Adopted

Chapter 86

The summer passed faster than I was expecting.  We traveled to a bunch of different states and Dad performed at a bunch of festivals and they were a lot of fun. Mom and I went with on each one and traveled to some of the cities. We spent a few days in New York City after Dad performed near Albany. Dad had performed there in a Broadway play and so they took me around their old 'neighborhood' where they'd stayed when Dad was here. We went to see Les Miz, which was - A-Mazing!

We had pizza, and took the ferry to Staten Island and then also to Ellis Island, because I had to have at least one educational experience. 

Dad played a show in Chicago, so we went there, too. I tried 'deep dish' pizza for the first time.  It was okay. We also looked at 'the Bean' and Dad surprised a few fans in the area. It was funny to watch them freak out when they realized who he was. 

There was a festival in Houston, which we were at, but I was sick. Stomach bug. I spent the night throwing up, Dad spent the night performing, and Mom spent the night trying to keep me hydrated and checking I didn't have a fever. It passed after a couple of days. 

We also went to Oklahoma, Indiana, Oregon, and Washington State. At the end of the summer, we went to a festival in Massachusetts. 

But, before I knew it, it was back to school.  The best part, Dad was home this time. 

"Well, last year of middle school, my brilliant daughter. You going to rock it? Become class president? Join the swim and baseball teams? Take the team to State this year?" Dad said on the first day. 

"I'm going to try not to fail my classes, not get beaten up or beat anyone up, and try to make the teams."

"Well, I expect you'll do all of the above," Dad said, smiling. "Alright, my brilliant eighth grader, out of the car with you."

"Dad, you're too weird.  See you after school," I said, getting out and meeting Astrid and Paige in front of the school. 

"Hey guys," Dad called out the window.

"Hi Mr. Urie!" they called back. Some sixth graders turned around and stared. 

I joined my friends and we hugged as we went in to the school.

"How was your summer?" I asked them. 

"Boring," Astrid said. "We didn't wind up going anywhere this summer and my grandparents stayed with us for two weeks."

"We went back to visit family in Toronto. I tried to convince them to go to Albany to see your dad's concert, but they didn't want to risk not getting tickets." Paige said. 

"Paige! You should have called or texted me! I have an in! I probably could have found a spare ticket lying around somewhere," I joked. 

"I know, but I didn't want to impose."

"You're so Canadian," Astrid said. 

We walked in the front of the school where Ms. Abigail was standing greeting students. 

"Good morning, girls," she said to us. "How were your summers?"

"Great, thank you, Ms. Abigail," we said. 

"Nice to see you all back, have a wonderful first day. I'll see you three in assembly," she smiled. 

"Ugh. Eighth grade assembly," Astrid said. "I wonder if they're going to tell us that there's a classmate with some disease this year. Like, I dunno, AIDS or something."

"Oh, that would be horrible," I said. "Poor kid. Wonder who it is."

"Ah, some celebrity's kid, no doubt. Loser, I'm sure."

"Hey!" I punched her lightly. 

"Good morning Astrid, Jessica and Paige," Mr. Clark said as we passed his classroom. He'd still be our English teacher this year, but we all had Music first. 

"Good morning, Mr. Clark," we said. 

"See you in fourth period," he said. 

We waved and went on to the music class. 

The eighth grade assembly was basically welcoming us back to school and reminding us that just because we are now the oldest in the school, that doesn't give us license to tease or be in any way mean or rude to the sixth and seventh graders. That we were expected to be role models and mentors. Typical first day stuff. 

I got the same thousand booklets as I'd gotten last year and laughed at Mom and Dad while they filled them out. I had homework, too, but not nearly as much as them. 

September went by without much fanfare.  Swim tryouts were the first week of October and I got ready to try out. 

I made the team, and my meets were pretty good. I didn't break any records, but I placed first a couple of times, and then second. Mom and Dad were at every meet, and Josh, Pete and Patrick, and Zack and Kala also came when they could. 

In November, I got really sick and wound up in the hospital for a couple of weeks. I'd been throwing up and couldn't hold anything down.  I was on IVs and even an NG tube to get food into my stomach.  Doc started talking about inserting a feeding tube, that would get food right into my small intestine, since my stomach didn't seem happy to have food in it.  We held off as long as we could on that, and I got better. 

Dad was writing some, but he wasn't planning on any tours just yet, because he wasn't recording an album.  He did do a few winter festivals, but Mom and I stayed in LA. 

We spent Christmas with PopPop and Granny in Vegas. I still wasn't 100%, but I was better. And I didn't wind up in the hospital while there. But I didn't eat a lot, and was drinking Ensure because it had a lot of calories. PopPop kept buying all sorts of ice cream and pretending to sneak it to me. But I knew Mom and Dad had told him anything I could keep down was fine. 

My aunts and uncles and cousins were all there again, and this time I got to interact some more with them. Last time all I'd done was sleep and then went to the hospital.  This time, even though I napped some, I was awake for more of the trip. 

We went home for New Years, and Mom and Dad had a party at our house. I fell asleep before midnight. 

In February, I made the baseball team again, but was cut from the swim team.  My times kept falling and I was losing meets. I couldn't swim that far anymore. Dad picked me up that day. 

"Hey there superstar. What's going on? Why so down?"

"I got cut from the swim team," I said. 

"How come?"

"My times. They're getting slower and I don't have the stamina to make it more than two lengths anymore," I said. He was silent when I told him that. 

We got home, and I just went upstairs and took a nap.