2. Topic
"Ok so can you come over after cheer today? My dad can pick us up." I asked. I was talking to Shannon about studying for our big history test on Monday. Yes it was Friday, my favorite day of the week. "Yes I can." she told me. We headed into the classroom and I took my seat next to Evelyn. "Ok class we are writing a report today." the teacher, Mrs. Matthews, told us. Everyone groaned. "Now it has to be 4 pages long, dialogue all of our terms, everything." she went on explaining.
"The topic Mrs. Matthews." a boy named Randal asked. "It is going to be on your mother." Mrs. Matthews simply said and went on. I froze, I had known my mother when I was little, but I had not seen her in 8 years. I would have to ask my father, but he didn't like to talk about her. So my only option was….to track her down. "Mrs. Matthews." I asked after the bell rang for free period. "Yes Miss Wilson." she said as she looked up at me. "Well my mom kind of doesn't live with us." I said. "Oh do you know where she lives at?" she asked looking at me. "No I haven't seen her since I was eight." I told her. "Then your assignment will be different then." she replied as she looked back down at the papers on her desk and shuffled through them. She didn't say anything else as if I should already know. "What will it be?" I finally asked confused. "Margret." she said and looked serious at me. She continued "You will go on a search to find your mother." I had hoped that she wouldn't say that sentence.
Find my mother. I thought to myself again. Probably the hundredth time since fourth hour. The school day had ended and I was sitting in the gym alone waiting for the other girls to come and practice. Mrs. Matthews wants me to find my mother. I thought again. "Maggie I'm sorry mom said I can't study. My grandmas coming into town today." I heard Shannon say as she made her way into the gym. She came and sat next to me on the bleachers. "Oh it's fine Shan. Another night." I said and looked down at my hands. "Ok sure." Shannon said and got up when the gym door opened. "Come on girls get in position." Tanya, the cheer captain, called.
"How was your day?" my father asked as I put my bag down on the counter. I stared up at him. "My new English report is to find mom." I said to him. He just stared at me. "Her last name now is Hanson-Clark." he explained to me. "Did you get the check?" I asked. He nodded and I asked "Why is it Hanson-Clark did she get married?" "Yes that is her maiden name and her new husband's last name combined." he responded. "Oh, I'll be in my room dad." I called as I got off the kitchen stool. I towed my backpack behind me up the stairs to my room. I walked to the little bench by my window and sat down. I didn't want to find my mother. She left, she obviously didn't want to have any part in my life or my fathers. She left for a reason, to get away from us. She probably hated us, probably had pictures of us on a dart board. Then threw a dart until she got to our eye. She already had a new husband and probably kids she loved more. That she wouldn't leave. That's probably the reason why she left. She had a new love and dad wasn't good enough for her anymore. Then they had a baby and she forgot all about us. All she had to do was pay child support and she is done. Then she can go back to loving her drop-dead-gorgeous husband and kiss her vanilla-smelling baby girl. That is way prettier than an average baby. I hated to think that but that was my only explanation for why she left.
"So did you study last night?" Shannon asked as I arrived at the lunch table with my tray of food. "Yes." I answered and started chewing. "Oh Maggie I forgot to introduce you to my boyfriend before. This is Drew." Evelyn said. I looked up, swallowed, and held out my hand. "I'm Maggie nice to meet you Drew." "Hello. And nice to meet you as well." he replied. I went back to eating.
I went to my locker and opened it. I put my books inside and started re-arranging them. "Maggie." I heard someone call. I turned around, it was Kristen. Kristen was on the cheer squad as well. She had deep blue eyes and long blond hair. "Yes what's up Kristen?" I asked as she caught up to my locker. "Tanya said no practice today." she said. "Ok." I replied. She nodded, said bye, and disappeared down the hallway.
"Wait up." I heard someone call behind me. I was walking to my car in the school parking lot. I turned around to meet face-to-face with a guy with green eyes and semi pale-looking hair. I was probably in his way too. "Yes is there something I can help you with?" once the words came out of my mouth I noticed, I sounded like a sales clerk at a store. "Yes you can actually." the boy replied. I raised one eyebrow in curiosity; what in the world could I possibly do for this boy. "First let me introduce myself. I'm Nathan Welch; best friend of Kaden Anderson." oh so this is what he was doing. Kaden told his best friend, this boy obviously, that I yelled at him. So now this Nathan guy came to yell at me. "Yes I have talked to your best friend if that is what you are wondering. He was very rude as well." I explained to him. "That wasn't my question, but you just answered it." he said. I knew I had a confused look on my face. "Do you like Kaden?" he asked and sighed. Now everything made sense. Kaden liked me, he was to scared to ask me out so he wanted to know if I liked him first. That's where Nathan came in. "I don't know yet. Tell him if he wants to know something from me next time though, have him ask me himself. Okay?" I told him and walked to my car. "Sure thing." he called out to me. And that is how you work any guy.
My report, well my search for mom, was due in a month. And I don't know anything about her. All I have is a name. A name and a few shady memories. "What would you like for dinner Margret?" my dad asked as he opened the door to my room, interrupting my thoughts. "Chicken." I said. He nodded and walked out again. I thought for a moment. I didn't even know the first step in the process of finding someone you knew nothing about. I did know I needed someone though. Someone who would give me information about her. What city she lives in. Anything more than her name. What I needed was a private investigator.
"Josie Beckett" a woman's voice answered on the other line. "Yes hello I need some information about my mother." I said into the receiver. "What kind of information sweetie?" she asked me. "I need a phone number." I told her. "Her name and your name honey." she asked politely. "Her name is Sandra Hanson-Clark, Clark is her new last name and her maiden name is Hanson. My name is Margret Wilson." I explained. "ok I will call you when I get the information sweetie. Is this number ok?" she asked. "Yes this number is fine." I told her. She said good-bye and hung up the phone. I heard the dial tone on the other end of the line, but I didn't hang up. It seemed unreal what I was doing. I Margret Wilson was setting on a search to find my mother. With nothing more than a name in hand and a few memories in the back of my head.