Hi again! Sorry about another long wait, but I'd advise you all to expect that of me ... I had a very busy weekend. Anyhow, read, enjoy, review! (each one is optional but appreciated) Also, if it bugs you that I used the word dramatic several times about the same scene, well, it bugs me too, so please overlook it.

Cha. 12 Wanda's Plan

The entire house was silent. Mom was at her work, William was napping in the living room. Wanda had tip-toed into the living room and switched off the TV so that its blaring wouldn't effect her nerves. But she didn't need to worry; she was a brave little daredevil and she was going to do this ...

She slipped into Mrs. Li Andre's office and closed the door gently behind herself. Hands on her hips, the little Asian girl looked around cautiously. Then she took a deep breath and smiled smugly, inching her way over to the computer.

Her mother would never find this out; she would be at work till supper, and after that, she'd come home tuckered out and drop on the couch as soon as supper dishes were all set away and William had been put to bed. Supper was always around seven. That was typical on a working night. Wanda never complained anymore, because she had gotten used to the fact that her mother didn't take time for anyone but unexpected company if she came home from a day of work.

Now, this was a very simple plan. She had only tried to scare Arnold about helping her, really ... but it reminded her too much of Janet, so she had decided to do it all by herself without any advice. After all, she was pretty smart, and her dad would never guess the difference.

Slipping into the fat office chair, she reached for the mouse. When she tried clicking on her mother's account, she saw it.

A password!

With a groan, Wanda sank back into the chair. Of course-her mom always had a password. It was to keep William from messing with her account, which he used to love doing, before he knew how to handle a computer. He would delete folders and scribble into documents. Once, he had even sent off an email to one of her news-reporting friends by accident! And the receiver had written back very coldly to the email that "didn't make any sense". It had taken Mrs. Li Andre a whole month to regain her friend's trust in her.

With an impatient yawn, Wanda looked at the silver wallclock. She had half an hour before her mom would come home. What was she going to do? Try figuring out the password or just drop it and forget the plan? She pouted. There must be some other way to get her father's attention ... than write an urgent email. She slipped off the office chair slowly and yawned again.

She stopped in the middle of her yawn, which was unpleasant but pleasant in a different way because she had just thought of something else ... she could write it from her own address in her laptop! She could say her mother's computer had crashed or something, and she had to use Wanda's address. Yes, that was it!

And then I'll write such a frantic email that he'll buy a ticket and fly over here without a second thought, she decided, a smile lighting up her Asian features. And once he's here, I'll work out an excuse or something-and we'll spend two weeks of fun together, if he doesn't stay longer. I'll be the girl he wants me to be and so, he won't wanna leave again!

Without a second thought, and with the decision pressed firmly into her mind, she stole out of the office and ran up the stairs, taking two at a time. She was so excited and determined that she didn't think of the consequences or measured things over carefully. All she knew was, her daddy was going to be told that his daughter had but a few weeks to live and he would come back!

It's about fair, she reasoned with herself as she pulled out her laptop and flipped it open. She found her list of contacts and clicked her father's name. Dewy Li Andre-a handsome, intelligent man that needed to be reminded of his little daughter. "Let the email begin!" Wanda said dramatically, her eyes black and full of spirit. She started typing ... and didn't stop till she had finished the email before looking it over.

Dearest Dewy,

I'm regretful that I have to write you such bad news, but you need to know this. Poor little Wanda is dying, and she wants you to come see her before she goes. Oh Dewy, please hurry up and come right away, I need you so much. I don't know how I can face this on my own!

Wanda has a very high fever, and she's delirious at times right now. She calls for you constantly, but between times I can talk to her and reason with her. The doctors say there's nothing they can do. Dewy, this is killing me; please come and HURRY!

With love,

Selena

Wanda read the second sentence over and over again. "Poor little Wanda," she scoffed to her teddy bear. "Doesn't that sound just like a mother to you?" But she was too earnest to laugh over her false information and too desperate to think of how it would effect her poor father. She had written it quite dramatically, but she couldn't help herself. If death was the only thing that would bring her dad back to her and her mother and brother, then death it should be.

"I can't believe how I almost signed my name at the end of the letter," Wanda shivered, after she clicked the Send button. Satisfied, she leaned back in her chair and put on her headphones.

