A Day in the Life of Maureen Johnson

Chapter 1: Misunderstood

"Take out your homework please so I can check it," said Mrs. Myers, Maureen's 8th grade math teacher.

"Psssttt...Mark!" Maureen tapped Mark lightly on the shoulder to get his attention.

Mark groaned, "Ahhh .. Maureen .. what do you want now?" He said with a drained look on his face.

"Did you do last night's homework? I forgot! I had voice lessons. I'm sooo sorry!" She said, feeling sorry for Mark.

Mark couldn't take it anymore. He ALWAYS let Maureen copy his homework. If it wasn't for Mark, Maureen would be failing math instead of just having a C+. "NO! You ALWAYS copy my homework! It's not fair to me, I'm sick of it. Just take the zero!"
Maureen sighed. "OH FINE!" she said with a smirk on her face.

"What's going on here?" Mrs. Myers asked.

"Um nothing." Maureen said as if nothing was wrong.

"No, I mean where is your homework, Maureen?" Mrs. Myers asked with disappointment. Maureen gave her no answer. "MAUREEN? HELLO? Your homework, the proportions worksheet?" she asked again.

"Oh, that .. I forgot it ..." Maureen answered. She couldn't take it anymore. Mrs. Myers annoyed the crap out of her, and she was always so annoyed by it.

Mrs. Myers sighed. "Well, that's another zero for you." she reminded Maureen. Maureen nodded.

Already, Maureen was probably getting a C in math. That was normal for her, she didn't really care about her school work. The only things she really cared about were singing, her friends, and MARK. Mark and Maureen have been best friends ever since they were in Kindergarten, but Mark always felt that Maureen has been a pet peeve to him. She always wanted everything to be the way SHE wanted it, and didn't really care for others.

When Maureen got home from school that day, her mom was in the kitchen hunched over a paper, her eyes dark with sadness.

"Hi mom ... I'm home." Maureen called to her mother, as she trudged in the door.

"Hello, Maureen. Hey ... what's this all about?" her mom asked, holding a paper up to her.

"Umm .. I don't know ..." Maureen said questionably.

"A 'C' in math, WHAT IS THIS MAUREEN?" her mom screamed with tense anger.

"WHAT? I've never seen that before .. I don't even know what that is!"

"Don't lie to me missy!"

"I'M NOT LYING!" Tears filled Maureen's eyes. She hated school more than anything in the world. She wished she could just get a singing career right now, so she didn't have to go to college to do more work.

"If you get ONE MORE bad grade, I am cancelling your voice lessons! I think that's what's keeping you from doing your schoolwork." Maureen's mother suggested.

"NO!!! MOM, DON'T!!" Maureen yelled, as her tears flowed faster. "I love voice lessons, it's the only thing that gives me a break from school and all this shit!"

Maureen's mother ignored her fresh mouth. "Okay, I won't do that .. only if you get another bad grade. I have an idea..."

"What's the idea?"

"You know Mark, Mark Cohen who lives across the street?"

"Yeah, I know him."

"Would you like him to tutor you? He seems like a very smart boy."

Maureen liked the thought of that. MARK COHEN. Her secret crush since Kindergarten! She blushed "Yeah ... that's a cool idea." she said with a smile on her face.