Author: Sarah
Dorrheim
8th
Grade
Educator: Kelly Moormann
Bismarck
The sound
of a car alarm pierces Cassie’s sleep. She sits up and for a minute, she cannot
remember where she is. Memories flooded back of empty-hearted good-byes and too
many bags packed up. Tears welled up slowly in her eyes. She laid back down on
her teal pillow and tried to roll over and go back to sleep, though the
thoughts of the divorce were still fresh in her mind. Daddy and I need some
time apart to work things out her mom had put it. We’ll see each other real
soon, all together her dad had promised. Lies. They were all lies that were
worth nothing more than garbage. Cassie rolled over and looked at her clock on
her phone. 2:36 a.m. Cassie had to somehow make the night. Her mom couldn’t
take it anymore with them sleeping in the same bed. She looked over at the dog
bed to see Bella, her Yorkie, sound asleep. “It’s only temporary,” she said to
no one. Just keep telling yourself that, Cassie, she thought as she laid back
down to go back to sleep. Just keep thinking that.
*
2 months later…..
Cassie’s
6:30 a.m. alarm went off. She heaved herself out of her bed wishing she had had
more sleep. She stumbled into the kitchen. The brewer was already on, roasting
her mom’s favorite coffee. Usually, Cassie’s mom was already gone, and her
makeup compacts were all over the counter, and Cassie would have to ride the
bus. Today though, her Mom was sitting at the table with her work clothes on
(as Cassie called them) and reading her running magazine. Her hair was lightly
curled and looked flawless in her light blond hair. Unlike her mother, Cassie
had straight, dark brown hair that wouldn’t curl even if you used truckloads of
hairspray. Cassie hated it most of all because it was like her father’s and it
reminded her mother of him.
“Morning
sweet girl,” her mom said with a smile on her face. “How did you sleep?”
“Good,”
Cassie knew it was a lie but she didn’t know what else to say.
“That’s
great honey,” she said as she sipped her coffee. A thick red mark was left on
the rim of her cup. Her mom paused to look at her and started talking (what
Cassie thought she had rehearsed).
“I was
thinking,” Her mom began, “since I have
been very busy and my job is strenuous, I realized I haven’t had enough time to
spend with you. So I thought today I would drive you to school and pick you up.
Would you like that?” Would she like that? Cassie loved it! Her heart soared!
“Yes!” she
said in excitement.
It sounded
like her mom was sounding a lot like herself before the divorce. It’s a new
start for all of us her mom had said. Maybe it was after all.
Cassie put
on her favorite jeans and crew neck that she had gotten in Colorado two years
ago. Before the divorce. She fed Bella, got into her mom’s car, and headed to
school. Cassie had been at West Acre Middle School for just three weeks and had
only one friend. Yes, Cassie knew she shouldn’t have expected more, since she
joined late in the year, but it would have been nice to have more. Her name was
Flannery Johnson. Her long, thick, dirty-blond hair was always in two braids,
and she had purple braces. Cassie thought they were really cool and wished she
could get braces. Though when she told Flannery this, she gave her a bunch of
reasons not to have them. Cassie soon rethought why she wanted them after that.
“Have a
great day, sweetie!” Her mom said as they pulled up to the school. Cassie
hugged her mom and headed in. She would have rather stayed in the car and told
her that she didn’t feel good, so she could spend the day with her mom. But
Cassie knew she had an English test first period worth a lot of her final grade
that she couldn’t miss. So she walked into the school, not knowing what would
come her way.
When
Cassie got in her mom’s car after school, her mom looked tired from another
busy day. Her perfect hair in the morning was now losing its curl and slightly
frizzing.
“How was
your day, honey?” She said in a tired sigh.
“It was
good. We had an English test today… I think I did well on it,” Cassie said.
