Homer slowly opened his eyes as the morning sunlight shone through the window. He blinked a couple of times trying to get rid of the grogginess in his eyes. As he continued to blink more the grogginess slowly faded away, eventually becoming unnoticeable. With the grogginess removed, he stretched his arms and legs, getting himself ready for the day ahead of him
Rubbing his eyes, he looked around the room and was confused when he saw a book about nuclear power lying on the floor. However, as he stared at it, he smiled recognizing why it was there. He remembered spending yesterday with Lisa at the library, reading their favourite books together. He remembered when he struggled to read certain words and not understanding their meaning. When it seemed like everything was doomed, Lisa and her friend Allison helped him learn what they meant, improving his knowledge.
She's such a smart girl," he said.
Realizing that it would be wise to not have the ground a mess, Homer struggled to get off the coach. He was tired and achy from yesterday's adventure. But as he tried, he remembered the promise he made to Marge. This was that he would be a better father and would stop at nothing to become the best version of himself.
With newfound energy, Homer sprung up easily and began cleaning the floor. He picked up the book he brought from the library yesterday and the old beer cans left on the floor a couple of days ago.
After Homer cleaned the floor, he neatly placed the nuclear power book on the table so it wouldn't get more creased. Living life on autopilot Homer walked over to the cupboard below the sink where he kept his secret stash of alcohol. Without thinking Homer quickly grabbed the bottle of alcohol and opened it up.
But as he was about to drink the addictive drug, the promise he made to Marge was repeated in his head.
"I will even try to cut back on my drinking habits so I can spend more time with them." The words were repeated in his head.
Homer looked down at the bottle. His hands shook like a force was trying to pull him into committing a sin. However, as he regained control over his mind and body he looked down at the bottle with a frown" Nah it's not worth it".
He quickly placed the alcohol bottle back in the drawer, closing the drawer door. Knowing that he was thirsty and dehydrated he knew what the next best thing to drink was. He walked over to the kitchen and grabbed himself a bottle of milk. He then walked to the drawer and got himself a cup, then poured milk into his cup.
Homer leaned his back to the side and drank milk from the cup. With each bit of milk that entered his body, the more awake he felt. When he was done with it, he placed it to the side and walked back to the kitchen table. Afterward, he sat down on the chair waiting for him.
As soon as Homer was ready to read, he checked his watch.
" ," he said, "this gives me around an hour to read."
As he looked down at the table, he picked up the nuclear power book. He skimmed through the book, looking for a section that interested him.
As he was skimming his mind racing back to the events that transpired yesterday, he remembered the bond his daughter and friend had that made his heart so happy. Homer smiled glad that Lisa had a friend who shares her interests.
Finally, and in what seemed like an eternity, Homer found the chapter that caught his eye.
Nuclear safety" he said excitedly." This seems like something I should learn because I'm the safety inspector at the plant". He murmured to himself.
Homer delved into the chapter, ready to learn about nuclear safety. He began reading the chapter and learning the basics of nuclear safety, which he should have already been taught at work. However, as he dived deeper into the chapter Homer gained a newfound appreciation for books in general.
He understood why his daughter always read them. The feeling of learning something new after reading each page excited him.
Homer now engrossed in his book didn't realize time was passing an hour into his reading session. He felt a soft touch on his shoulder. He looked over his right shoulder to find a spider.
He screamed and ran around the kitchen" Marge! Marge! "There's a spider in the kitchen!" he said and looked through the drawers to find something to kill it.
Shortly after Homer's outburst, Marge ran down to the stairs to see what was taking place on. However, as she walked into the kitchen, she saw her husband pointing at a spider screaming for his dear life.
Marge couldn't believe what she is seeing. "Homer, it's just a spider," she tells him." It won't kill you, honey."
Homer still trying to find something to kill the spider finds a rolling pin and is about to squash it before Marge stops him.
"Homer I can't believe you're making such a big fuss over a small spider." She said disappointedly then snatched the rolling pin from Homer.
"But, Marge, they are so creepy, they scare me for my dear life."
Marge put the rolling pin to the side and turned to face Homer. "If you want this spider out of the house badly, I will take care of it."
Mirage grabs a cup out of the drawer and places it over the spider. She asks Homer to open the window. He does, and the marge proceeds to dip the spider out of the cup onto the ground outside the window.
As she closes the window, she turns her attention back to Homer. "See it isn't that difficult, isn't it Homer?"
Homer nodded embarrassed by his overreaction. "Alright Marge I guess I overreacted.
Marge smiled at Homer understanding his fear." It's ok Homer we all have fears, and I will always be on your side to help you tackle them no matter what gets in our way."
