"Seth! What were you thinking? Taking your sister to some party, and then
you run the car into a post somewhere? Where was your head?" Sandy Cohen
was perplexed as to how his son could do such a thing.
"I guess---I don't know. I guess I just caught up in the moment, Dad." Seth really didn't know what to say.
"You know your sister is way too young for parties like that. And I thought you were a more responsible driver than that. This is disappointing" Sandy finished.
"How could you just hit a pole, Seth?" His mother asked.
"Ah---well, you see that's a very good question. And---the simple answer is that---um, well, a deer jumped out in front of me." Abby knew that her parents wouldn't even fall for that one.
"And somehow you came away unhurt?" Sandy pressed further.
"Yeah, so what?" Seth replied.
"You're sister has a cut on her head, and you aren't hurt a bit." Kirsten began connecting the dots.
"She wasn't wearing her seatbelt. I was." Seth tried to save Abby. It didn't work.
"Abby, were you driving?" Sandy asked turned to his daughter. His voice was serious. She stood with her arms crossed in a defensive position. Soon she cracked.
"I'm sorry, Dad. I don't know what I was doing. I didn't mean to---."
"Abigail. You know we can't just let you get away with this, right? The car can be fixed easy enough, but it's the principal. You're grounded for a month starting now, and that means no phone or internet as well. Got it?" She nodded signifying that she understood. "Now go upstairs." She did as she was told, and Kirsten went off to make a phone call.
"Why did you try to cover for her?" Sandy looked at Seth. His son had his hands in his pockets. He looked vulnerable.
"I didn't want her to get in trouble. She was already in enough pain from doing what she did. Those kinds of things can have extreme psychological effects on a kid. I've read about them." Seth replied.
"Really? Well, it was nice of you to do. But don't ever lie to me again."
"Gotcha, don't lie. Does that include stuff like telling you something looks good on you, when it really doesn't?"
"Seth!"
"Sorry. Just thought I'd ask. Don't have to get all PMS on me." Seth grabbed a soda from the fridge, and walked upstairs. Sandy rolled his eyes. Kirsten emerged now, and Sandy approached her. He wrapped his arms around her.
"What is wrong with our kids? Abigail used to be so good."
"I know. But I guess they just grow up. I'm sure our parents though the same of us." Sandy began kissing her.
"I guess. So what do you want to do, now that the kids are all in bed?" Sandy asked.
"I don't know. I have some contractor stuff to sort out though." She kissed his lips and laughed a little. "I suppose it can wait though." She took his hand and the two went upstairs.
-----
Abby sat on her bed, with her legs curled up, pen and journal in hand. She dated the top of the first empty page, and began to write.
Dear Journal,
Today, I stole a car. Well, not exactly but I did wreck a car. I took the keys from Seth at the party tonight, and I tried to drive home. That didn't exactly work. I kinda hit a pole. But Seth and Ryan were there to rescue me. Ryan drove us home, and Seth fussed over me. Brothers can be so annoying sometimes. Ryan looked really cute today. He had on his usual tank top, but another shirt over it. It was blue I think. He did something with his hair too. He needs to forget Marissa, she's never gonna go for him. Luke's never gonna let her. But, whatever.
So school was crap as usual. My math teacher told me that if I didn't start working I'd fail this term. Report cards come out in a few weeks. Who has time for homework though? And in class all they do is drone on endlessly. I could do all the stuff, but it's just so boring. Who cares?
Well, Goodnight!
Abigail Cohen.
-----
A pebble bounced off of Seth's window and he woke from a light sleep. He'd dozed off reading again. He walked over to the window and pulled back the curtain. He looked down to see a blonde speck.
"Can Seth come out and play?" A familiar voice asked. He knew immediately who it was and took off like a rocket down the stairs. He came bounding down the driveway, like an elated five year old. He rounded the corner. There stood Anna Stern. "Long time no see, Cohen."
"Yeah---yeah, the same." He stuttered. "Where have you been? You said you'd come back when school started?" She smiled noting that he'd missed her.
"Well, my family went on this big travel kick, and I ended up going to the Caribbean for a bit. I'm back now though." She smiled. He smiled. They smiled at each other, not really sure what to say.
"Well, it's really great that you're---", his words were cut short as Anna moved a few steps closer and kissed him. Not just a peck, but a kiss, a real kiss. She moved closer and put her arms around his neck. Surprised, pleasantly, although surprised nonetheless, he wrapped his arms around her waist. It lasted but a moment, but it was electric. She stepped back and smiled.
"I missed you, Cohen." She turned and walked of in the direction she had come from.
