A Strange Girl in a Stranger Town
Chapter 2
“Detention!? What did you do, missy? How could you even think to misbehave! Honey, I love you, but detention?!” I imagined my mom yelling as I plopped down on the couch after the long, stressful day leading up to the long, surprisingly unstressful bus ride home. Everybody on my bus had been eerily quiet, sitting down with their hands in their laps, staring straight ahead.
“Detention!? I know you couldn’t have misbehaved; it must clearly be the teachers against you. Do you want me to complain to the school board, dear? Anything for you, sweetie,” I imagined a more friendly mom yelling. I sighed. My mom probably wouldn’t be home until the wee hours of the morning and wouldn’t be able to summon the energy to yell or scold or anything.
I turned on the television; static greeted me. I glanced out the window. It had begun thundering and lightning.
“Strange…” I muttered to myself before getting up to cook some fancy Top Ramen. The lights flickering precariously as I sat down to enjoy my dinner.
My cell phone began shrilly ringing, scaring me half to death.
“Hello?” I whispered.
“Hey,” I exhaled in relief at hearing Penelope’s voice.
“What’s up, Penny?” I laughed silently at myself for being so jittery.
“You know, tomorrow,” Penelope began, hesitating slightly.
“Yes, Wednesday. We’re still going to the movies tomorrow, right?” We had been planning this for a few days now, and I was excited.
“About that, I can’t. I have detention for disrupting class. Sorry. Goodbye,” She hung up. I dropped the phone. Penelope was crazy, yes, but she was a great student, and I couldn’t believe she had detention. And it wasn’t like her to hang up after less than a minute on the phone- I didn’t think she physically could.
Detention.
I was still in shock I had it, but now Penelope? Why hadn’t she mentioned it when I saw her before leaving on the bus?
And hadn’t Mr. Principal (I asked around at lunch, and most people didn’t even know that our old principal was gone, much less what this new one’s name was) said that I couldn’t have detention tomorrow?
I called Penelope back but just got her voice mail. I sighed and pulled out the piles of math and science homework.
Throughout the rest of the day, all the other teachers had acted as normal as they ever do. By the end of the day, I was thinking it had just been my imagination. Until Jake Sure passed me in the hall, pale and skittish. He smiled briefly at me before running into the boys’ bathroom. Now, Penelope apparently had detention too. I was back to being edgy.
The door slammed shut. I let out a shriek and turned around to face the intruder.
My mom faced me, a large smile on her face and several bags in her hands.
“Good afternoon, darling!” My mom dropped all her bags and ran up to give me a hug.
“…Mom?” I was super confused. My mom worked two jobs, 7 in the morning to 2 in the morning. She worked the weird hours ever since my dad left. I rarely saw her anymore, and when I did, she was so tired that all she could do was say hello.
“Yes, hun?” She grabbed my hand and sat down next to me at the table. I hastily moved my homework out of the way.
I was still in shock. “Why are you home so early?” Even when my mom was home, she was never this…friendly.
“Why? Because I love you. Because I want to be the best possible parent I can be!” Her eyes seemed to glaze over.
“Mom?” I whispered, gently touching her arm.
“Oh, honey, I’m so proud of you!” She hugged me again. I was getting creeped out. She wasn’t acting mom-like at all. “Now, I know you got detention, but it’s for your own good.”
“How’d you know?” I asked, shocked yet again.
“Whoops!” She giggled- actually giggled. My mom…giggling? “The principal called. He sure is nice. Anyways, I figured we’d have some mother-daughter time. Let’s work on homework!”
Homework? Like that was mother-daughter time. I didn’t know why my mom was acting like a freak (okay, so that was a little harsh, but my mom did not giggle!) but I pulled out my pencil to work with her.
“Uh…mom?” I asked after we had been working on homework for a while.
“Yes, dear?” She looked up, smiling, to stare at me. Her eyes seemed dull and lifeless.
“I think I’ll work on this after dinner. I’m going to call Penelope.” I stood up slowly, staring at her.
“Penelope: best friend since fifth grade,” she said like she was reading from a book. “Just make sure you do your homework. I can help! Because that’s what good mothers do.”
I walked slowly a few steps before running to my room and locking the door.
“Don’t lock your door, honey!” My mom called from the living room.
My eyes widened. I unlocked the door.
“Deep breaths,” I told myself. My mom has probably just been taken over by aliens. No biggie.
I grabbed the phone and tried Penelope again.
“Hello, this is Penelope Sweete.”
“Penny! I am totally-.” I started, cramming my words together.
“Oh, hello, Emma. I got to go and work on homework. See you tomorrow.” And she hung up on me as quickly as she had last time. I exhaled in frustration.
I walked out to the living room. “Mom, do you know where the student directory is?” My mom was sitting on the couch, smile on her face, staring at the wall.
She turned her head, “Did you check the drawer by the dishwasher?”
I backed to the kitchen, keeping my eyes on my mom. Sure enough, the student directory was there.
I ran back to my room. I didn’t know what I was planning, but I figured Jake seemed normal enough before I left school.
I dialed the number quickly.
“Sure residence. May I help you?” I figured it was Jake’s mom’s voice.
“Can I speak to Jake? It’s Emma.”
“Jake, dear, Emma Pott’s is on the phone and wishes to talk to you!” She giggled. She had the same tone of voice as my mom.
“Deep breaths,” I whispered to myself.
“Hey, Emma,” Jake whispered. “Can I meet you at the park or somewhere?”
