Chapter Ten

 I went home only once before school started, and that was to make sure Dad had food, not like he would eat it anyway. The only other thing I did there was work for Mrs. Sylvia, and out of sympathy she gave me a three hundred percent markup on my salary. Not that I didn’t appreciate it, but it was sort of annoying how everyone I knew was so careful around me when they found out about my mother. At least they didn’t know about Dad yet.

        School started and Mom was still in the hospital. I talked to the doctors and they said that she was becoming more stable and adjusting to her medications nicely, but they still wanted to keep her there to make sure.

        Henry eventually did call me, and I walked to Bennett Park and found him sitting on his usual bench with a recorder next to him. He was humming to himself, and I heard bars from his favorite part of my song. I smiled and stepped in front of him, setting my violin case down. His eyes popped open and he smiled back.

        “Kathryn. How are you today?”

        “I’m good, thank you. How about you?” I asked politely.

        “Very well. Let’s record this song now. KAXE cannot wait for us forever.”

        In just half an hour we were done, and he said, “I would like to invite you to come with my family for our little reunion next month. We’re meeting at Bimbo’s, and my daughter can pick you up when she drives me there. How about that?”

        “That sounds amazing!” I smiled brightly, confident that I would be able to get along and love his entire family.

        “I’ll call you again when they play it on the radio,” he promised as I was leaving.

        “Thank you!” I called, running. Kayla’s house was a mile away and I had a whole bunch of homework to do.

        But when I got back I had no chance of getting homework done.

        “Katie, we have to talk to you,” Taylor called. I walked into the living room and found Kayla’s parents sitting on the couch, leaving the two armchairs open for me. I sat in the closest one and listened.

        “You know that we love you, Kathryn, we really do, but we don’t think it’s right that you stay here. This isn’t your home,” George said. I sighed. I had known that I wouldn’t have been able to stay there forever, but I had hoped that I would be able to stay there for a bit longer.

        “You can stay here for the rest of the week, but on Sunday you need to go home. Do you understand?” Taylor asked.

        “I understand,” I replied, nodding.

        They smiled. “Good girl,” George said. “Now, go do your homework. If you need any help, just ask us.”

        I laughed. “I can already tell you that I’ll need help with Math.”

        “Bring it down and I’ll help,” Taylor said.

        Having real parents was nice. But it didn’t change the fact that my family wasn’t like that.

        Once school started, every day I walked from the high school to the hospital to visit my mom. She was sliding back. The medications weren’t working as well as they should have, and we were running out of money for them.

        “Oh, Kathryn, I’ve been trying to lend you the money, but you just always refuse!” Mrs. Sylvia said one afternoon in the middle of September.

        “It just doesn’t feel right to me,” I argued.

        She sighed. “If I pay for your mother’s medications, what would you do for me?”

        “I’d do all of your cleaning,” I replied instantly.

        Mrs. Sylvia shook her head. “If I pay for her medications you’re going to get at least a C in every class at school. Including Math.”

        I stiffened, but it made sense. “Fine. I’ll work harder in school. But I’ll still come and work here for grocery money.”

        “Of course. We don’t want you to die from starvation,” she replied, nodding matter-of-factly. We laughed and she added, “Now that that’s settled, tomorrow could you come over and help me bake a cake? Some of the stirring is beyond me.

        “Sure. Now I got to get working on that homework that I’m getting paid to do,” I replied, standing up.

        She smiled. “Good to hear it. Good-bye, Kathryn. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

        “Bye, Mrs. Sylvia.” I closed the door behind me and walked to my apartment, slipping the key into the hole and turning it. What I found was not pleasant.

        Of course Dad had no idea how to clean, but while I was gone he had been sort of okay. The kitchen was only half disaster, and I could still see the carpet in the living room. His bedroom was his own problem, as Mom had moved into Brad’s old room.

        But in the two hours that I had been at Mrs. Sylvia’s, all hell had broken loose.

        I looked around the kitchen. “Dad, are you there?”

        “Of course I’m here. Where else would I be?” he called from the living room.

        I sighed. “Nice to see you, too.” Taking the rag, I started cleaning up the spilt alcohol off the floor and putting the empty cans of baked beans in the dishwashing machine so I could recycle them when Dad wasn’t looking.

 

As charming as my home life was going, my school life wasn’t going much better.

        “Oh, come on, Katie. Are you seriously saying that you don’t have a single friend in your grade?” Kayla asked at lunch.

        “Well, I have acquaintances that I talk to during class, does that count?” I stabbed my peanut butter and jelly sandwich with a pen. “Come on, Kayla, do we really have to talk about this?”

        “Yes we do. I’m the only one you really hang out with-”

        “That’s not true. Mrs. Sylvia and I are good friends,” I argued.

        She rolled her eyes. “That doesn’t count. You know what we’re going to do this Friday?”

        “What are we doing this Friday?” I asked, staring at her suspiciously.

        “My parents are letting me throw a party and we’re inviting everyone from your grade. Now, don’t you dare argue, because I’m popular and everyone is sure to come.”

        I whined, “I don’t want any friends. I’ve been busy earning money for groceries, and-” Stopping short, I looked at Kayla, wondering if it was okay to tell her.

        She rolled her eyes. “You know that I simply don’t care anymore, right?”

        I blushed. “Well, Mrs. Sylvia and I have an agreement where if I keep up at least a 3.0 she’ll pay for Mom’s medical bills, since we’re running out of money.”

        Kayla nodded. “I understand.”

        “Do you?”

Author's Note

I hope you liked it!