Half an hour later, William was complaining about when their mother was coming home and Wanda was placing a heated pizza on the table. When Mrs. Li Andre entered, Wanda released an unexpected giggle.

"What's funny?" her mother smiled, dropping a few shopping bags on the floor as she hugged her little son.

Wanda swallowed hard, scolding herself furiously. She couldn't let her mom know anything about this, or she'd be doomed! "Oh, just the look of surprise on your face when you saw how I ... I ... decorated the table!" she finished quickly, praying that it was decorated.

"Decorated the table?" The smile froze on her mother's face and her eyes looked puzzled. "Looks pretty plain to me. Unless you meant it to look pretty, then yes, I'm surprised, dear." She put an arm around her daughter and gave her rigid body a squeeze. She drew back and looked into Wanda's struggling face. "What's with the tension?"

"Huh? What? What tension?" Wanda sputtered, then bit her lip hard. This wasn't working out too well.

"Wanda?" Mrs. Li Andre's smile was kind, but her voice was gently urging. "Is there something you should tell me?"

Blood pounded into her face as she stumbled for the next words. She skipped over to her seat and said, "Nope-just hope you like the dessert."

Uh-oh! she realized with horror. I didn't MAKE any dessert! Her palms started to sweat as she smiled deceitfully at her mother.

Mrs. Li Andre's face lit up. "What a surprise that's gonna be," she said, sounding excited.

What a surprise, Wanda agreed, feeling rather terrible. What a cruel, cruel surprise.

Supper carried through just fine. Wanda's mother was almost too hungry to talk much, which was a relief. Wanda didn't trust herself to speak; she found that for the first time she was a weaselly wimp.

Then it was time for dessert. Mrs. Li Andre wiped her mouth with a napkin and told William to eat what was left on his plate before he could have dessert. Then she turned to Wanda, who was cringing inwardly to the depths of her soul. What are we gonna do, what are we gonna do, what are we-

"Well, what are we gonna do?" Mrs. Li Andre laughed.

Wanda jumped. Had Mom read her mind? She stared at her in disbelief.

"You were shaping your favorite panic phrase with your lips," she explained with a twinkle in her eye. "Don't worry, I'll love whatever you made, because it's what you-"

The phone rang right then, draining all the perspiration from Wanda's face in one sudden motion. She gasped quietly in relief, sinking back in her chair. Maybe while her mom phoned, she could quickly make something!

"I'll get it," Mrs. Li Andre said, picking up the phone. "Hello, Li Andre residence, Selena speaking."

Wanda got up and dashed past her mother into the kitchen, where she looked around frantically for the recipe book. She didn't get far, however, when she heard something that stopped her cold.

"Dewy? Is that you?" Mrs. Li Andre exclaimed in the dining room.

"Wanda!" William shouted happily. "It's Daddy!"

Dad! Wanda wanted to scream. She wanted to disappear! What kind of a mess have I gotten myself into this time? she groaned inwardly, not daring to move from her position. So she listened carefully to the remainder of the conversation, helpless to do anything else.

"Wanda? Oh ... she's fine ... yes, completely! Are you alright?" Her mother sounded confused, and Wanda sank down against the refrigerator, burying her face in her hands. "Dying? Dewy, what? ... no ... I'm desperate? She's delirious? Dewy, what are you talking about?"

Her life was finished. Wanda yielded herself to the grave that looked very comfortable at this moment.

"I didn't," poor Mrs. Li Andre insisted, sounding shocked. "A letter? Dewy, what's going on here? ... It was signed off with my name? Well, I'll be-listen. I'll talk to Wanda, alright? I get the feeling she might be the only one that knows what this is all about ... I know, me too, and that's why we have to straighten this out ... Dewy, please lower your voice a little!"

Wanda couldn't keep back the tears. They streamed down her cheeks and soaked into her hands. Oh, what had she done? What was she thinking? Oh, right-she hadn't been thinking at all-like usual. Wanda felt a bitter shame and anger toward herself, wishing ... dying to take back the letter she had written. Dad must have gone hysterical! she thought unhappily.

She cringed at the sad tone she heard in her mother's voice when she spoke again.

"Wanda, what did you do? Honey ... he was very upset."