I was extremely confused. Was he asking me out? I shook my head, I had to stay focused and for once not act like a teenage girl. “That’s a good idea. Long Beach Park?” Long Beach was the next town over.
“Perfect. See you in a few minutes.”
“Detention!? I know you couldn’t have misbehaved; it must clearly be the teachers against you. Do you want me to complain to the school board, dear? Anything for you, sweetie,” I imagined a more friendly mom yelling. I sighed. My mom probably wouldn’t be home until the wee hours of the morning and wouldn’t be able to summon the energy to yell or scold or anything.
I turned on the television; static greeted me. I glanced out the window. It had begun thundering and lightning.
“Strange…” I muttered to myself before getting up to cook some fancy Top Ramen. The lights flickering precariously as I sat down to enjoy my dinner.
My cell phone began shrilly ringing, scaring me half to death.
“Hello?” I whispered.
“Hey,” I exhaled in relief at hearing Penelope’s voice.
“What’s up, Penny?” I laughed silently at myself for being so jittery.
“You know, tomorrow,” Penelope began, hesitating slightly.
“Yes, Wednesday. We’re still going to the movies tomorrow, right?” We had been planning this for a few days now, and I was excited.
“About that, I can’t. I have detention for disrupting class. Sorry. Goodbye,” She hung up. I dropped the phone. Penelope was crazy, yes, but she was a great student, and I couldn’t believe she had detention. And it wasn’t like her to hang up after less than a minute on the phone- I didn’t think she physically could.
Detention.
I was still in shock I had it, but now Penelope? Why hadn’t she mentioned it when I saw her before leaving on the bus?
And hadn’t Mr. Principal (I asked around at lunch, and most people didn’t even know that our old principal was gone, much less what this new one’s name was) said that I couldn’t have detention tomorrow?
I called Penelope back but just got her voice mail. I sighed and pulled out the piles of math and science homework.
Throughout the rest of the day, all the other teachers had acted as normal as they ever do. By the end of the day, I was thinking it had just been my imagination. Until Jake Sure passed me in the hall, pale and skittish. He smiled briefly at me before running into the boys’ bathroom. Now, Penelope apparently had detention too. I was back to being edgy.
The door slammed shut. I let out a shriek and turned around to face the intruder.
My mom faced me, a large smile on her face and several bags in her hands.
“Good afternoon, darling!” My mom dropped all her bags and ran up to give me a hug.
“…Mom?” I was super confused. My mom worked two jobs, 7 in the morning to 2 in the morning. She worked the weird hours ever since my dad left. I rarely saw her anymore, and when I did, she was so tired that all she could do was say hello.
“Yes, hun?” She grabbed my hand and sat down next to me at the table. I hastily moved my homework out of the way.
I was still in shock. “Why are you home so early?” Even when my mom was home, she was never this…friendly.
“Why? Because I love you. Because I want to be the best possible parent I can be!” Her eyes seemed to glaze over.
“Mom?” I whispered, gently touching her arm.
“Oh, honey, I’m so proud of you!” She hugged me again. I was getting creeped out. She wasn’t acting mom-like at all. “Now, I know you got detention, but it’s for your own good.”
“How’d you know?” I asked, shocked yet again.
“Whoops!” She giggled- actually giggled. My mom…giggling? “The principal called. He sure is nice. Anyways, I figured we’d have some mother-daughter time. Let’s work on homework!”
Homework? Like that was mother-daughter time. I didn’t know why my mom was acting like a freak (okay, so that was a little harsh, but my mom did not giggle!) but I pulled out my pencil to work with her.
“Uh…mom?” I asked after we had been working on homework for a while.
“Yes, dear?” She looked up, smiling, to stare at me. Her eyes seemed dull and lifeless.
“I think I’ll work on this after dinner. I’m going to call Penelope.” I stood up slowly, staring at her.
“Penelope: best friend since fifth grade,” she said like she was reading from a book. “Just make sure you do your homework. I can help! Because that’s what good mothers do.”
I walked slowly a few steps before running to my room and locking the door.
“Don’t lock your door, honey!” My mom called from the living room.
My eyes widened. I unlocked the door.
“Deep breaths,” I told myself. My mom has probably just been taken over by aliens. No biggie.
I grabbed the phone and tried Penelope again.
“Hello, this is Penelope Sweete.”
“Penny! I am totally-.” I started, cramming my words together.
“Oh, hello, Emma. I got to go and work on homework. See you tomorrow.” And she hung up on me as quickly as she had last time. I exhaled in frustration.
I walked out to the living room. “Mom, do you know where the student directory is?” My mom was sitting on the couch, smile on her face, staring at the wall.
She turned her head, “Did you check the drawer by the dishwasher?”
I backed to the kitchen, keeping my eyes on my mom. Sure enough, the student directory was there.
I ran back to my room. I didn’t know what I was planning, but I figured Jake seemed normal enough before I left school.
I dialed the number quickly.
“Sure residence. May I help you?” I figured it was Jake’s mom’s voice.
“Can I speak to Jake? It’s Emma.”
“Jake, dear, Emma Pott’s is on the phone and wishes to talk to you!” She giggled. She had the same tone of voice as my mom.
“Deep breaths,” I whispered to myself.
“Hey, Emma,” Jake whispered. “Can I meet you at the park or somewhere?”
I was extremely confused. Was he asking me out? I shook my head, I had to stay focused and for once not act like a teenage girl. “That’s a good idea. Long Beach Park?” Long Beach was the next town over.
“Perfect. See you in a few minutes.”