A/N Own Nothing, Whats everyone think?

Chapter 4 - Grades

Breakfast the next morning turned out to be an utter disaster. I sat in my normal seat and waited happily as Grammy B. served waffles for breakfast. Once she sat down she looked over at me and I froze frightened of what I might have done wrong, "I haven't seen your progress report this week, you promised you would work harder at your studies."

Immediately I cursed under my breath and almost missed the shocked look my father threw towards mother. "You know she gets that from you," he said harshly before turning back to me.

Mother looked confused, "I didn't hear anything."

"You weren't supposed to hear it either," I mumbled knowing that it didn't matter how low I said it, he would hear it. I reached into my jeans and threw the crumbled paper on the table.

Father leaned over towards me, "You really shouldn't mumble because I can't understand a word you're saying."

I gritted my teeth to keep myself from losing my temper, "And yet you can hear something I whisper from the other side of the room, how is that?"

Grammy B. was frowning as she passed the paper to my mother who looked at it unhappily, but didn't say anything. Father held his hand out for it and asked Alicia for hers as well and looked at both, "Why can't you be more like your sister?"

Just as I was about to throw my fork and leave the table mother stepped in, "They are not the same, why do you expect them to be the same?" Her voice was calm, but by the way the two were looking at each other I could tell that she wasn't happy with him. I tried not to smirk at the thought of father getting in trouble knowing that if I did then the attention would be brought back to me.

Mother bit her lip and turned back to me, "Laurana, we really need to do something about this. We can get you a tutor if you need or if you're having some other problem you can talk to any of us or any of the oompa-loompas." I sighed as I stared at the table. I knew that Grammy B. wanted to suggest grounding me since I've heard them discuss it before, but mother insisted that it wouldn't do anything since I didn't go out that often. Mother didn't usually like discussing personal things at the table which is probably why she continued, "Let's not talk about this now, I'll come upstairs later alright?" I nodded and shoved the food around on my plate.

Father was probably glad to be done with the conversation as well because he eagerly steered it towards his favorite subject, "Alicia, do you want to help me in the inventing room today?"

"Absolutely, I've got some great ideas," she replied eagerly. I excused myself from the table and left in a hurry hoping that Pandora wouldn't mind the loud music I was about to put on. I barely heard the knock on my bedroom door and opened it leaving the music blasting.

"Want to talk?" my mother asked as she came in. Immediately I searched the room for Pandora, I didn't think to hide her before opening the door. Glad that she was already hiding somewhere I pushed my mother towards the other part of the room shutting the door behind me. She made herself comfortable and looked up at me, "Now what's going on at school."

I shrugged and sat next to her for awhile. Most people get annoyed when I don't speak right away, but she was surprisingly patient with me and sat there until I did, "I do fine on the assignments and stuff, I just suck at tests." She nodded staying quiet as I continued, "I understand everything until they hand me the paper and then the questions just don't make sense." When I was younger I remember tests being so much easier and I used to have good grades, but now things changed and I really don't know why.

"Alright, if that is really what the problem is then we can work on it," my mother responded. I let a small smile show; my mother really is the best in the world. Although I guess she needs to be since I have Grammy B. always scolding me for my rudeness and hundreds of oompa-loompa mothers are always telling me what to do. We sat for a little while longer after deciding that I would spend a few hours a week with Janice, the oompa-loompa teacher, to work on the test taking problem.

She was about to leave when I heard a small voice ask, "Why doesn't father like me?" It took me a minute to realize it was my own and I immediately looked away and got up to get out of there.

Mother grabbed my shoulder and turned my back staring into my eyes, "Willy loves you; don't be too hard on him for not being able to show it. You probably don't remember but when you were four years old you got lost in the factory." I tried to remember and sort of could; I remembered wandering around for awhile until father came and got me. He was quite angry with me, but I didn't think much of it at the time.

My mother continued, "You and Alicia were with him in a garden and somehow you managed to get away from him and get on the elevator. The oompa-loompas were all busy getting ready for Halloween and must not have noticed you. Your father turned the place apart." She stopped and laughed as she remembered, "He had the power turned off on every machine and had every available body, animal and oompa-loompa, looking for you. Once he found you it was days before he would even let you out of his sight, no matter who was supposed to be watching you."

I almost didn't believe that he really cared enough to halt candy productions, but mother wouldn't lie to me, "He still likes Alicia better."

Mother shook her head, "No, Alicia is just easier." I laughed at that and so did she, "It took a long time for me and Willy to find things to do together and he likes that Alicia is willing to make candy with him. There is something he can do with you too, just ask him and I'd be willing to bet my best guitar that he would do it."

I nodded, but I wasn't as sure as she was. She gave me an idea though and after she left I laid on my bed petting Pandora as I planned it out. It was overused and kind of childish, but it might be funny and I was surprised I've never done it before.