Wanda didn't budge. Her mother came into the kitchen, holding the phone in her hands. She actually looked stern despite the sadness, and that wavered Wanda's courage. But she parted her lips to mutter, "I wasn't thinking."

"Oh, indeed, you weren't. What did you mean by upsetting your father like that?" Mrs. Li Andre's voice rose. "Didn't you think of how much it would hurt him to have you die?"

"But I wasn't planning to die!" Wanda wailed, looking up pleadingly.

"Then why did you write that e-mail?" Mrs. Li Andre asked quietly.

Wanda felt her lip quiver, and she tightened it. Without looking at her mother's blurry form, she got up and ran past her up the stairs. "I'm sorry, okay?" she sobbed as she threw open her bedroom door and pounced on her bed. Then she grabbed a pillow and cried into it.

She couldn't understand her sudden impulse of emotion. It came-wouldn't be stopped-and it just came. A torrent of tears ... for what? Wanting her dad's attention? No. It's because I'm so ashamed of how I treated him, she thought miserably. If I would've had a little BRAIN to use, I might have even thought of Dad having our phone number. But no, of course I didn't think of it!

Mrs. Li Andre had wanted to know what was bothering her daughter, what had possessed her to do such a thing; but Wanda couldn't get herself to say. It seemed ridiculous to tell her mother that she wanted her dad, and therefore she had written such a stupid e-mail and worked up a fright. No, she wouldn't tell her mom. She didn't see any use in it anyway-her dad wouldn't want to see her after this. He would be much too angry with her; her mother had asked him to lower his voice! He had never raised his voice to Wanda before, and she felt that he had this time, because what he said was certainly directed toward her.

"She says she's sorry," Mrs. Li Andre was saying helplessly downstairs. "Look, I'm sure she had a reason for-Dewy Li Andre, could you keep it down? If you keep yelling you'll wake William! ... No, I know you sound much quieter through the phone than you really are, but for goodness' sake-okay, that's it. You have to work it out with your daughter. I don't want to be in the middle of this, so you will have to talk to her yourself ... no, Dewy. Good-night!"

Wanda heard the crash of the phone in its cradle and involuntarily, a shudder passed through her body. Her mom was mad, too. But she wasn't sure at who. She gripped her pillow tighter and was relieved to death that she had locked her bedroom door.

...

Friday morning was more dreary than usual. Wanda lagged to school, feeling grumpy and tired. She had woken up constantly last night, in between horrible dreams. What they were about she wouldn't say, but they seasoned her day with a sour flavor. Pheobe tried to cheer her up first thing in the morning.

"Oh, Wanda, I hate to see you so down," she said compassionately. "I'm so sorry your plan didn't work. Really, Wanda."

"It's okay," Wanda mumbled, rummaging through her purse and standing close to her locker door.

Worry was evident in Pheobe's eyes. "But, you know that you have someone to talk to, don't you?" She hesitated. "Like me?"

Wanda turned to face her friend and forced a smile across her pouting face. "I know. Thanks, Pheeb."

Just then, Keesha came strutting by. "Hello, people," she said in her friendly way. She peered over Wanda's shoulder. "What's that?"

Wanda had printed out the e-mail she had written to her dad and it was lying folded in her hand. She meant to show it to Pheobe and Arnold so that they somehow could share her humiliation, but Keesha seemed the most interested in it so far. With a careless sigh, she gave it to Keesha.

After Keesha unfolded it and read it she looked up at Wanda, wide-eyed, before she burst out laughing. Pheobe looked horrified, and glanced worriedly at Wanda, to see how she's react.

Strangely enough, Wanda's heart lightened. She looked at Keesha for a few seconds, then a grin spread across her face. "May I see that?" she asked, peering over Keesha's shoulder this time. It did sound sort of dramatic, the way she had written the whole thing.

"Oh, Wanda!" Keesha laughed, wiping the tears off her cheeks. "You're so sweet! What would we do without you, girl? I just love you!"

Wanda giggled. She couldn't help it. And suddenly, she felt better. It really wasn't such a big deal. Sure, she had scared her dad nearly to wits' end, but he was probably only grumbling over it now, maybe even chuckling a bit over her urgent, dramatic pleadings. And there would be another way. She had the feeling there would.