It was 5 p.m. Monday night, dinner time and other than my brother Simon and my Aunt Julie, everyone was sitting around the big round kitchen table. Everyone else being my parents, my sisters Mary and Ruthie, my brothers Sam, David and Matt, Matt's girlfriend Elizabeth and Ruthie's friends Claire, Ashley, Emma and Jasmine. Simon was out getting drunk as usual and Aunt Julie had to work late. I don't know about the rest of the family but I preferred it that way. However, this meant that Mom and Dad would have to deal with them later. Being September, it was already dark outside.
The table had all sorts of food on it; chicken, mashed potatoes, vegetables and bread. My parents, Matt, Elizabeth and Mary had made dinner that night. Everyone was eating. Everyone except me, that is. My mom looked at me.
"Lucy don't you want anything?" she asked.
"No I'm just not very hungry," I replied.
"Oh ok."
She put some mashed potatoes on her plate. I got up from the table and went over to my friend Margo's.
Even before I rang the doorbell I could hear people talking. Margo's oldest sister Molly Megan answered the door accompanied by her friend Jessi.
"Oh hey Lucy," Molly said.
"Hey."
"Margo's up in her room."
"Ok."
I came inside and went upstairs and down the hall to Margo's room. Margo was there along with our friends Karen, Victoria, Morgan, Alina, Lila, Jessica, Kate, Lizzie and Sierra. Margo, Morgan and Sierra were sitting in the bed, Karen was sitting in one of those round wicker chairs, Alina was sitting at the vanity, Lila was sitting on the window seat, Jessica was curled up in a dark pink chair and Kate and Lizzie were sitting on the floor where I sat as well. They were eating a snack of hummus and pretzel sticks. Besides myself, Karen and Margo everyone else was eating.
Downstairs, I heard Margo's mom Ginger talking with Molly and Jessi. I heard voices come from Margo's older sister Vanessa's room. Her youngest sister Claire was over at our house with Ruthie, Ashley and Emma. Margo's brothers weren't home yet and her dad was still at work. I knew they wouldn't be home for awhile.