In A Dream
Prologue
“Why can’t I just stay with dad?” I asked, staring at the trees as we drove past. Mom eyed me through the rearview mirror.
“You know you can’t stay with him, Mia. He’ll be away for two weeks! And you certainly can’t stay alone at the house.”
I jumped up in my seat, hitting my head on the roof of the car.
“So I’ll go with him! He won’t mind, I know he won’t. Please mom. Let me go. And, if I’m gone, you can do that spa thing with Patricia. Please?”
Mom sighed, thinking my points over.
“Alright, Mia. When we get to your father’s, we’ll talk about it."
I smiled, thanking my dad for his great persuading skills.
“I can’t believe I’m going to swim with manatees.” I smiled to myself again, not daring to pinch myself of this wonderful dream.
We pulled into the driveway of dad’s house. I stepped out of the car, breathing the new summer air. I grabbed my pencil and notebook, rushing into the house.
“Dad!” I called, thrusting open the door.
Running into his arms, I spoke in quick bursts.
“Dad! I get to come with you! To swim with the manatees! Aren’t you excited?”
I paused, waiting for an answer I wasn’t sure I wanted to hear. Mom stood behind me, also waiting for a response.
“Mia… sweetheart. You know I’d love to have you there with me. But to swim with the manatees? You’re only fourteen. You don’t even know how to deal with them. You could get hurt, Mia.”
For the first time in my life, I was silent. I stayed silent for a while. I looked at my mother. I looked at my father. And then I ran.
“You know you can’t stay with him, Mia. He’ll be away for two weeks! And you certainly can’t stay alone at the house.”
I jumped up in my seat, hitting my head on the roof of the car.
“So I’ll go with him! He won’t mind, I know he won’t. Please mom. Let me go. And, if I’m gone, you can do that spa thing with Patricia. Please?”
Mom sighed, thinking my points over.
“Alright, Mia. When we get to your father’s, we’ll talk about it."
I smiled, thanking my dad for his great persuading skills.
“I can’t believe I’m going to swim with manatees.” I smiled to myself again, not daring to pinch myself of this wonderful dream.
We pulled into the driveway of dad’s house. I stepped out of the car, breathing the new summer air. I grabbed my pencil and notebook, rushing into the house.
“Dad!” I called, thrusting open the door.
Running into his arms, I spoke in quick bursts.
“Dad! I get to come with you! To swim with the manatees! Aren’t you excited?”
I paused, waiting for an answer I wasn’t sure I wanted to hear. Mom stood behind me, also waiting for a response.
“Mia… sweetheart. You know I’d love to have you there with me. But to swim with the manatees? You’re only fourteen. You don’t even know how to deal with them. You could get hurt, Mia.”
For the first time in my life, I was silent. I stayed silent for a while. I looked at my mother. I looked at my father. And then I ran.
♠ ♠ ♠
Okay, listen... I wrote this last year when I was twelve. It started as a short story project for my English class, and then my teacher pulled me aside and clarified that VOILA! This was not a short story, but a novella. I've never had much experiance writing novellas, or novels for that matter, obviously, so my chapters are super-short and the paragraphing sucks and all these other mistakes. Anyway. Hope you read, and don't hesitate to give me feedback/critiscm/comments. Thanks! (: