Chapter 4

I want to take you back to the beggining, the very begginning. Not to when I was first admitted, not to when I was  taken out of school as a child, but the moment my life in this world began. It began in a little country hospital in Illinois with my mom, my dad, a doctor, a midwife, and a side dish of macaroni from The Brick Oven Cafe. Now, before I begin my story I would like to apologize for my scatterbrained writing method. You see, I don't put much stock into coonformity, and I just think it's a little mundane to tell a story from start to finish.. So, I thought that since my brain has to be messed with all the time, I might as well mess with yours. Now, where was I? Oh... my birth. As I said, it began with macaroni. The cheeziest macaroni in the universe.   

                                              ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Mr. Martin, would you like to hold your new baby?" the hospital's midwife said. 

"Umm, of course I guess... I,"

"Steve," my mom interrupted him, " I want macaroni from The Brick Oven, and I want it now. you have 18 years to hold your daughter,  I haven't eaten for 18 hours". My mom was always very convincing, even Post Partum.

"Alright," my dad sighed, "I'll be right back."

"That's my boy," my mom said. 

About and hour later one of the nurses barged in. "Mr. and Mrs. Martin, I am sorry but we need to use the delivery room. we have your post delivery room ready now." she said. 

"Uggh, fine," my mom responded, "but I am not leaving this bed unless you have a crane and a wheelchair for me to use." -you can see where I got my spunk from-. 

"A few of the nurses are bringing in a wheelchair ma'am, but I'm not so sure we have a crane in the inventory." The nurse responded with a smile. 

One week later. 

"Lesley, that baby is driving me insane! we have got to do something about that constant crying!" My dad said. he was normally A kind man, but every man, no matter how good, becomes grumpy after a week with no rest. 

"It comes with the territory babe, you know that." my mom patiently responded. "She might me colicy though. I don't see signs of yellowing or red in the eyes so It can't be Billy Rhuben." 

"Listen, I'm calling the pediatrician so we can nipp this in the bud before I go crazy." -oh, sweet irony, right?

So, I won't bother you with constant dialogue, believe me, I know how boring it is, I read Shakespeare. Lets just say they took me to the doctor and he gave them pills for gas. Schizophrenia was the last thing on his mind since most people don't develop it until much later in life. My parents never got really concerned about my mental health until my 7th birthday. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"LEAVE ME ALONE!" I screamed. but I wasn't talking to my parents, my friends, or even to myself, I was talking to my cat, 700. I was in my backyard on my 7th birthday party. All of my friends were there. I guess my parents were worried because this was the first time I had seen or talked to 'them' in public. 

"Honey, whats wrong?" My mom asked. 

"it's nothing ma, just my cat. You see, he won't shut up! He keeps talking and talking and talking and I don't want to hear him right now!" I said innocently. 

  "Stephanie," my mom replied, "there is no cat there, just yoour friends and family."

"MOMA! OF COURSE HE IS THERE! CAN'T YOU SEE HIM?" I yelled.

"No honey, only you can see him. he isn't real, just imaginary." she said. Then, 700 got mad. He told me my mom was being bad and I shouldn't like her anymore. 

"GO AWAY MOM! 700 IS REAL AND YOU AREN'T!" I said and stormed off to my room, leaving all of my friends astonished. 

"Knock Knock Knock." I heard three raps on my bedroom door. 

"Who is it?" I asked. 

  "It's me Stevie, your father. May I come in? He asked.

"Sure dad, but wait,, are you mad?" He opened the door and sat by my bed. 

"I'm not mad, just a little concerned. Don't you think it's time you say goodbye to yourr pretend friends and try to start making new ones? After all, you are starting 2nd grade this year." He said. 

"They aren't pretend, and IDON'T WANT TO MAKE FRIENDS!" I yelled back at him. 

"Stephanie Joy Martin" My dad said with his stern voice, " I will not allow you to yell at me or your mother. I expect you to apologize to her for this afternoon. Allright?" I loved my dad and hated to yell at him or make him upset, So I immediately responded with a devout, 

"Yes Sir". My dad pulled me into a hug. "I love you darlin', but these friends of yours need to go away, ok?"

"Ok dad." I didn't like it but I would try, if only to please him. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

It wasn't much later than that when I was pulled out of school for misbehaving. Although I blamed it on 700, the principal, who couldn't see beyond his own nose, for some reason didn't believe my story. But that my friend, is for another part of the book. 

Author's Note

My writing block is almost cleared, but I can't think of anything foor the romance between mitch and stevie.