Ready Or Not

Take Your Child to Work Day

*Monday September 13th 2021*

Addie:

Nettie's so lucky. Today I got that math test. Gross. I hate tests. I get so much anxiety even thinking about taking one. But I did end up going over to Sam's last night after we got home.
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"Hey Mom!" I yell downstairs. I lean over the railing.
"What's up Audra?" She yells back.
"Can I go over a classmates house? We wanna study for the big math test tomorrow! So...can I go?" I ask.
"Hold on!" She says. She then comes up the stairs. "What's their name, address, gender and do we know them?" She asks.
"Samual Thompson. Age:18. Lives down the street next to Old Mrs.Harris. Male. No you do not know him," I tell her.
"Want me to drive you over?" She sighs.
"Yes!" I say. I grab my coat and hop in car.
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I walk into school with clammy hands. I walk into math and take my seat. Sam sits down in front of me. He turns around. "You ready for the test?" He asks me.
"Yeah...kinda nervous though," I give him a nervous smile. He puts a reassuring hand on mine that was resting on my desk. I look down at his hand then up to his face. He quickly removes his hand and rotates back to the front of the class room.
What the f-

Nettie:

I walk up early and get ready. I go downstairs and have a bowl of cereal. Then I grab my pills except my green ones. Thank god! Have I mentioned that I hate those?

yes...a couple times

Oh well let me mention it again. I hate those pills.  Dad comes downstairs and notices me. "Natalia. What a surprise," He says.
"Dad I didn't mean to raise my voice," I tell him.
"Oh...uh it's alright Natalia. I was just a bit upset already because mom burnt the lasagna," Dad says. I laugh.

don't laugh. shows weakness.

Oh uh sorry.

don't apologize either. another sign of weakness.

So then what do I say back?

this would be easier if I helped a bit right?

Uh yeah sure.

"Mom's always messing up dinner. Look thanks for yell-fest. But a suggestion for next time? Don't lose. Makes you look weak," I tell him. I cross my arms.
Dad's taken back a bit. "I'll meet you in the car. You didn't take the green pills...did you?" He asks.
"No, you told me I didn't have too," I say.
"Yeah that's what I thought," He says. He walks out of the kitchen and I hear the door open. I shrug. Wonder what that was all about.

After I go brush my teeth, I go to dad's car and hop in. "Ready to go kiddo?" He asks.
"Yup," I say. Dad pulls out of the driveway. