All That Matters

Chapter 4

All That Matters Chapter 4, a romance fiction |

Chapter 4

If you can laugh at it, you can live with it

-Erma Bombeck

No one else was there when I got inside the house. I didn't expect anyone to be. The red light on the answering machine was flashing so I knew Mrs. Richter had called and left a message, and I wasn't about to listen to it. I was more interested in getting myself a snack from the kitchen and settling down on the couch in the living room to watch anything that seemed appealing on TV, hopefully some cartoons or anything on the food network.

I ended up finding an episode of Diners, Drive-ins and Dives and settled for that.

It was just a distraction until my parents made it home. I was ready to have what I deserved. Mom and Dad would get home soon, listen to the messages and yell at me. Mom would primarily be doing all the yelling but I could take it. I took comfort at the fact that I wouldn't be the only one getting the lecture.

"Hi honey." A half an hour later, Mom was home.

"Hey Mom." I kept my eyes glued on the TV screen, listening to Judge Judy lecture some helpless woman. My show on the Food Network was over and this seemed fitting.

"How was school?"

It was ironic that she asked that question. I stole a glance at her and watched as she started going through some mails she must have picked up on her way in. The answering machine would be next.

"Fine." I answered naturally. I could imagine myself being the girl getting addressed by Judge Judy. The irony of my life.

In about five minutes Mom would be yelling at me. I just hoped her voice wouldn't be as scary as it always sounded when she was scolding Wayne.

I saw her walk to the machine from the corner of my eye.

Four minutes until she would be in my face about it.

She was now listening to the messages, and not long after she had a twinkle of anger in her eyes just Wayne was walking inside the house.

Three minutes.

That was really good timing, in an unfortunate kind of way.

"Sit down." Mom glared at Wayne. There it was. That tone.

Wayne immediately did as Mom said. Even he knew better than to question Mom's authority. Mom was always serious when it came down to it, and talking back to her was just a way of buying yourself into more trouble.

Two minutes.

Wayne and I looked at each other and he snorted. Neither one of us was concerned, or nervous. We were prepared. Although I barely got lectured, I knew what to expect from observing Wayne's past experiences. He was the main troublemaker of the house.

One Minute.

Mom was done listening to the messages. She walked inside the living room and stood in front of us while we sat on the couch next to each other.

She looked at me and then at Wayne, putting one hand on her hip and the other in the air.

"You, I am not surprised," She pointed at Wayne and then she looked at me again. "But you, Ashley, two in class suspensions?"

Wayne and I had to look at her precisely in the eyes. It was the only way she could tell how we felt. She instructed us that she was able read our emotions from our eyes. How she did it? I didn't have a single clue.