“That’s
nice, honey,” Her mom said in a far off expression. The rest of the car ride
was quiet. This felt awkward to Cassie. Weren’t parents supposed to grill their
kids about their day? Weren’t they supposed to bombard them with questions
about what their teachers were like and how were her friends and homework? Or
was there only a percentage of parents that did that? That percentage, Cassie
thought, were parents of wholesome families that didn’t have canyons of
fighting and bickering wedged between them.
A week
went by and her mom dropped her off and picked her up every day. Cassie liked
it, but she thought that there was something that was motivating her to do it.
Cassie really didn’t like to dwell on it though, she was just happy that she
got to spend time with her mom.
On Friday
night, less than a week away from Thanksgiving break, Cassie’s mom asked her to
come out of her room because she wanted to talk to her about something. Cassie,
thinking nothing of it, turned off her computer and walked to the den where her
mom and Bella were sitting on the tan couch. Cassie was starting to think this
was going to be more serious than she expected.
“Come sit, honey,” her mom patted a spot for
her on the couch. Cassie plopped right next to her mom. She didn’t say anything
for a few minutes and then she looked at Cassie and started talking. “I had an
idea this Thanksgiving. Since it’s just you and me how about we invite Matt to
come over to celebrate with us?” Cassie groaned as if she got a D- on a test.
Matt was her mom’s boyfriend who she had been dating for a little more than two
months now. Her mom had asked her about how she felt about her dating, six
months ago. Cassie didn’t actually think that her mom would find someone to
date but, thinking nothing of it, agreed. And here she was now, sitting on a
couch with her mom, who was asking her if she was alright with her boyfriend
coming to Thanksgiving dinner.
Cassie saw her mom’s smile
falter.
“Do you not like him?” she asked, looking like
a sad puppy dog.
“I haven’t even met him!” Cassie exclaimed.
“Then why are you upset?” her mom questioned.
“Because I thought it would be just you and me
this time. I mean, I don’t really care if you date him, but I don’t want him to
come to our house,” Cassie said.
“Well, I have to tell him by tonight so what
is your answer?” her mom said slightly annoyed.
“Fine!” Cassie said throwing her hands in the
air and walking to her room. “Fine! You can invite him, but I won’t like it one
bit,” and with that she slammed her door, clearly showing her mother that the
conversation was over.
The next
day at school Cassie was in a horrible mood. She did not want to let a total
stranger in her house and her mom was acting like a teenager. It felt invading,
the thought of Matt joining them for Thanksgiving and Cassie couldn’t stand it.
When lunch came, Cassie went to find Flannery. She knew that Flannery would be the
one to console her and make it feel alright even when it wasn’t. Cassie saw
Flannery sitting next to her other friends, Evelyn and Kaydence. Cassie walked
over quickly to the table and sat right next to Flannery.
“Hey! How was your weekend?” Flannery said in
her usual cheerful self. The thing about Flannery was that she was like rays of
sunshine in a storm or a smile in a crowd of frowns. She released those vibes
that made you think, why shouldn’t you be friends with her? Flannery was a very
positive, happy person. Exactly what Cassie needed more of in life.
“Pretty
good,” Cassie said after she swallowed part of her turkey sandwich. “Yours?”
“It was
great! My grandma took me to this little boutique downtown where I found these
cool jeans…..” Flannery kept rambling on until she saw how Cassie was just
nodding her head up and down as if she understood but not a word came from her
mouth. Flannery looked her in the eye.
“What’s
wrong?” Flannery said with concerned look.
“Nothing,”
Cassie lied
“Cassie,
we may have met only two months ago, but I know that look. Something is bugging
you, and it will keep bothering you until you tell someone. For instance, me,”
she ended with a grin on her face.
“Yeah.
You’re right,” Cassie said sheepishly.
“Alright,
lay it on me,” said Flannery. Cassie told her everything for the beginning from
when her mom asked her about her dating again to when her mom told her about
Matt coming over.
“…And I
just don’t like the thing about my mom dating again and the thought of possibly
a new dad. What should I do?” Cassie was near a whining point now.
