"That's very nice, Miss Cohen." The math teacher handed her the test she'd
taken a week ago. She looked down on the white paper, afraid of what the
red ink would say. To her surprise, it read in capital letters, "A". She
smiled a little bit, just letting it sink in. It'd been a long time since
she'd gotten a good grade. It'd been a long time since she tried her best
at anything. She forgot how wonderful it felt.
The rest of the day flew past like a flash. She walked from class to class at Harbor School, actually enjoying it. The final bell surprised her, as everyone else in the class gathered their things and left in a hurry. American Literature was her last class, and her teacher had his eye on her. He'd noticed her grade increase in the last few weeks too. She just sat there for a second, and he approached her desk.
"Abigail? Can I talk to you?" She nodded in response. "I have noticed that you've been putting more effort into all your work lately and I'd like to tell you you've been doing a great job. You have such potential, and it's good to see you use it. I was wondering if you'd like to join the yearbook committee. Would that interest you?" He gave her a thoughtful look.
"I---I guess. I mean, it could be fun. When do you meet?" She responded.
"We meet right here, every Thursday, at 3:15. So you have about 5 minutes 'till the meeting starts." He smiled. "Okay?"
"Sure, I'll just sit here and do some homework." She smiled back.
-----
Summer grabbed all of her stuff and rushed out the door, throwing her purse up over her shoulder and pushing a piece of hair behind her ear.
"Stupid, Mr. Johnson. Biology this, advanced chemistry that. If you want to get into a good college you need to focus on your studies, summer."
She imitated his voice. She was not having a good day. She shuffled some books around in her arms as she made her way into the ladies room. Slamming her stuff down on the counter she ranted at herself as she reapplied her mascara, lipstick and eye shadow.
"Stupid teachers make me stay after when I could be on my way to a party. Who do they think they are? I can handle my own life." She fumed and grabbed her books again, slamming open the swinging door. Making her way away from the school, she fished for her keys. She heard hurried footsteps behind her, but didn't stop to see what they were. Abby ran up beside her.
"Summer, hey! What's up?" Abby asked.
"Not much, just stayed after a bit. How about you?" Summer fiddled with her keys in the door.
"I started yearbook committee today, so I stayed after."
"Oh cool. Really sorry, but I kind of have to go." Summer said unenthusiastically.
"Well---I was hoping I could maybe get a ride home. I tried calling my parents and Seth but none of them would answer." Summer sighed.
"I guess so. You are kind of on my way. Hop in." She motioned to the other side of the car. Abby smiled.
On the drive home, Abby was silent. Summer broke this lack of speech.
"So, I haven't seen you around at any of the parties lately. Where have you been?"
"I've been around. I've been trying to do some stuff at school lately. I actually haven't been to a party in quite a while." Her answer was monotone.
"You aren't gonna be like your brother now, are you? All nerdy and caring about the educational parts of school?"
"I don't know." Abby shrugged.
"Well, here it is. See ya later." Summer added as she pulled up.
"Thanks, Summer." Abby replied, waving and shutting the door.
-----
She expected to find an empty house as she turned the key in the door. But instead, Abby was greeted by the delicious scent of macaroni and cheese. She dropped her books at the door and hurried to the kitchen where she found Seth making the cheesy delight.
"What are you doing?" She asked a little dismayed. He turned to her noticing her presence. He kind of waved and began to talk.
"Mom and Dad had to work late, so they aren't coming home again. I figured you needed a good home cooked meal. It'll be ready in a minute or two." He smiled.
"Okay." She pulled out a chair from the dinner table. Soon he returned with two bowls of the food.
"I know I'm not Chef Emeril, but I hope it tastes okay." Abby was silent as she took the first few bites.
"It's good." She nodded. He looked relieved and continued eating.
"So, how was school?" He asked. He wasn't very good at this whole 'adult' thing.
"It was good actually. I joined the yearbook."
"Really, that's cool. I took some pictures for them last year." There was a silence that filled the room. "So, I noticed you haven't been going to any parties, and it seems like you are studying."
"Yeah, I talked with Summer about that today."
"You talked to Summer today?" He stammered.
"Yeah, she gave me a ride home because my big brother and my parents were unreachable." She said a bit harshly.
"I was here all afternoon."
"Well, you didn't answer the phone, did you?" She seemed overly angry to Seth.
"I'm sorry I didn't hear the phone ring. I was probably listening to Death Cab. You know how I like my Death Cab."
"Yeah, whatever." She stared straight down at her bowl and picked at her food.
"Is there something else, Abby?"
"No---no." She responded.
"Are you sure? This act is not convincing anyone." He attempted to get her to tell him. After a long pause she sighed and put down her fork.
"What's up with Mom and Dad lately? They are never here anymore. They are always out at work, or some function. They don't pay attention to us. You have to cook macaroni and baby-sit your little sister. When they are here, they don't even care. I've been working my butt off in school, and neither of them seems to notice."
"Abby, I don't know what's going on with them, but I don't think of it as baby-sitting you. You are certainly old enough to take care of yourself. I want to spend time with you. Especially, lately. You've changed."
"Yeah, well if Mom and Dad don't even notice, what's the point?"
"You shouldn't do thing to get the credit for them, you should do them because it is the right thing to do; the right thing for your future. You know you can always talk to me too." He replied.
"Yeah, I guess." She faked a smile.
"You wanna watch a movie?" Seth asked taking her dirty dishes and throwing them in the sink.
"Sure. What do you wanna see?" She asked trying to be more pleasant. He walked over to the wooden DVD cabinet and scanned the alphabetized selection.
"How about this one?" He asked as he held up a box.