Homer smiled, happy to have a wonderful wife. "Thank you, Marge!" he said as the two embraced in a hug.
As they embraced, they heard footsteps coming down the stairs. As they looked at the kitchen entrance, they saw their children staring at them. Lisa the first one to speak said" Sorry to interrupt you Mom and Dad with your intimate moment but Bart and Maggie are hungry".
Bart said" Yeah, we are hungry, and dad is it true that you screamed over a spider? If that's true then that makes you a wuss," he said in a playful tone mocking him.
Homer became angry and yelled, "Why you little!" before lunging at Bart, but Marge stopped Homer's attack.
"Calm down Homer he's only joking," she said holding him back.
Homer gave up his attack and crossed his arms. "Watch out for what you say to people son. If you say the wrong words to the wrong guy then you will be in a world of pain.
Bart looked at him and shrugged" If someone has a problem with me, they can eat my shorts."
Lisa saw what was taking place and said, "Can we please focus on breakfast? I'm hungry."
Everyone knew Lisa was right. All nodded in agreement then walked to the table and sat down ready for breakfast. The books that Homer got from the library are arranged on the table. When he picked up the books, he placed them on the sofa in the living room.
Homer returned to the kitchen and sat down with his family waiting for their breakfast to be made. After a couple of minutes, their breakfast was ready.
Marge placed their food on the table, and with a smile, she said" Enjoy pancakes, everyone!"
Homer Lisa and Bart cheered while Maggie gave a thumbs-up. They all began to eat the delicious food right in front of their eyes.
As they were eating their delicious food Lisa began a conversation "So Homer how are those books you got from the library going?" she was intrigued about what her dad's response would be.
Homer placed the pancake he was eating on his plate and commented, "Oh, its been good Lisa. I began reading the nuclear power book and it has been fascinating so far."
Lisa smiled hearing his response" So dad what can you remember from the book?"
Home replaced his hand on his chin trying to remember anything he read from the book. "Well, Lisa I learned that… you know… umm… D'oh! I hardly remember anything."
Before Lisa could say anything, Bart intervened. "That's what happens when you read nerdy stuff, Dad. It comes in one ear, then out the other." He gestured.
"No, no Bart," Marge said. "Homer just has an unreliable memory that's all. If he keeps trying to learn then he will remember everything from that book eventually, right Homer?"
Homer nodded" that's right Marge the more I keep reading the more I will remember" Homer turned to Bart" You know boy, maybe you should get into reading books, they are fun".
Bart frowned" Really Dad, that must be the nerdiest thing I think I've heard you ever say. What happened to the old dad that used to go out drinking and make jokes about nerdy people? You are becoming a nerd dad. What happened to the old Homer?"
Enraged by what Bart said, Homer slammed the table, grabbing everyone's attention. He pointed at Bart and said" Listen, boy, I'm doing this to improve my life and all our lives. You should be grateful for what I'm doing."
Homer's voice echoed through the room. Silence followed his outburst as everyone looked at him shocked but taken aback. The playful tone he had earlier was replaced by surprise. Lisa the person who was always great in a defusing situation like this spoke up.
"Hey guys let's not fight ok," she said looking at Homer and Bart" Dad I'm glad that you are trying to improve yourself, not just for yourself but for all of us, Bart, its ok to miss some of the stuff dad used to do, but change is a good thing. Especially when it's a positive change."
Marge chimed in with her soothing voice." Lisa's right guys, people have their own different ways of growing up, and because we grow up it doesn't mean we have to change the people we are in the core of our hearts; Homer is still funny and caring but he's adding an extra piece of responsibility to him Bart, your father is trying to become the best version of himself."
Bart sighed and looked down at his plate, "You're right Mom, I guess he is trying to improve himself after all.
Homer softened his expression and put his hand on Bart's shoulder. "Son, I'm still going to be the fun-loving, joke-sticking dad I always have been, but I also want to be a role model for you Lisa, and Maggie. I want to show you that it isn't too late to improve yourself."
Bart looked up at his dad and managed a small smile. "Yeah, maybe I might start reading. Maybe I'll get some joy out of it after all.
Homer smiled" That's the spirit boy, maybe you might discover something that could help you in your school life." He said and got back down to his chair and began eating again.
The atmosphere at the table grew less tense as the family sat together happily enjoying the meal Marge served them. After they finished their breakfast Homer and the family got ready for the challenges ahead.
Now ready the family walked out of the front door and made it to the family car. Homer stepping his foot on the accelerator began his drive down the street to drop his kids off at school, after dropping them off he began his journey to work, ready to test out his newfound knowledge.
