Lizzie walked into her room after the first day of high school. She
dropped her bag, got out her books, turned on the radio and tried to do her
homework not even thinking that the radio was the reason she couldn't
concentrate. Then her mom came upstairs and told her supper was ready,
looking as if she was going to burst into tears.
"Mom are you okay?", Lizzie asked sympathetically.
"Yah I'm fine honey, now come down to dinner, I ordered pizza," Jo McGuire replied.
"Ok, great thanks mom you always know what to do for supper and pizza is my favorite." Lizzie said forgetting her mother's tearful eyes.
The McGuire dinner table conversation that night consisted of Lizzie and Matt calling each other names. They didn't even realize that their parents didn't speak or look at each other through the entire meal and her mother excused herself early to start the laundry and was up cleaning until early morning.
*The Next Day, At School*
Lizzie stashed her books and her half done homework in her locker and then remembering it wasn't done collected her homework and put it in her folder thinking she'd do it in homeroom which she had with Miranda and.... (ewwww) Kate and Clair.
Lizzie looked back at her schedule to be sure she remembered her classes: Homeroom- Mrs. Yaeger 8:25-8:40 1st Period- American Government- Mr.Geraldo 2nd Period- Physical Education- Mrs. Quinn 3rd Period- Algebra 1- Ms. Jakion 4th Period- Language Arts- Mrs. Wilcox Lunch- 11:45-12:05 5th Period- French- Ms. Halepinio 6th Period- Physical Science- Mr. Rockman 7th Period- Concert Choir- Mrs. Wanger
Satisfied with her memory she retaped her schedule in her locker and headed for homeroom. She saw Miranda was already there and sat next to her. Thankfully Kate and Clair were both running for student council and they were having a meeting discussing elections during homeroom.
"So 'Randa want to eat over at my house tonight? I'm sure my mom won't care and I'm going to see if Gordo can come too, I think he might be able to give us tips on our homework because I can't seem to get mine done," Lizzie said getting out her many half done assignments.
Miranda, laughing,"That's because you do it with your radio on full blast and sing along with every song that comes on! Oh, and yeah I'm pretty sure I can come over tonight. Are you ready for your Second day of high school?"
"Oh so ready," Lizzie said as the bell rang and she and Miranda parted ways. They only had P.E., Language Arts, and Concert Choir together. She had everything else, American Government, Algebra, French and Physical Science, with Gordo. They all had lunch together.
As soon as she got to American Government she found a seat as close to Gordo as she could get.
"Hey, Gordo can you eat over at my house tonight and then help me and Miranda with our homework, because for some reason I can never get it all done," Lizzie said.
"Liz the problem could be that your radio is blasting out your favorite songs into your ears while you do it and anytime it includes a meal I'm there you know that!" Gordo replied somewhat amused.
The rest of the day flew by, Lizzie had made some upperclassmen friends and was very confident that they would keep her, for the most part, out of trouble. She then rode the bus home by herself, Gordo and Miranda were getting a ride later just so Lizzie could clear it with her mother first.
"Mom, I'm home, oh and 'Randa and Gordo are eating here and then Gordo's going to help me with my homework. Ok?" Lizzie said walking into the kitchen, she soon stopped and gasped, "Mom what's wrong?!?"
Jo McGuire was sitting on the floor of the kitchen crying and there were kleenexes strewn all over the floor.
"Oh, honey," her mother said sniffling and wiping her eyes," Why are you home so soon? Is it three already?"
"Yes, and mom how long have you been sitting here and what in the world is wrong?" Lizzie asked again.
"Oh I don't know how long I've been here, probably since 11:30." Jo answered.
"Mom, WHAT is wrong??" Lizzie asked for the third time.
"Lizzie, did you say you were having friends over? I think you should call and tell them not to come, your father and I need to have a conversation with you and Matt as soon as he and your brother get home, ok?"
"Ok mom." Lizzie said, for once not arguing. And left to call her friends and wonder what was so wrong with her mother then she stopped short her heart sped up and she lost her breath. What if her parents were getting divorced or worse what if her dad was having an affair with a younger woman and was leaving her mother to marry her and she'd never see him again or worse yet he'd marry her and force them to live with them or....
*No Lizzie stop* she thought to herself * your father would NOT do that, he is loyal to your mother and your family. But then why was mom so upset? I guess I'll have to wait until he and Matt gets home*
Lizzie regained her composure and left to call her friends and tell them not to come to her home, because there was something wrong, she hoped it wouldn't be as bad as she thought it would be.
