Lessons in Love

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Book: Lessons in Love Read Online Free PDF
Author: Clarissa Carlyle
no longer hungry, returning the cereal on her spoon to the bowl on the table.
     
    “I’ve got to work!” Jackie replied defensively. “I’m trying to support this family on my own. It’s not easy you know!”
     
    “None of this is easy!” Alex yelled, grabbing her backpack, desperate to leave the confines of the trailer. It felt like all their emotions were constantly bouncing off the walls in the small space and they were powerless to do anything other than collide with them.
     
    “Alex—” Jackie called after her daughter, but it was too late. The trailer door slammed shut as Alex headed out towards school.
     
    ****
     
    Despite the morning sunshine, Alex felt cold. She quickened her pace to try to bring some warmth to her skin, but it did no good. It pained her that perhaps her mom was right, that maybe a big part of Alex’s current issues was that she was angry. But she didn’t want to believe that, she didn’t want to be one of those kids who is full of unresolved anger and goes around blaming the rest of the world for their troubles.
     
    Alex arrived early at school, so the parking lot was relatively empty. There were still remnants of the previous night’s victory floating around: a discarded banner and some contraband beer cans.
     
    The banner floated gently in the morning breeze and looked strangely beautiful. Like how a plastic bag caught in a draft can appear graceful and elegant even though it was ultimately just trash.
     
    Walking past the banner, Alex kicked at it, putting an abrupt stop to its breezy ballet. She was in a foul mood. With each step towards school she felt her mood deepen into darkness. It was not going to be a good day.
     
    ****
     
    After a long and arduous day, Alex wanted nothing more than to leave school behind. She was tired of pointless lessons about the liberty bell or correct grammar. None of those things mattered to her. In fact, nothing seemed to matter anymore.
     
    She just wanted to lose herself in being Alex Heron, Head Cheerleader .
     
    “A few of us are heading to the mall after school,” Claire told her breezily as they walked along the corridor.
     
    “You should come.” She smiled. “Jeff will be there,” she added teasingly.
     
    “I can’t.” Alex sighed.
     
    “You can’t?” Claire raised a disbelieving eyebrow at her best friend.
     
    “I’ve got detention.”
     
    “Oh crap, yeah. I’m sorry, that sucks.”
     
    “Mmm.”
     
    “Why don’t you come along afterwards?” Claire suggested hopefully.
     
    “Can’t.” Alex shook her head. “I’ve got to get back to take care of my brother.”
     
    “Where’s your mom?” Claire queried.
     
    “In France,” Alex hurriedly devised a response.
     
    “In France?” Claire’s eyes widened with impressed interest.
     
    “Yeah, Paris, out on a buying trip for Prada,” Alex explained modestly.
     
    “Oh, yeah, I forgot your mom works for Prada,” Claire mused. “That’s such an awesome job.”
     
    “I know.”
     
    “You’re like, so lucky to have such a cool mom.”
     
    “Uh huh.”
     
    “My parents are both dentists. How boring is that?” Claire laughed.
     
    The girls waved farewell, and then Alex headed back into the school. The corridors were clearing as students filtered out to commence their evening. It felt strange to be at school after hours without a club to attend.
     
    It wasn’t the first detention Alex had been given, but it was the first that had fallen outside of school hours. Most teachers respected her cheerleading responsibilities and so kept her punishments to lunch break, or asked her to do some extracurricular work. Mr. Simmons had been much harder on her. Alex didn’t doubt that she deserved the detention. She had spoken out of turn. She just realized that she wouldn’t be able to get away with quite so much in his class, which worried her.
     
    “Miss Heron, good evening,” Mr. Simmons greeted her as she entered the math classroom where the
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