Haley quickly closed the door behind her and peered out the window, her
hand resting on the cool glass, watching as Nathan drove out of sight. For
a reason unbeknown to even her, she smiled...again. She couldn't recall a
time where she had smiled that much in the time span of a few minutes, but
it was infectious.
Taking her jacket off and hanging it in a nearby closet, she walked into the kitchen to get a glass of water.
She stopped abruptly at the sight in front of her. "Mom, dad? What are you doing home so early? I thought you guys were gone for the weekend."
Mrs. James..or Rose as most people would normally call her, stood up and held out her arms, enveloping her daughter in a hug. "Haley, you're all wet." She stated, taking all of her daughter's wet hair and squeezing it out onto the floor. "North Carolina rain is definitely something you don't want to get caught in. I'll tell you one time when I was your age-"
"Mom, stop changing the subject." Rose sighed and looked sadly at her daughter, and then over at her husband, Robert.
"Sit down, princess." Robert said softly, patting the seat next to him.
Haley did as she was told and looked at both of her parents. They had that look. The same look they always get when something bad has happened..or when something bad is going to happen. She wasn't exactly sure if she wanted to hear what that was.
"Well sweetie, as you know, your father was on a business trip this weekend and I decided to go with him." Rose started.
"Uh apparently yeah, considering you haven't been home for the past three days."
"Haley, don't get smart." Her father said sternly.
Haley looked down at her hands. "Sorry."
"Like I was saying." Rose continued, "We went on this business trip and we have some bad news." She was being hesitant, and Haley didn't like that one bit. "Robert I can't tell her. You tell her."
"Tell me what?" She looked at both of her parents who didn't say a word. "TELL ME WHAT?" Haley was beginning to get annoyed. She just wanted them to spit it out. "Will you please just tell me?"
"I lost my job." Her father stated quickly, looking down at the wooden table.
"Tell me you didn't just say that." Haley peered over at him, and how the table was still the only thing he was staring at. She then looked over at her mother. "Mom?"
"I'm sorry Haley, but it's true." She cupped Haley's hands in hers and rubbed her thumbs over her knuckles. "We um, we figured we'd tell you because there's something else."
Haley nodded her head, her breath catching in her throat. This obviously wasn't good. She could feel it. It was lingering in the air and could be cut like a knife. The tension was practically strangling her.
"Since your father is the one who brings in the largest income, we depend on his money intake for a lot of things." She stopped for a moment and Haley nodded once again.
"Okay, so what do I have to give up? My phone line, my cable TV, my internet, it's alright mom, we'll just have to work with it until he gets a new job."
Rose shook her head and bit her lip. "No sweetie, it's not as easy as that."
Haley's brow furrowed. "What do you mean?"
Sighing, Rose squeezed her hand and nervously shuffled her feet underneath the table. "One of the main things your father's income pays for is your tuition." She looked over at Robert and then back at Haley. "I'm so sorry, Haley but we're going to have to send you to public school."
Haley abruptly stood up from the table. "What? No, you can't!"
"Haley, we don't have a choice! The monthly payments are just too much. We can't afford it any longer."
Haley looked over at her father. "Daddy, do something." She whispered, tears threatening to spill onto her cheeks.
"Your mother's right. There's nothing we can do." He watched as his daughter began to cry and felt himself break apart. This was going to be hard on all of them. They would no longer be able to live as well as they had been. Everything would have to be cut into a strict budget until he could get a new job. "It's for the best, Haley."
"You have no idea what's the best for me! You're never even home enough to know!" She screamed as she ran up the stairs and slammed the door behind her.
She fell onto her bed and cried herself to sleep.
Taking her jacket off and hanging it in a nearby closet, she walked into the kitchen to get a glass of water.
She stopped abruptly at the sight in front of her. "Mom, dad? What are you doing home so early? I thought you guys were gone for the weekend."
Mrs. James..or Rose as most people would normally call her, stood up and held out her arms, enveloping her daughter in a hug. "Haley, you're all wet." She stated, taking all of her daughter's wet hair and squeezing it out onto the floor. "North Carolina rain is definitely something you don't want to get caught in. I'll tell you one time when I was your age-"
"Mom, stop changing the subject." Rose sighed and looked sadly at her daughter, and then over at her husband, Robert.
"Sit down, princess." Robert said softly, patting the seat next to him.
Haley did as she was told and looked at both of her parents. They had that look. The same look they always get when something bad has happened..or when something bad is going to happen. She wasn't exactly sure if she wanted to hear what that was.
"Well sweetie, as you know, your father was on a business trip this weekend and I decided to go with him." Rose started.
"Uh apparently yeah, considering you haven't been home for the past three days."
"Haley, don't get smart." Her father said sternly.
Haley looked down at her hands. "Sorry."
"Like I was saying." Rose continued, "We went on this business trip and we have some bad news." She was being hesitant, and Haley didn't like that one bit. "Robert I can't tell her. You tell her."
"Tell me what?" She looked at both of her parents who didn't say a word. "TELL ME WHAT?" Haley was beginning to get annoyed. She just wanted them to spit it out. "Will you please just tell me?"
"I lost my job." Her father stated quickly, looking down at the wooden table.
"Tell me you didn't just say that." Haley peered over at him, and how the table was still the only thing he was staring at. She then looked over at her mother. "Mom?"
"I'm sorry Haley, but it's true." She cupped Haley's hands in hers and rubbed her thumbs over her knuckles. "We um, we figured we'd tell you because there's something else."
Haley nodded her head, her breath catching in her throat. This obviously wasn't good. She could feel it. It was lingering in the air and could be cut like a knife. The tension was practically strangling her.
"Since your father is the one who brings in the largest income, we depend on his money intake for a lot of things." She stopped for a moment and Haley nodded once again.
"Okay, so what do I have to give up? My phone line, my cable TV, my internet, it's alright mom, we'll just have to work with it until he gets a new job."
Rose shook her head and bit her lip. "No sweetie, it's not as easy as that."
Haley's brow furrowed. "What do you mean?"
Sighing, Rose squeezed her hand and nervously shuffled her feet underneath the table. "One of the main things your father's income pays for is your tuition." She looked over at Robert and then back at Haley. "I'm so sorry, Haley but we're going to have to send you to public school."
Haley abruptly stood up from the table. "What? No, you can't!"
"Haley, we don't have a choice! The monthly payments are just too much. We can't afford it any longer."
Haley looked over at her father. "Daddy, do something." She whispered, tears threatening to spill onto her cheeks.
"Your mother's right. There's nothing we can do." He watched as his daughter began to cry and felt himself break apart. This was going to be hard on all of them. They would no longer be able to live as well as they had been. Everything would have to be cut into a strict budget until he could get a new job. "It's for the best, Haley."
"You have no idea what's the best for me! You're never even home enough to know!" She screamed as she ran up the stairs and slammed the door behind her.
She fell onto her bed and cried herself to sleep.