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dad’s death.

    Dad and I had a wonderful day today. We made chicken salad sandwiches and went on our weekly picnic. We talked and dad expressed concern that my grades weren’t where they should be. He believed I was capable of more. At one point he said to me, “Willow dear, you take life so seriously. You really need to lighten up.” He also told me, “There will be times of heartache, but life is made of moments. Don’t waste them.” And when we went home I brought my homework into the kitchen and sat down at the island. While reading, I felt something hit me in the head. I looked up and dad was grinning. He was popping popcorn. Laughing, we had a food fight right there in the kitchen. The little moments indeed…

    I put the journal down, rolled onto my back and tried to stop the tears. They came anyway. I sat up and grabbed some tissue from the nightstand. Pandora left her position at the window and came over long enough to lick my hand. Satisfied that I was okay she returned to her station and kept standing guard. I reached over and turned off the light. I turned onto my side and draped an arm and a leg over my body pillow and listened as Anne’s classical music drifted throughout the house. East of Eden I identified. I heard her open cabinets as she put some dishes away. The clanging of silverware and the all-around homey sound made me long for my dad and the comforts of my real home.

Chapter 9
    The upcoming fall dance was all anyone talked about at school. At lunch, Tavia and Amber insisted I go.
    “Not many of us go as couples. We mainly go as a group. It’s more fun that way because you’re not tied to any one guy!” Tavia was exuberant and while she was talking she flipped through a fashion magazine. She pointed to a strapless number and said, “That’s the one. I’ll have my mom order it when I get home.”
    “There aren’t many places to find dresses around here,” Amber pointed out.
    “Where are you getting one?” I asked.
    She shrugged. “I’ll just wear the one I wore last year.”
    All of a sudden I heard someone shout, “Boo!” Startled, I jumped a little.
    Reece laughed and wrapped his arms around me. “Didn’t mean to scare you!”
    “Sure you didn’t,” I teased sarcastically. 
    “We’re discussing plans for the dance,” Amber explained.
    Amused, Reece turned to me. “Are you going?”
    “Of course she is!” Tavia stated.
    I am?
    Acquiescent, I confirmed. “I guess that settles it, count me in.”
    “You’ll save a dance for me, right?” Reece winked at me but I didn’t react to him since I spotted Lacey across the room. She was looking this way but she was studying Amber and there was something about her expression that made me think she was lonely, or longing.
    “Don’t even go there,” Tavia warned. “She keeps to herself.”
    “She’s pleasant enough,” Amber interjected. “She talks to me whenever she gets the chance.”
    “That’s because you’re the nicest person in school,” Tavia praised. “Everyone likes you.”
    “I haven’t given her much thought,” Reece added. “She seems pretty severe.”
    At that point I began paying too much attention to my food. I didn’t want her thinking that we were gossiping, which is exactly what we were doing. When I looked her way one more time, she was looking right at me but I couldn’t gauge her expression.
    I ate in silence for the next few minutes and randomly listened to various conversations around me but I didn’t join in any of them. I noticed when Lacey got up to leave and as she came near our table I kept my head down but saw that she was wearing Grecian sandals. Her toenails were painted a startling silver and then she stopped. I looked up long enough to see that she was gazing down at Amber and asked if she could talk to her. Amber stood up and they left the cafeteria together.
    Tavia took that opportunity to walk over to a boy who had, minutes before, very nearly tripped when another guy