As school was about to begin, Allison and Alex were standing in the hallway outside their lockers.
"I want to say thank you Allison that you got my locker placed next to yours."
Allison nodded, "It's all right Alex. I will do anything to help a friend in need.
Alex smiled and opened her locker, entering the code to unlock it. After messing up entering the code a couple of times, because it was one of her first attempts inputting the code, the locker opened to show what she had done to it.
Allison got closer to the locker so she could better see what Alex had done with the locker. Not to her surprise it was fashion themed with the latest celebrities and covered with clothing brands and perfume posters.
Allison smiled, liking the theme her friend chose, and turned to her. "Wow, Alex how did you decorate your locker so fast? You only had access to it for 30 minutes?
Alex grinned mischievously. "Well, you see honey, let's just say I have a couple of tricks up my sleeves," she said playfully.
Allison raised her eyebrows, intrigued." Okay, Alex. Spill the beans, what neat tricks do you have up your sleeves to transform your locker so quickly?" she asked, unable to contain the excitement she was holding.
Alex leaned closer to Allison like she shared a secret. "You see Allison, I have an older sister who graduated from college a year ago. She moved out of my parent's old house before I and my family moved out of LA to Springfield."
Allison looked at Alex intrigued. " Wait you have an older sister?"
Alex nodded, "Yeah, I do, but let's focus on what I was saying. So I decided to rummage through her old room looking for decorations I would use for my upcoming room. It turns out that my family was already prepared to decorate my room before I came here. I thought, hey why should I let these old posters of my favourite celebrities fall to waste? So that's when I came up with the idea to post them inside my locker.
Allison's eyes widened, now understanding how her friend decorated her locker in such a short amount of time.
"You used your sister's posters? That's genius!" she exclaimed, impressed with her friend's use of resources.
Alex simply nodded." Yeah, I know right? I thought it was a great way to show off my favourite celebrities and give my locker a unique look."
"Well, it sure gives it an edge, it looks so pretty," Allison said looking at how beautiful the inside of the locker appeared. "I'm so glad we are locker room neighbours."
Alex smiled upon hearing the compliment" Oh thank you" she said and hugged her friend" You're like the real friend I've never had" she said as she increased the intensity of her hug.
With Alexis' sudden hug, Allison jumped, but as the nerves went, she reciprocated the hug" Oh thanks Alex, your my bestie too" she said as she increased the intensity" We are such good friends, I'm happy about us being locker room neighbours because it's going to make our time here so much fun.
As they hugged, the bell rang, indicating they should get to their classroom soon.
As they unbraced Alex looked at her friend. "But seriously, I'm glad you're my friend Allison. I appreciate it" she said in a serious tone.
"I'm glad you're my friend too Alex," Allison said and began walking to the classroom they needed to get to which was the English.
As Allison left Alex behind, Alex stood still in her locker watching her friend walk to her lesson. "You're the only real friend I've ever had Allison. I hope I don't screw this up" she thought in her mind as she stood in the hallway worried about what the future of their friendship could become if she screws it up.
In English class, Miss Hoover gave the class a task to complete in 5 minutes. The task was to analyze a quote and explain its meaning.
As she explained the task, she put students in pairs of two" alright every you know what task you are doing, so, to make things more interesting instead of wanting to work with the partner you want, I'm making it so that you have to work with the partner whom you are sitting next to.
As she explained the last part of the task the class began to whisper their thoughts to each other, discussing their displeasure with the task they had been given.
Miss Hoover tapped her desk to gain everyone's attention. "Now kids, because there are 4 people in a row, each row gets split into two teams. For example, Lisa and Allison will be on team A, and Alex and Ralph will be on team B. For everyone in the class, the people on the left get placed on a team, and vice versa. Any objections?"
The class didn't fuss. "Good, now let's see what teamwork can produce," she said and sat down on her chair and grabbed the book in front of her, then began to read it.
Lisa turned to Allison with a smile" It seems like we're partners Allison".
Allison nodded. "We sure are. Let's show everyone the real superpower of teamwork," she said giddyly and shared her notes with Lisa.
Alex watched from a distance, disappointed that she wasn't on the same team as her friend. Not wanting to dwell on it she turned to her right to see her partner, Ralph, sticking pencils in his mouth.
She began to gag and said, "This is going to be a long five minutes," she said miserably.
Her tone of voice was aggressive as she said, "Hey Ralph, instead of sticking pencils in your mouth, let's try to do this task. Maybe we can succeed if you stop messing around."
Ralph's eyes widened with fear, and he put his hands up. "Wow, you're scary and mean."