Seth stood there. If he were a cartoon character, his jaw would be on the ground. Wow. Anna Stern was back. The girl really knew how to make a reemergence.
-----
"I guess---I don't know. I guess I just caught up in the moment, Dad." Seth really didn't know what to say.
"You know your sister is way too young for parties like that. And I thought you were a more responsible driver than that. This is disappointing" Sandy finished.
"How could you just hit a pole, Seth?" His mother asked.
"Ah---well, you see that's a very good question. And---the simple answer is that---um, well, a deer jumped out in front of me." Abby knew that her parents wouldn't even fall for that one.
"And somehow you came away unhurt?" Sandy pressed further.
"Yeah, so what?" Seth replied.
"You're sister has a cut on her head, and you aren't hurt a bit." Kirsten began connecting the dots.
"She wasn't wearing her seatbelt. I was." Seth tried to save Abby. It didn't work.
"Abby, were you driving?" Sandy asked turned to his daughter. His voice was serious. She stood with her arms crossed in a defensive position. Soon she cracked.
"I'm sorry, Dad. I don't know what I was doing. I didn't mean to---."
"Abigail. You know we can't just let you get away with this, right? The car can be fixed easy enough, but it's the principal. You're grounded for a month starting now, and that means no phone or internet as well. Got it?" She nodded signifying that she understood. "Now go upstairs." She did as she was told, and Kirsten went off to make a phone call.
"Why did you try to cover for her?" Sandy looked at Seth. His son had his hands in his pockets. He looked vulnerable.
"I didn't want her to get in trouble. She was already in enough pain from doing what she did. Those kinds of things can have extreme psychological effects on a kid. I've read about them." Seth replied.
"Really? Well, it was nice of you to do. But don't ever lie to me again."
"Gotcha, don't lie. Does that include stuff like telling you something looks good on you, when it really doesn't?"
"Seth!"
"Sorry. Just thought I'd ask. Don't have to get all PMS on me." Seth grabbed a soda from the fridge, and walked upstairs. Sandy rolled his eyes. Kirsten emerged now, and Sandy approached her. He wrapped his arms around her.
"What is wrong with our kids? Abigail used to be so good."
"I know. But I guess they just grow up. I'm sure our parents though the same of us." Sandy began kissing her.
"I guess. So what do you want to do, now that the kids are all in bed?" Sandy asked.
"I don't know. I have some contractor stuff to sort out though." She kissed his lips and laughed a little. "I suppose it can wait though." She took his hand and the two went upstairs.
-----
Abby sat on her bed, with her legs curled up, pen and journal in hand. She dated the top of the first empty page, and began to write.
Dear Journal,
Today, I stole a car. Well, not exactly but I did wreck a car. I took the keys from Seth at the party tonight, and I tried to drive home. That didn't exactly work. I kinda hit a pole. But Seth and Ryan were there to rescue me. Ryan drove us home, and Seth fussed over me. Brothers can be so annoying sometimes. Ryan looked really cute today. He had on his usual tank top, but another shirt over it. It was blue I think. He did something with his hair too. He needs to forget Marissa, she's never gonna go for him. Luke's never gonna let her. But, whatever.
So school was crap as usual. My math teacher told me that if I didn't start working I'd fail this term. Report cards come out in a few weeks. Who has time for homework though? And in class all they do is drone on endlessly. I could do all the stuff, but it's just so boring. Who cares?
Well, Goodnight!
Abigail Cohen.
-----
A pebble bounced off of Seth's window and he woke from a light sleep. He'd dozed off reading again. He walked over to the window and pulled back the curtain. He looked down to see a blonde speck.
"Can Seth come out and play?" A familiar voice asked. He knew immediately who it was and took off like a rocket down the stairs. He came bounding down the driveway, like an elated five year old. He rounded the corner. There stood Anna Stern. "Long time no see, Cohen."
"Yeah---yeah, the same." He stuttered. "Where have you been? You said you'd come back when school started?" She smiled noting that he'd missed her.
"Well, my family went on this big travel kick, and I ended up going to the Caribbean for a bit. I'm back now though." She smiled. He smiled. They smiled at each other, not really sure what to say.
"Well, it's really great that you're---", his words were cut short as Anna moved a few steps closer and kissed him. Not just a peck, but a kiss, a real kiss. She moved closer and put her arms around his neck. Surprised, pleasantly, although surprised nonetheless, he wrapped his arms around her waist. It lasted but a moment, but it was electric. She stepped back and smiled.
"I missed you, Cohen." She turned and walked of in the direction she had come from.
Seth stood there. If he were a cartoon character, his jaw would be on the ground. Wow. Anna Stern was back. The girl really knew how to make a reemergence.
-----