Lucy keeps things to herself and invites Max over

The whole walk back from class Lucy was in a haze; she was torn whether she should tell Kimberly about what Professor Morris had said or not. On the one hand she was outraged that a professor would tell a student to drop out for such sexist reasons… but on the other, Lucy felt that little voice of self-doubt in the back of her mind asking why Professor Morris thought that’s all she was good for… was that all she was good for? Was that what people thought of her...?

Ultimately she decided to keep it to herself, happy to just listen vacantly as Kim spoke to her seemingly non-stop about things Lucy barely cared about… It was only when Kim stopped abruptly in the middle of campus and took her wrist that the brunette focused on her properly, “You’re still worried about your parents?”

Lucy blushed, realising she’d completely zoned out of anything Kim had said for several minutes. Kim could clearly tell something was wrong, and even if she couldn't know exactly why Lucy was happy for her to assume her guess was right...

“Tell you what, why don’t we go for a walk? Get your mind off of things? Or we could play Frisbee!” Kim gasped with something Lucy assumed was **** excitement for her benefit.

She frowned and shook her head, screwing up her nose at the idea. It sounded nice but, “I just want to get back to the dorm…”

Kim pouted and shrugged, “Ok… Maybe tomorrow.”

The girls spent the next several hours working on assignments in their room, each buried deep in their laptops and books, headphones zoning out the world. It was only after they’d taken a break for lunch, meeting some friends in the cafeteria and returning to continue studying that Lucy finally had enough, closing her laptop lid with a tired groan.

Lying back on her bed, the brunette kicked off her socks and grabbed her phone, eager to message Max.

- Having a weird day. Come over? xxx

Holding the phone above her face, Lucy just stared at the screen waiting anxiously for a response. It didn’t take long for the device to vibrate in her hand,

- Weird good or weird bad? x

- Weird bad.

It took several minutes for Max to respond again,

- I’ll be over tonight. I have a present for you x

Lucy’s mouth curled into a smile. Max always knew how to make her feel better.

- A surprise? Xxx

- I’ll see you tonight! X

The girl sighed, relaxing back into her sheets a little more as she felt a wave of tension escape her shoulders. Clutching her phone to her chest she looked up at the ceiling and tried to get her thoughts in order. Professor Morris’s words still stung a little, even if Lucy didn’t completely understand what the woman had been trying to say. She needed to shake it off, she wasn’t getting expelled and she wasn’t dropping out.

She glanced over at Kimberley who was still typing away at her desk, “Hey Kim?”

The blonde stirred, turning in her seat and pulling one of her ear-buds away, “Yahuh?”

“Um… Max might come over tonight, I was just wondering…” Lucy trailed off.

“You want some privacy?” Kim winked.

“Would you mind?”

“I can go hang out with Maisie… you two have fun!” Kim stuck out her tongue, biting it between her teeth as she wiggled her eyebrows suggestively.

While Abigail was busy moving her things into her new bedroom upstairs, Nancy had toured the entire Carpenter household seeking out every photograph of Lucy. She’d gathered them all together in the dining room, along with a pile of old family photo-albums and was busy meticulously removing every picture of Lucy…

“We’ll need a new family portrait I think” Nancy said wistfully, “Something with the three of us and Lucy… I’ll have to find a photographer that lets animals into the studio though”

Tom, Lucy’s father, chuckled from the doorway. He ran a hand through his silvery hair as he nursed a mug of coffee in his other, “That sounds good dear.”

Nancy pulled out another set of photos. Seeing they were all of Lucy on their most recent family vacation she quickly tossed them carelessly in the trash beside her. “Honestly Tom these photos are starting to freak me out,” Nancy laughed, “All these years…”

“We’re doing the right thing now” Tom reassured his wife with a smile.

Nancy nodded, “I know, I just can’t believe we treated her like a person all this time... I mean, look at this…” she held up a picture taken on the night of Lucy’s high-school prom; smiling in a beautiful flowing gown surrounded by friends. “It’s just so wrong… she’s standing, smiling... she’s wearing clothes!”

The moment Tom saw it he screwed up his face, his wife was right; the photograph was so ridiculous it was almost comical. Putting his coffee down on the end of the table he stepped towards his wife,

“Hand me one of those albums, let me help...”