Alex sighed feeling guilty for what she did." Ralph, I'm sorry, but can you help me with this task?"
Ralph nodded" Oh it's OK Alexis, at least you apologized".
Alex was about to correct him, but she was running out of time, so she let it slide.
The two worked together analysing the quote. Alex read the quote out loud to Ralph to see if he was on the same page as her. to Alex's surprise, Ralph was able to analyze the quote they were given really well. Alex realized that they were both an excellent team when they were on the same page.
When the 5 minutes was up, Miss Hoover called out to the class one by one to describe with the quote what they chose. Eventually, Alex and Ralph were the last pair to be chosen. The pair stood up and confidently described the quote in front of the entire class.
As the class applauded, they were impressed by their ability to analyze a quote in such a detailed manner. Lisa and Allison, who watched, gave them both a thumbs up to show their support.
After the class ended Allison greeted Alex outside the class" You did so well Alex, I didn't think you and Ralph would make such an excellent team."
Alex rubbed her head. "I never thought so either, but after a little convincing on my part, we both analyzed the quote successfully.
Allison smiled and patted her friend on the back. "You see, teamwork pays off after all."
Alex blushed then grinned" Thanks Allison, Ralph was a bit iffy at first because he's kind of weird but after we talked for a while worked things out in the end."
Allison nodded and was about to comment about not judging people by their appearance, but Lisa walked into them and joined in on the conversation.
Lisa asked, "Am I in the middle of something?" She glanced down at Allison and noticed a red bump on her hand." Does it hurt?"
Allison looked down at her hand and chuckled" Oh Lisa, I accidentally bumped my hand on the desk when we were chatting about quotes, I guess you didn't notice".
Lisa laughed. "Oh wow, we are nerds, aren't we?" she said and placed her hand on her shoulder and the two of them began to laugh.
As Alex watched them both laugh about their nerdiness, she realized how similar they both were. They are both smart, incredibly talented, and stupidly intelligent for their age. Things she thinks she lacks.
As she watched them celebrate longer, she felt a different emotion. An emotion that stung through her heart like a thousand daggers." Is this jealousy I'm feeling?" she thought in her mind.
Alex never hated Lisa or anything close to the feeling of hatred. Sure, it was annoying that she kept asking about her personal life, but she did not hate her. But as she watched on, she saw her only friend Allison slowly get taken away from her as.
Feeling lonely, Alex felt left out. She knew she had trouble making real friends. So to see the only real friend she had ever made slowly disappear was depressing. But as she saw Allison and Lisa bond so effortlessly, she worried she was slowly losing her friend.
Walking down the hallway. Lisa and Allison continued to laugh and Alex walking behind them joined the conversation. She put on a fake smile to hide her jealousy. She knew she was jealous of the relationship between them.
As the three walked down the hallway, Alex felt like a third wheel. Every time she tried to voice her opinion and make a comment it felt like her voice fell on deaf ears.
Finally, the three reached the playground and felt the pleasant sunshine down on their skin. The three spent lunchtime together. Allison and Lisa dominated the conversation. Alex added some extra substance to the conversation, but she felt like an outsider at best.
As more people noticed the conversation Lisa and Allison were having about their favourite singers and actresses, more people joined the conversation. Realizing that it was too much for Alex to handle she walked away and spent the rest of her break on her own.
Alex distracted herself during lesson time to occupy her mind as the afternoon progressed. She wasn't fully engaged in class, which caused her to mess up when answering questions. Miss Hoover noticed her lack of attention and kept her behind after class.
With it being only Alex and Miss Hoover left in class, she approached Alex and said" Hey Alex is something bothering you? You seemed distracted in class today."
Alex nodded. "Yeah, a lot has been on my mind recently. And I'm not sure what the most effective way is."
Miss Hoover bent down and placed her hand on Alex's shoulder. "It's okay Alex, are you OK telling me what you are dealing with?"
Alex looked down at the ground and sighed" I can't because it's a personal issue" she said and looked up" But how can it deal with it properly?"
Miss Hoover began to ponder what her students could do to deal with her problem, then it hit her. "Well because you want to keep it to yourself, I suggest when you get home you go to your bed and meditate. It helps with your thoughts and helps you think properly.
Alex nodded appreciating Miss Hoover's advice" Thanks miss Hoover," she said and ran out of the classroom. "So you tomorrow," she said and began running down the hallway trying to catch up with the others.
But as she left the school, she realized she was the only one on the school grounds. "All right Alex don't let your jealousy consume you. You have got this Alex, you need to get yourself together" she said and began her walk home through the empty streets.