Part Ten:
That day, I felt like a freak. Everyone was staring and whispering about
me. At lunch, I had to hide out in the library just like before.
I was surprised when J.T. found me. Toby wasn't with him: he was alone.
"Hey, Manny," he said. He was real casual about it, and I was relieved.
But then he started to talk about what happened. "I wasn't at the game, but...
well, I heard what happened."
"I don't want to talk about it," I said quickly. "It's so humiliating. The
Spirit Squad suspended me, and everyone's talking about it."
"Manny?" he said carefully. "What really happened out there?" I had never
seen this side to J.T. Yorke before: he was being so mature.
But I couldn't tell him. I just shook my head. He said, "Everyone knows,
Manny."
I felt the tears fill my eyes once again. "J.T., I don't know what to do.
It's just..." Now that I wanted to talk, I didn't know what to say. I just
started to cry. J.T. hugged me: he's such a good friend.
After lunch, I went to the nurse and said I felt sick. She took my temp:
"Oh, my goodness!" she exclaimed. "94.7. That's much too low." She called
my parents.
I expected Mama to pick me up, but it was Father who came instead. He
led me out to the car in silence, and for the first few minutes of our ride
home, I contemplated telling him.
I realized what had happened: I'd wanted control. I'd wanted to have control
of my life. But now everything was out of control. I was suspended from the
Spirit Squad, and what little trust my parents had in me was gone.
I found myself spilling the whole story to Father. He stared straight ahead
as he listened. Does he understand? I thought.
When we got home, Father looked at me and hugged me. "You're not my little
girl anymore," he realized. "Your mother and I have been talking. We're going
to make some changes."
"Really?"
"But," he said. "You must have your homework done every night by nine. Is
that clear?"
I sighed in relief. "Yes, Father." No problem, I thought.
"Now," he said. "About this dating..."
"It's not a big deal, Father," I insisted. "It's not like I've ever kissed
a boy or-"
"Okay, okay," Father said quickly, turning red. The topic embarressed him.
"Well, you are in high school now. You may date."
I had to keep from squealing. I was feeling better already.
Then Father sighed. "We must do something about this eatting..."
I nodded. "You know, it's so ironic: I wanted to have control, but now
everything feels out of control. You know?"
He knew. And things were starting to feel like the old days again.
Over the next couple of months, I gained the freedom I'd really wanted.
After awhile, my eatting went back to normal, though Father insisted that
I see a nutrionist every week. I didn't mind.
When Paige saw that I was doing better, she let me back on the Spirit Squad.
I didn't even have to lie to Father about practices anymore.
I also gained more respect from Emma. Sadly, I knew that the rift in our
friendship would never heal. But J.T. and I were now closer then ever, and
I wonder if it could develope into something more...
All in all, everything in my life was going great...
I finally had my control.
Read and review. Thanks!
That day, I felt like a freak. Everyone was staring and whispering about
me. At lunch, I had to hide out in the library just like before.
I was surprised when J.T. found me. Toby wasn't with him: he was alone.
"Hey, Manny," he said. He was real casual about it, and I was relieved.
But then he started to talk about what happened. "I wasn't at the game, but...
well, I heard what happened."
"I don't want to talk about it," I said quickly. "It's so humiliating. The
Spirit Squad suspended me, and everyone's talking about it."
"Manny?" he said carefully. "What really happened out there?" I had never
seen this side to J.T. Yorke before: he was being so mature.
But I couldn't tell him. I just shook my head. He said, "Everyone knows,
Manny."
I felt the tears fill my eyes once again. "J.T., I don't know what to do.
It's just..." Now that I wanted to talk, I didn't know what to say. I just
started to cry. J.T. hugged me: he's such a good friend.
After lunch, I went to the nurse and said I felt sick. She took my temp:
"Oh, my goodness!" she exclaimed. "94.7. That's much too low." She called
my parents.
I expected Mama to pick me up, but it was Father who came instead. He
led me out to the car in silence, and for the first few minutes of our ride
home, I contemplated telling him.
I realized what had happened: I'd wanted control. I'd wanted to have control
of my life. But now everything was out of control. I was suspended from the
Spirit Squad, and what little trust my parents had in me was gone.
I found myself spilling the whole story to Father. He stared straight ahead
as he listened. Does he understand? I thought.
When we got home, Father looked at me and hugged me. "You're not my little
girl anymore," he realized. "Your mother and I have been talking. We're going
to make some changes."
"Really?"
"But," he said. "You must have your homework done every night by nine. Is
that clear?"
I sighed in relief. "Yes, Father." No problem, I thought.
"Now," he said. "About this dating..."
"It's not a big deal, Father," I insisted. "It's not like I've ever kissed
a boy or-"
"Okay, okay," Father said quickly, turning red. The topic embarressed him.
"Well, you are in high school now. You may date."
I had to keep from squealing. I was feeling better already.
Then Father sighed. "We must do something about this eatting..."
I nodded. "You know, it's so ironic: I wanted to have control, but now
everything feels out of control. You know?"
He knew. And things were starting to feel like the old days again.
Over the next couple of months, I gained the freedom I'd really wanted.
After awhile, my eatting went back to normal, though Father insisted that
I see a nutrionist every week. I didn't mind.
When Paige saw that I was doing better, she let me back on the Spirit Squad.
I didn't even have to lie to Father about practices anymore.
I also gained more respect from Emma. Sadly, I knew that the rift in our
friendship would never heal. But J.T. and I were now closer then ever, and
I wonder if it could develope into something more...
All in all, everything in my life was going great...
I finally had my control.
Read and review. Thanks!