"Mom are you okay?", Lizzie asked sympathetically.
"Yah I'm fine honey, now come down to dinner, I ordered pizza," Jo McGuire replied.
"Ok, great thanks mom you always know what to do for supper and pizza is my favorite." Lizzie said forgetting her mother's tearful eyes.
The McGuire dinner table conversation that night consisted of Lizzie and Matt calling each other names. They didn't even realize that their parents didn't speak or look at each other through the entire meal and her mother excused herself early to start the laundry and was up cleaning until early morning.
*The Next Day, At School*
Lizzie stashed her books and her half done homework in her locker and then remembering it wasn't done collected her homework and put it in her folder thinking she'd do it in homeroom which she had with Miranda and.... (ewwww) Kate and Clair.
Lizzie looked back at her schedule to be sure she remembered her classes: Homeroom- Mrs. Yaeger 8:25-8:40 1st Period- American Government- Mr.Geraldo 2nd Period- Physical Education- Mrs. Quinn 3rd Period- Algebra 1- Ms. Jakion 4th Period- Language Arts- Mrs. Wilcox Lunch- 11:45-12:05 5th Period- French- Ms. Halepinio 6th Period- Physical Science- Mr. Rockman 7th Period- Concert Choir- Mrs. Wanger
Satisfied with her memory she retaped her schedule in her locker and headed for homeroom. She saw Miranda was already there and sat next to her. Thankfully Kate and Clair were both running for student council and they were having a meeting discussing elections during homeroom.
"So 'Randa want to eat over at my house tonight? I'm sure my mom won't care and I'm going to see if Gordo can come too, I think he might be able to give us tips on our homework because I can't seem to get mine done," Lizzie said getting out her many half done assignments.
Miranda, laughing,"That's because you do it with your radio on full blast and sing along with every song that comes on! Oh, and yeah I'm pretty sure I can come over tonight. Are you ready for your Second day of high school?"
"Oh so ready," Lizzie said as the bell rang and she and Miranda parted ways. They only had P.E., Language Arts, and Concert Choir together. She had everything else, American Government, Algebra, French and Physical Science, with Gordo. They all had lunch together.
As soon as she got to American Government she found a seat as close to Gordo as she could get.
"Hey, Gordo can you eat over at my house tonight and then help me and Miranda with our homework, because for some reason I can never get it all done," Lizzie said.
"Liz the problem could be that your radio is blasting out your favorite songs into your ears while you do it and anytime it includes a meal I'm there you know that!" Gordo replied somewhat amused.
The rest of the day flew by, Lizzie had made some upperclassmen friends and was very confident that they would keep her, for the most part, out of trouble. She then rode the bus home by herself, Gordo and Miranda were getting a ride later just so Lizzie could clear it with her mother first.
"Mom, I'm home, oh and 'Randa and Gordo are eating here and then Gordo's going to help me with my homework. Ok?" Lizzie said walking into the kitchen, she soon stopped and gasped, "Mom what's wrong?!?"
Jo McGuire was sitting on the floor of the kitchen crying and there were kleenexes strewn all over the floor.
"Oh, honey," her mother said sniffling and wiping her eyes," Why are you home so soon? Is it three already?"
"Yes, and mom how long have you been sitting here and what in the world is wrong?" Lizzie asked again.
"Oh I don't know how long I've been here, probably since 11:30." Jo answered.
"Mom, WHAT is wrong??" Lizzie asked for the third time.
"Lizzie, did you say you were having friends over? I think you should call and tell them not to come, your father and I need to have a conversation with you and Matt as soon as he and your brother get home, ok?"
"Ok mom." Lizzie said, for once not arguing. And left to call her friends and wonder what was so wrong with her mother then she stopped short her heart sped up and she lost her breath. What if her parents were getting divorced or worse what if her dad was having an affair with a younger woman and was leaving her mother to marry her and she'd never see him again or worse yet he'd marry her and force them to live with them or....
*No Lizzie stop* she thought to herself * your father would NOT do that, he is loyal to your mother and your family. But then why was mom so upset? I guess I'll have to wait until he and Matt gets home*
Lizzie regained her composure and left to call her friends and tell them not to come to her home, because there was something wrong, she hoped it wouldn't be as bad as she thought it would be.