“I think
it would be exciting! I’m mean, it’s a new change for you and your mom but,
your mom could find someone she loves and you could have a new dad. Win win,”
Flannery said with a small smile on her face.
“But, I
don’t want a stranger living with me! It’s also just the thought of someone
taking her time away from me,” Cassie complained.
“Cassie, I
think you’re being very ungrateful about this situation,” Flannery said as her
face turned stone.
“I think
you don’t realize that I miss that my parents aren’t together anymore and the
only thing I would like is for them to get back together, not get new ones,”
said Cassie in a sassy voice.
“Cassie
Bane, I have experienced far worse than what you are right now. My parents died
in a car crash when I five months old. I live with my grandmother and I would
be thrilled if I was in your shoes and my mom was dating someone who she would
think about marrying. I wish you would stop complaining and whining about it
and think about what good could come out of this,” Flannery was upset, really
really upset. Cassie had never seen Flannery so upset before, and it surprised
her.
Flannery
took a deep breath and finished what she was going to say, “You may think it’s
awful right now, but it will get better. Trust me,” said Flannery flatly, and
with that she left the table not looking back. Cassie just sat there speechless
and blinking back tears.
*
The
doorbell rang. It was him. Cassie sat on the couch in her teal dress, nervous.
She and Flannery hadn’t talked to each other for two days. She was still mad at
Cassie for complaining about meeting someone who her mom liked a lot. Cassie
had spent the past two days trying to summon up the courage to say sorry to
Flannery, but something stopped her every time. By the time Cassie felt that
she could confront Flannery, school was out and Thanksgiving break had started.
So here Cassie was, on the couch waiting to answer the door for Matt to have
Thanksgiving dinner with them.
Cassie’s
legs couldn’t move for a minute, but as soon as she mustered enough courage,
her mom raced ahead of her to the door.
“Coming!”
she yelled through the door. “Cassie, can you please start setting the table?”
her mom asked in a hurried voice. Cassie groaned with a heavy sigh and stumbled
to the dining room. She clattered the plates onto the table when she heard
laughter in the front hallway. Footsteps were coming her way. She stopped to
admire her handiwork. Everything looked perfect: placemats, cloth napkins, and
the centerpiece.
“Cassie, I
would like you to meet Matt,” her mom said in a cheery voice. Cassie turned
around and had her mouth open. Matt was way different than she pictured. He
looked like a studious Zac Efron and had a mouth that looked like it was always
naturally in a smile.
“Hello
Cassie,” he said smiling, “I’m glad to finally meet you.” Cassie tried to say
something, but all she could do was say “Uh…..” This made Matt and Cassie’s mom
laugh. Cassie felt embarrassed but then thought it was kind of funny too.
“Why don’t
we head to the kitchen? Dinner should be about ready,” her mom said.
The rest of the evening was
really fun. Cassie learned that Matt used to live in Oregon and worked as an
accountant for a bank. He moved here to pursue his career in photography and
met her mom at a convention.”
“I also
really love baseball,” Matt said.
“Me too!!”
Cassie exclaimed.
“You two
might just have to go to a game together sometime,” Cassie’s mom winked at
Matt. Cassie saw that, but didn’t really seem to mind. Flannery was right:
Always look for the good in everything. She knew she would apologize to
Flannery when school started again.
Cassie,
her mom and Matt talked about everything and laughed so much that Cassie never
wanted it to end. When Matt left, Cassie held her mom’s hand and smiled.
“Was it
all okay, honey?” Cassie’s mom asked sweetly. Cassie thought about this. It may
not have been the kind of Thanksgiving she had hoped for, but Matt was good and
her mom seemed to be more happy around him, and she gave off those vibes which
made Cassie feel happy. Maybe this was a good change for Cassie and her family.
Maybe there were different kinds of wholesome families that made everyone
happy.
“Yes,” Cassie replied, “It was better than
okay, it was everything I could’ve hoped for.”
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