Lucy Unstrung by Carole Lazar

Author:Carole Lazar [Lazar, Carole]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 978-1-77049-226-4
Publisher: Tundra
Published: 2010-01-15T05:00:00+00:00

eleven

I phone Siobhan after school on Monday, but she can’t talk for long. Her mother wants her to help one of her brothers, so she has to hang up. I wonder how we’re going to stay friends if I never get to see her. Mom doesn’t have problems like that. Gina’s got nothing better to do than drive miles to drop in for a coffee. Mom and I are just finishing up the dinner dishes when we hear a car pull up next to the trailer. Mom looks out the window to see who it is.

“Hey, it’s Gina.” She dries her hands and heads for the door.

“Shouldn’t you be at pilates?” I ask as soon as Gina steps inside.

It’s six-thirty and she and Mom always went to a seven o’clock class on Mondays and Fridays.

“I’m playing hooky. It’s just not the same without you,” she says, talking to my mom, not me. She plops herself down at the table, sitting on one chair and putting her feet up on another. “You got anything to drink?”

“Just cola,” says Mom.

Gina shrugs. “Guess that’ll do.”

Mom was figuring out our budget this morning, and she’s left the paper she was scribbling on, along with a couple of bills, in a slot of the napkin holder, which is sitting in the center of the table. While Mom’s getting the colas and putting ice into the glasses, nosy Gina helps herself to a look at our finances.

“What’s this?” she asks.

“Just a list to show what I’ve spent this month,” Mom says.

“Hmm, movie rentals $7.00, stamps $5.45. This is so sad! Well, at least you’re not writing down what you pay for every cup of coffee.”

“That’s because I haven’t been able to afford to go out for coffee.”

“It can’t be that bad. Why are you fussing so much about it? I thought Harold was the one who was totally anal about money. When did you start writing down everything you spend?”

Mom looks embarrassed. She skids a pop across the table to Gina. “I guess as soon as Harold wasn’t here to do it.”

Since no one’s paying any attention to either me or the dog, we go to my room. I leave the door open so I can still hear Gina and Mom talking.

“So how long has it been? Three weeks, right?”

“Since I moved in here? Yeah, three weeks this Sunday.”

“Okay already, then that’s quite enough of the hermit act. It’s time you got out and about.”

“Oh, I don’t know. I’m so broke, and there’s Lucy to think of.”

“She’ll be with Harold on the weekend anyway. Ian and I’ve been talking. We’re taking you clubbing. Our treat.”

“I couldn’t …”

They talk for a good half hour. Mom keeps making excuses, but Gina is very pushy. She just won’t take no for an answer. By the time she leaves, Mom has agreed that Ian and Gina can pick her up at nine on Friday night. What time is that to be going out? It’s almost bedtime!

I’m so upset, I’m almost speechless.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.