Chapter 3

As Diane drove me home, she explained that Adam was going to be staying with Sam for a while and that his parents had enrolled him in Marbury for next semester.

"His dad got a job offer in Nevada and Adam wanted to stay closer to home, so Sam offered to let him stay with him." Diane went on.

"How old is he?"

"He's just turned sixteen. But he'll be in you're grade. He got held back a year after he went deaf."

I didn't want to pry, but I wondered how Adam had gone deaf. I knew it was none of my business, but I was still interested.

Diane pulled up to my house and I opened the door.

"Diane?" I said before getting out.

"Yeah?"

"Thanks. For you know, helping me."

"You're welcome."

I got out and closed the door behind me. I opened the door and walked into the kitchen. I heard laughter: an uncommon sound in my home.

I peaked my head into the living room to see my mother and Chris. That explained it.

Chris was my mom's boyfriend. He was a pediatric surgeon at Boston General where my mom works. She said that she bumped into him at the snack machine.

He got the last bag of kettle chips, which was what she had planned on getting. He offered to share the bag, and since she didn't have another patient for the next thirty minutes, she went against her instincts and accepted.

They went out on a few dates and saw each other alot at work, not too long after that she brought him home to meet Frederick and me.

I was already prepared for the fact that I wasn't going to like him. I didn't like any of the guys my mom brought home, and most of the time the feeling was mutual.

But Chris was different. He looked kinda funny with his balding head and his hipster style glasses even though he was in his late forties. He even had a sense of humor, a rare quality in my mother's companions. He just kinda fit into our family, like he belonged.

And three years later he was still here.

"Hey, Analeigh!" He greeted enthusiastically. " We were just about to play Scrabble. Would you like to join?"

I hated Scrabble, mainly because my vocabulary wasn't jam-packed with SAT words like the rest of my family. But, I was glad he offered.

"Actually, as tempting as that sounds, I think I'm gonna go to bed." I said. " Goodnight."

"Goodnight." They both said.

I logged onto my computer and did a Google search on Frasier Crane. Apparently, he was kind of a big deal on the west coast; he used to have his own radio show and now he was on TV. He was a Harvard graduate, a lover of the fine arts and very successful Freudian psychologist.

"Maybe that's why they got divorced," I mumbled, remembering my mother's great distaste for Frued's theories.

On some aspects, I agreed with my mother's practices in psychology: looking at things simply for what they are and taking them at face value. Rather than thinking that everything is linked to a traumatic childhood experience. But, in some cases that might just be the problem.

After getting his apartment number and building name from the whitepages, I turned off my computer and went to bed.


At long last, the final day of the semester was here. The hallways were practically empty considering that about half the school had decided to start their winter break early. Since there were so few students and the teachers were past the point of caring, it took advantage of the relaxed rules and stayed in one classroom the whole day.

Most kids would hate being stuck in one classroom all day, but it was my favorite class and my favorite teacher: Mrs. Culver's Debate class.

Even though I didn't have debate team until the last class of the day, she said I could stay. I mainly helped her clean up and organize text books. I really enjoyed being in her classroom. This classroom was really like home to me. I had had Mrs. Culver for advanced English last year, and now as a sophomore, I was in her debate class. Mrs. Culver was just so funny and kind, and not just as a teacher but as a human being in general. I kind of considered her friend almost. I knew that I could always talk to her.

But, I decided to keep the recent news about my father to myself for now.

When the day was over, I wished Mrs. Culver a happy holiday season and went to the carpool line.

My mom picked me up and we drove home.

"How was you're day?"

"It was good; peaceful. I spent the whole day in 's room."

"Of course." She laughed. "You've always loved her."

I had my mom drop me off at Cheers on her way back to work. I walked in to the bar and sat on the counter.

"How's it going Sammy?" I asked as I reached over the counter and into the fridge to get a Coke.

"Pretty good, Analeigh."

"Hey, Analeigh!" Carla called.

"Yeah?" I called back.

" Would you mind helping me out? This place is packed and Diane took the day off."

"I don't know..."

"You can keep the tips."

"Okay!" I put on an apron and started serving.

Before I knew it, three hours had passed and I had made close to one hundred dollars in tips. As I came back from serving a couple of beers in the pool room, I walked over to the bar to fill the next order. Then my mom walked in, I she must have gotten off early from work.

I panicked, setting down the tray and notepad and started to untie the apron.

"Analeigh Danielle Sternin!" My mother called, I knew I was in trouble. "What are you doing?"

"Um. nothing?" I stammered.

Carla came in from the office, and as soon as she saw my mom she turned back around.

"Carla, come back here!" My mother called.

"Look, Lilith-" She started.

"Carla, I have told you that I do not want you using my daughter as free labor."

"I was getting the tips."

"I don't care. One, it's illegal for a minor to serve alcohol. Two, I do not want my daughter to think that this is a valid career option."

"Mother!" I said. I couldn't believe she was being so rude to Carla. I knew I had to think of something to help Carla from the wrath of my mother. "You should be thanking Carla!"

"And why is that?"

"Because..." I stammered. "Because she was teaching me a life lesson."

"Oh really?" My mother feigned mock- interest."

"That's right." I said, the story starting to come together in my head. " I told Carla that I was thinking about getting on the pill because I was planning on becoming sexually active with a boy from school. She told me that I need to wait to have sex until I'm married because sometimes the pill doesn't work and I could get pregnant... and if I got pregnant the dad would probably leave me... and I would end up having to work here because I didn't have a high school diploma. To prove a point she decided to have me work and realize just how hard being a waitress is." I turned to Carla. " Thank you Carla. I know now that I will most definitely be staying abstinent until I get married after college."

"Good." Was all Carla could say.

"Oh, well..." My mother said, taken aback by my well told story. " In that case, thank you Carla. I appreciate it. And I apologize for my harsh judgement."

"Don't mention it."

I went back into the office with Carla.

"That was quite a show, kid."

"Thank you." I bowed.

"But for real, I can't thank you enough for covering for me. I owe you one."

"How about you give me twenty and we call it even?"

"Deal." She smiled.