"Welcome home, honey," said Will as Joan entered the Girardi house for the
first time in three months. Spending the entire summer in the hospital had
not been pleasant, but she hoped she could put the entire ordeal behind
her, now that she knew the truth about the entire past year.
"So when does school start?" "Couple days," answered Luke, who walked through the door right behind her. "Ah. So I guess the whole thing is some kind of cosmic joke. Take out all my fun time, then make me better when the fun stops." Helen replied, "Yeah, I guess so, so you'd better start getting ready. Here's your schedule." Joan took the piece of paper and checked it out.
"AP Physics. I must have impressed someone." "Hey, I'm in that too," said Luke. "Yeah, big surprise. You're gonna do great, and I'm gonna fail." "If you think that's going to happen, then yeah," said Will. "Basic psychology. People see what they want to see if they want it bad enough, and they can even change some other things so it makes sense." "You don't have to tell me," replied Joan.
She then went on, "Hey, where's Kevin anyway?" Helen answered: "The paper decided to do an article on the faith of the community, so he's out interviewing people." Joan immediately shot back, "He should be here. I'd give him an earful." "Well, they're not allowed to ask family members. Too much baggage could be put into the findings, or something."
Will took Joan into the living room. "Just what did you mean by an earful?" "Remember what I said that first night at the hospital? Pretty much that." Will's composure shook at the statement. "What?" "This whole summer, I've been hoping against hope that what you said was just delirious babbling." "What's the problem? You're an atheist." "Agnostic. There's a difference. Plus, I've been seeing some things lately that have been making me rethink the whole thing."
Joan grew uncomfortable, and excused herself to go into her room. She was tired from the events of the day and took a little nap. But her dreams were not restful ones. She found herself walking down the halls of Arcadia High, when a voice saying, "Hello, Joan," stopped her. She turned around to see God, in the form of the goth kid wearing a kilt. "It surprised me that you singled me out as the one you hated the most." Joan started to walk away, then decided she had to take a stand for reality. "Well, seeing as you don't exist, I don't see why I should worry about it.
"So is that why you're here? To tell me to get back to work?" "It's completely up to you whether you want to believe in me. Many people have lived long, happy lives without ever giving me a second thought. I watch over them all the same." "Well good. From now on, I'm going to be giving YOU the silent treatment."
"Joan? Joan?" Joan woke up to find her mother standing over her. "You were talking in your sleep again." "Really? What was I saying?" "Something about not existing. Don't worry about it too much." "How's Dad doing?" "He's not happy about it, but he says you have to make your own choice." "Where have I heard that before?"
"So when does school start?" "Couple days," answered Luke, who walked through the door right behind her. "Ah. So I guess the whole thing is some kind of cosmic joke. Take out all my fun time, then make me better when the fun stops." Helen replied, "Yeah, I guess so, so you'd better start getting ready. Here's your schedule." Joan took the piece of paper and checked it out.
"AP Physics. I must have impressed someone." "Hey, I'm in that too," said Luke. "Yeah, big surprise. You're gonna do great, and I'm gonna fail." "If you think that's going to happen, then yeah," said Will. "Basic psychology. People see what they want to see if they want it bad enough, and they can even change some other things so it makes sense." "You don't have to tell me," replied Joan.
She then went on, "Hey, where's Kevin anyway?" Helen answered: "The paper decided to do an article on the faith of the community, so he's out interviewing people." Joan immediately shot back, "He should be here. I'd give him an earful." "Well, they're not allowed to ask family members. Too much baggage could be put into the findings, or something."
Will took Joan into the living room. "Just what did you mean by an earful?" "Remember what I said that first night at the hospital? Pretty much that." Will's composure shook at the statement. "What?" "This whole summer, I've been hoping against hope that what you said was just delirious babbling." "What's the problem? You're an atheist." "Agnostic. There's a difference. Plus, I've been seeing some things lately that have been making me rethink the whole thing."
Joan grew uncomfortable, and excused herself to go into her room. She was tired from the events of the day and took a little nap. But her dreams were not restful ones. She found herself walking down the halls of Arcadia High, when a voice saying, "Hello, Joan," stopped her. She turned around to see God, in the form of the goth kid wearing a kilt. "It surprised me that you singled me out as the one you hated the most." Joan started to walk away, then decided she had to take a stand for reality. "Well, seeing as you don't exist, I don't see why I should worry about it.
"So is that why you're here? To tell me to get back to work?" "It's completely up to you whether you want to believe in me. Many people have lived long, happy lives without ever giving me a second thought. I watch over them all the same." "Well good. From now on, I'm going to be giving YOU the silent treatment."
"Joan? Joan?" Joan woke up to find her mother standing over her. "You were talking in your sleep again." "Really? What was I saying?" "Something about not existing. Don't worry about it too much." "How's Dad doing?" "He's not happy about it, but he says you have to make your own choice." "Where have I heard that before?"