make it easy for them to have a firm grasp of what we had to do.

I looked at the texted messages and I was right in my assumption of them wanting to meet up today again. Most replied already and were excited for some reason. Wish I shared the enthusiasm but I'll answer them later today. As the song in my headphones went silent I heard knocking on my bedroom door. There is only one person that could be as he has made a habit of doing these days. I spend a lot of time in here laying down on my bed than I do in the living room. His voice followed but it sounded a little worried as I took off my headphones to hear him.

"Hey, Presley can you hear me? A- are you up yet?" Mitchum said with his voice a little shaky but I couldn't really tell since he hadn't opened the door yet.

"Well since I can answer you; I guess yeah, come in," I tried to say with a small smile to sound welcoming.

"And good morning to you too," He said opening the door but now seeing his expression I could tell he was worried. He came in as I sat up on the bed and then he didn't say anything. He's not the type to come in and not talk. He sat on the bed and looked down at his clasped hands as if they were somewhat significant.

His silence bothered me and I felt like I had to be the one to break it. I'd never been on this side of the conversation. "So what's up?" was all I could think of to ask him.

"I had an early class at 7:30 am today they let us go early and I don't have another one till this evening." He didn't break focus from his hands as he told me that. Actually, the way he answered was like how I did. So this is what it's like talking to me. I wonder how Mitchum has tolerated me this long if I'm so difficult.

"So how was this morning's class?" I asked trying to see if I could get to know more. He's normally the one that goes into detail about what he's done. I don't think I've ever had to ask him how something was.

"I get why you couldn't tell me about your grandmother passing," was what I got for an answer from him. Now I understood his behavior; someone he knew died. I wish I could tell him that my grandmother wasn't the main cause for my sadness but not the time and place.

He turned away from me when he said that so I said the only cliche thing that came to my head at this moment. "Do you want to talk about it? Or at least tell who it is if you want to."

It was a few moments of silence but when he did reply it seemed like that was the right question. He told me everything that happened from who the girl was and how she died. He even told me that when the ambulance came there was no longer a pulse and the cause was currently unknown. He was clearly still in shock about how it happened and all I could really do was listen.

I did ask a few questions about what happened to her or how he noticed and from what he described it wasn't surprising. Mitchum thought it was an allergy reaction and he may be right but it sounded like something else to me. Something that I thought I would have left behind in my younger years with the other sheltered children before Grandma got us out of that place. If I'm right then HIDCA really does mean what I fear it did. But a kid her age needs to be baited by someone they relatively trust.

I don't think that would be something I would want to get involved in. This is what drove Mom away and made Dad the way that he is also. I want no part in this, I won't face this again.

Even when listening to I saw tears forming and the statement of "Misery loves company" couldn't be more true. It's rare that I ever share in the emotions of others but I understood what it was like to see someone die. What makes it even harder is when you have a connection with them.

Then his phone got a notification that he had checked. "It's now 10 am, and before class, I told Alejandra that I was free to hang out after."

"You could cancel if you don't feel like it now," I answered him and he thought for a moment as if it was a hard decision for him to make.

"I don't want to cancel and she's downstairs already. Maybe the walk would do me good," I sighed out loud at his answer. But I guess it was the best motivator for me to leave this apartment also.

"Would you mind if I tagged along?" I asked directly because I didn't just want to invite myself but I hoped he said yes. I saw a slight smile from Mitchum as he raised his head to face me.

"Sure Presley, I'll tell her to give us a half hour," It was like he was relieved I offered to go with him as he got up off the bed to call her.

Wait when did Mitchum and Alejandra get close enough to hang out with each other? Did I miss something? Well, I guess it doesn't matter as I get roped in a sense myself to hang out with people who I normally wouldn't.

This whole thing I have to do today is all because of Amelia and I can't cancel on her this week. I don't want her to be angry with me cause that dog of hers has already proven to go after others who she doesn't like. So when Mitchum left from my bedroom doorway I managed to get out of my bed and proceed with a morning routine that was just another tedious chore. After I came out of my room I lied to Mitchum by telling him that I got up and ate earlier then went back to bed when he had already gone to class.

When we walked out of the apartment and met Alejandra downstairs outside sitting on a bench. Mitchum and she spoke mostly which was good to see him sort of back to the way I know him to be. I needed all my energy for today's social events so I couldn't deal with the strain of keeping up in one. It's not like I have anything important to contribute to a casual conversation anyway. I have to focus and figure out how to handle the situation with Bertie Taksheel's wife in the most gentle way possible.