Wheeheeeheee, my computer is back and running... writingtiger will now return you back to your regularly scheduled reading

Througout the weekend, Tracy battled the ferocious cold. She was able to go to school on Monday, her nose was notciably red from being stuffed. Her eyes showed signs of being watery all weekend. That Monday morning she overslept, and had exactly ten minutes to get ready before the bus arrived. She ran down the street, and made it just time.

As soon as she got off the bus, Jan Thomas, the editor in cheif of the paper, ran to her. "Tracy, I need to get an interview with you. Is now a good time.? I have to get all of the canidates today becuase the paper goes to bed tonight."

"Goes to bed?" she asked confused. Going to bed was sounding like a good idea to her right then.

"Paper talk for setting it up," Jan clarified. "Can we sit down over here?" she motioned toward a bench.

"Sure," Tracy aggreed as she sniffled. She had taken some cold medicine in the frantic ten minues she had had, and it was making her really tired.

Jan asked her the questions she had been expecting, then one Tracy hadn't expected. "What are your feelings about going against Penny, your best friend?"

"She should win," Tracy yawned. "I'm sorry. I'm just so tired right now."

"Perfectly all right. We're going to get pictures of the canidates at lunch time in front of the fountain, okay?" Jan asked.

"I'll be there," Tracy promised.

It wasn't until the period before lunch, Tracy realized what shehad agreed to. Her sunburn was chapping off, her nose looked horrible, She was dressed in clothes she had literally picked up off the floor that morning. The bell rang for lunch. Tracy was looking through the hallways for a good hiding place when she ran into Penny.

"There you are. Prom pictures are this way," Penny grabbed her hand toward the front doors.

"I don't want to get my picture taken. I look rotten," Tracy groaned, trying to go the oppisite direction.

"Tracy, you look fine," Penny reassured her.

"Penny, if you are my friend, you will let me go hide right now," Tracy declared as they reached the doors.

"There they are," she head Jan chirp.

Tracy reluctantly posed with the rest of the girls, faking a smile. Her only genuine smile the whole time was when the queens got to pose with the kings. Link could always make her feel better. She was still so tired that Link drove her home, missing fourth period again.

"You are going to get in so much trouble," Tracy said.

"You're worth it doll," he said as he parked his car and grabbed her bag. He helped Tracy up the stairs.

"What happened?" Wilbur asked as he ran out of the shop.

"Tracy's really sleepy, so I brought her home," Link explained as he helped her inside. Tracy didn't even make it to her room, instead flopping on the couch. She was out in an instant. Wilbur went into the kitchen, and emerged with the bottle Tracy had left on the counter that morning. "These would be enough to make anyone tired," Wilbur chuckled. Tracy had taken sleeping pills instead of the cold medicine.

Wilbur let Tracy sleep until it was time for her to be up for the show. He didn't want her to be mad if she missed it. She was still acting sleepy, but seemed much more alert then she had when Link brought her home. He drove her down to the station. Edna was already there. Even though she was temporary, Maybelle seemed keen that Edna be at the production meetings and get a taste of what it was like to be permanent on the show.

"Link, have you seen Tracy?" Edna asked, scanning the crowd of council members. Tracy's mirror looked untouched. "I'm here, Ma," she heard someone call behind her.

"Tracy, where have you been?" Edna asked.

"Home. I'll explain later," Tracy insisted as she grabbed a can of Ultra Clutch.

"How come you came from home instead of school?" Edna persisted.

"Ma, it's a long story," Tracy brushed it off as she dabbed on some eyeliner.

"Tracy, are you okay?" Edna worried.

Tracy stopped, and placed a hand on her mother's arm. "Quit acting like my mother," she said with a smile, and ran onto the stage.

Edna watched the monitors backstage like a hawk. Tracy missed a step here and there.Tracy never did that. Despite what Tracy said, Edna was always her mother first, and those missed steps concerned her.She knew Tracy hadn't been feeling well. Could Tracy be getting worse? Edna fretted as she waited in the wings for the show to end.

The minute the show was off the air, Edna rushed to her daughter. "Tracy, you haven't been dancing like you normally do. What's the matter? Should we take you to the doctor?" Edna wondered.

"Ma, I'm fine. I just took some sleeping pills."

"What?"

"I thought they were cold medicine. I'm a little tired, but I'll be fine. Don't worry about me so much," Tracy insisted.

"Edna, it's your time. Good luck," Maybelle said, patting her on the back.

By the end of practice, Tracy wished her mother would treat her a little more like her daughter. Edna had been demanding enough to give Velma VonTussle a run for her money.

"Tracy, can I talk to you for a little bit?" Maybelle asked after practice.

"Sure," Tracy said following her to her office.

"Tracy, I haven't had a chance to ask you. How do you feel about your mom being on the show?"

"First she's treating me like her daughter, then you saw how harsh she was on me at practice. I'm not sure I like this," Tracy said as Maybelle started to laugh.

"I'm sorry, Tracy," Maybelle said calming down. "Mothers will always be mothers first. Your mom was harsh on you today becuase you're one of the best. In case you didn't notice she was that way with all the other council kids too, at least the ones with talent. I hate to say it, but you guys were getting kind of sloppy under my watch. Corny and I were pretty impressed."

"How long are you going to have her on the show?" Tracy asked.

"I don't know yet. So is having her here something you're okay with?"

"Yes," Tracy said. Maybelle did have some good points.