"That looks good." She smiled, but more genuinely. It's the great pumpkin, Charlie Brown. She chuckled a bit at his choice. She didn't understand what Summer thought was so repulsive about him. She was reminded of all their good times together, and how much she'd missed her brother.
The rest of the day flew past like a flash. She walked from class to class at Harbor School, actually enjoying it. The final bell surprised her, as everyone else in the class gathered their things and left in a hurry. American Literature was her last class, and her teacher had his eye on her. He'd noticed her grade increase in the last few weeks too. She just sat there for a second, and he approached her desk.
"Abigail? Can I talk to you?" She nodded in response. "I have noticed that you've been putting more effort into all your work lately and I'd like to tell you you've been doing a great job. You have such potential, and it's good to see you use it. I was wondering if you'd like to join the yearbook committee. Would that interest you?" He gave her a thoughtful look.
"I---I guess. I mean, it could be fun. When do you meet?" She responded.
"We meet right here, every Thursday, at 3:15. So you have about 5 minutes 'till the meeting starts." He smiled. "Okay?"
"Sure, I'll just sit here and do some homework." She smiled back.
-----
Summer grabbed all of her stuff and rushed out the door, throwing her purse up over her shoulder and pushing a piece of hair behind her ear.
"Stupid, Mr. Johnson. Biology this, advanced chemistry that. If you want to get into a good college you need to focus on your studies, summer."
She imitated his voice. She was not having a good day. She shuffled some books around in her arms as she made her way into the ladies room. Slamming her stuff down on the counter she ranted at herself as she reapplied her mascara, lipstick and eye shadow.
"Stupid teachers make me stay after when I could be on my way to a party. Who do they think they are? I can handle my own life." She fumed and grabbed her books again, slamming open the swinging door. Making her way away from the school, she fished for her keys. She heard hurried footsteps behind her, but didn't stop to see what they were. Abby ran up beside her.
"Summer, hey! What's up?" Abby asked.
"Not much, just stayed after a bit. How about you?" Summer fiddled with her keys in the door.
"I started yearbook committee today, so I stayed after."
"Oh cool. Really sorry, but I kind of have to go." Summer said unenthusiastically.
"Well---I was hoping I could maybe get a ride home. I tried calling my parents and Seth but none of them would answer." Summer sighed.
"I guess so. You are kind of on my way. Hop in." She motioned to the other side of the car. Abby smiled.
On the drive home, Abby was silent. Summer broke this lack of speech.
"So, I haven't seen you around at any of the parties lately. Where have you been?"
"I've been around. I've been trying to do some stuff at school lately. I actually haven't been to a party in quite a while." Her answer was monotone.
"You aren't gonna be like your brother now, are you? All nerdy and caring about the educational parts of school?"
"I don't know." Abby shrugged.
"Well, here it is. See ya later." Summer added as she pulled up.
"Thanks, Summer." Abby replied, waving and shutting the door.
-----
She expected to find an empty house as she turned the key in the door. But instead, Abby was greeted by the delicious scent of macaroni and cheese. She dropped her books at the door and hurried to the kitchen where she found Seth making the cheesy delight.
"What are you doing?" She asked a little dismayed. He turned to her noticing her presence. He kind of waved and began to talk.
"Mom and Dad had to work late, so they aren't coming home again. I figured you needed a good home cooked meal. It'll be ready in a minute or two." He smiled.
"Okay." She pulled out a chair from the dinner table. Soon he returned with two bowls of the food.
"I know I'm not Chef Emeril, but I hope it tastes okay." Abby was silent as she took the first few bites.
"It's good." She nodded. He looked relieved and continued eating.
"So, how was school?" He asked. He wasn't very good at this whole 'adult' thing.
"It was good actually. I joined the yearbook."
"Really, that's cool. I took some pictures for them last year." There was a silence that filled the room. "So, I noticed you haven't been going to any parties, and it seems like you are studying."
"Yeah, I talked with Summer about that today."
"You talked to Summer today?" He stammered.
"Yeah, she gave me a ride home because my big brother and my parents were unreachable." She said a bit harshly.
"I was here all afternoon."
"Well, you didn't answer the phone, did you?" She seemed overly angry to Seth.
"I'm sorry I didn't hear the phone ring. I was probably listening to Death Cab. You know how I like my Death Cab."
"Yeah, whatever." She stared straight down at her bowl and picked at her food.
"Is there something else, Abby?"
"No---no." She responded.
"Are you sure? This act is not convincing anyone." He attempted to get her to tell him. After a long pause she sighed and put down her fork.
"What's up with Mom and Dad lately? They are never here anymore. They are always out at work, or some function. They don't pay attention to us. You have to cook macaroni and baby-sit your little sister. When they are here, they don't even care. I've been working my butt off in school, and neither of them seems to notice."
"Abby, I don't know what's going on with them, but I don't think of it as baby-sitting you. You are certainly old enough to take care of yourself. I want to spend time with you. Especially, lately. You've changed."
"Yeah, well if Mom and Dad don't even notice, what's the point?"
"You shouldn't do thing to get the credit for them, you should do them because it is the right thing to do; the right thing for your future. You know you can always talk to me too." He replied.
"Yeah, I guess." She faked a smile.
"You wanna watch a movie?" Seth asked taking her dirty dishes and throwing them in the sink.
"Sure. What do you wanna see?" She asked trying to be more pleasant. He walked over to the wooden DVD cabinet and scanned the alphabetized selection.
"How about this one?" He asked as he held up a box.
"That looks good." She smiled, but more genuinely. It's the great pumpkin, Charlie Brown. She chuckled a bit at his choice. She didn't understand what Summer thought was so repulsive about him. She was reminded of all their good times together, and how much she'd missed her brother.