Post History

The end of the school week came as a relief for Megan McAllister, and she was looking forward to going home and doing something fun. 

She lounged in the back of the car, staring up at the sky and trying to spot shapes in the clouds. The day had begun with such a promising start. They'd arrived at class find Miss Lin's desk empty, and spent maybe fifteen minutes goofing around before the substitute walked in: Mr. Hicks, better known to the students of Pine Grove Elementary as the Troll King.

The day had only gotten worse from there. Something in her lunchbox had leaked all over her homework, Bobby Cartwright had poured paint in her hair during art class, and the Troll King had decided to cancel recess.

But it was Friday, and the weekend had just begun. Two whole days of no uncomfortable desks, homework, Bobby Cartwright, or the Troll King. In a few minutes she would be able to relax-

Megan sat up, frowning. That was their street up ahead, but Mom hadn't put on her turn signal and she wasn't slowing down. 

Mom drove past their street, as if it were not there. Megan grimaced. *Let it just be a quick trip to the grocery store or something. Please don't let it be Courtney again.* "You missed our street."

Mom did not reply. Megan raised her voice and asked again. "I said, you missed our street."

"I've got to give Courtney a ride again."

Megan groaned. She cast a longing look at the street sign shrinking away in the rearview mirror. Freedom had been so close...

"Don't give me that," Mom snapped.

Megan crossed her arms and scowled. "Why can't she drive herself?"

"I've told you a hundred times. This is only until she gets a new car."

Courtney's old car had finally bit the dust back in August, and Mom had been driving her places ever since. Mom and Dad had even had an argument about it last week. Dad had grumbled that Courtney was in no particular hurry to get a new car, not while Mom was giving her free rides.

Mom had said that wasn't her fault, Courtney didn't have enough money for a new car.

Dad had responded that Courtney might have more money if she hadn't gambled it away.

Their voices had both risen then, and Megan had retreated to the privacy of her bedroom, silently wishing Dad would win the argument. She loathed Courtney. Everything about her was repulsive: her bulging, colorless eyes, her three chins, the film of sweat that covered her face even in winter. But worst of all was her perfume, which filled the car with the stench of rotting roses and always left Megan feeling woozy for the rest of the day.

Megan glared out the window as snow-covered yards drifted past. She'd been looking forward to her afternoon, and now she was going to have to spend it stuck in the car with stupid stinky Courtney. It wasn't fair. She didn't even need to be in the car; she was only here because Mom wouldn't make one tiny little detour to drop her off at home. *But she never complains about driving Courtney.*

Mom pulled up outside Courtney's house and pulled out her phone. Already bored, Megan turned to look at the other side of the street. Two children in red coats were playing in the yard across from Courtney's house, stockpiling snowballs for a future battle. Megan recognized both of them: the Laske twins, Michelle and Heather, from Mrs. Silvestri's class across the hall. Michelle looked up and gave her a friendly wave. Megan returned the wave without enthusiasm, wishing she could go outside and play with them. They had snow to play in, fresh air to breathe, and probably mugs of hot cocoa waiting for them inside.

The sound of the car doors unlocking made her turn her head. Courtney had appeared and was waddling down her front walk. She was wearing a shiny gray coat that made her look more sluglike than ever. Megan watched her slow, graceless approach, silently willing Mom to step on the gas and drive off. Why did she do this to both of them, day after day after day?

Somewhere close by, a siren sounded. Megan looked away, trying to see if she could spot the reason. Whatever it was, it wasn't on this street.

Courtney opened the car door, blasting the two of them with freezing, perfume-tainted air. Megan made a face that Mom couldn't see and shrank back in her seat, shivering as she waited for Courtney to maneuver her way into the car seat and finally shut the door. By then Megan was already starting to feel poisoned.

She shut her eyes, half dozing, as Mom made her way back out to the main road. Courtney was already gabbing away, complaining about her next-door neighbors. 

Courtney was always complaining about something.

Megan could feel the car slowing down and finally stopping. Mom made a frustrated noise.

"What happened here?"

Megan opened her eyes. A line of cars was backed up along the street. Megan craned her neck, trying to see up ahead. She could see a blue truck, its side crushed and one of its wheels gone, surrounded by shards of glass and blocking both lanes. "There's a crash. A bad one."

She could see Mom frowning in the rearview mirror. "It doesn't look like anything's moving."

The next ten minutes – a very *long* ten minutes – proved Mom right. Megan slouched in her seat, trying to block out the sound of Courtney's voice – she was busy complaining about her son's girlfriend. Again. Megan's head was already hurting. Instead of playing, she would be spending the rest of her afternoon lying in bed and trying to recover from Courtney.

Megan stared gloomily through the windshield, at the wreckage that wasn't being cleared away. The rest of the afternoon stretched out ahead like a prison sentence. She wished could be anywhere else, even back at school with the Troll King. At least he didn't stink.

The stench of rotting roses threatened to overwhelm her, making her gag. Megan hurried to open a window. Mom overrode her and rolled the window back up. "What are you doing? It's twelve degrees out there."

"It's too stuffy in here." What Megan really wanted to do was scream "I can't breathe in here!" But Mom didn't seem to notice. Mom was somehow able to breathe the toxic fumes and be fine.

Megan slumped against the car door – and blinked. She shut her eyes for a minute and then opened them again, not sure if she could believe what she was seeing.

The door was unlocked. Mom must have forgotten to lock up again after Courtney got in. Could the answer really be that simple? Could freedom really just be one door handle away?

Megan actually did vomit this time, the remains of her lunch rising in her throat. She managed to force it back down, but next time she might not be so lucky. She was just so sick of Courtney, and sick because of Courtney. 

Megan looked at Mom, then the crash, and back to the unlocked door. She would need to move fast...

She unbuckled her seat belt with one hand and threw open the door with the other. Abandoning her backpack, she slid off the car seat and out into the open air. Mom was shouting something, but Megan didn't stop to listen. She dashed away from the car and onto the sidewalk, not bothering to shut the door. 

Mom was still shouting, but she was still stuck in traffic without enough room to turn around. Megan sprinted down the sidewalk, snow flying up from her heels. It hurt to breathe – the clean, cold air felt strange after so long spent breathing the fumes inside the car. Would Mom get out and chase her? She stole a quick glance over her shoulder – Mom was still in the car. Megan charged on towards home, a huge grin on her face. She should've thought of this months ago.

She turned onto their street and slowed down – she was still woozy, and couldn't run in a straight line. There was still no sign of Mom. Did that mean she was still stuck, or that she'd chosen to stay with Courtney? Megan decided she didn't care. Mom had chosen that poison woman over her too many times for her to care. 

She reached their front yard and dropped into the soft snow, smiling up at the sky. She had snow to play in, while Mom was stuck in traffic with that horrible Courtney. Mom would find a way back eventually, and she'd be furious, but Megan wasn't worried. What was the worst Mom could do? Send her to bed without dinner? Take away her TV privileges? Megan had learned to keep a small supply of snacks and toys squirreled away just in case.

Still smiling, she lay back in the snow, just enjoying the fresh air as she waited for her head to clear.

The weekend had just begun.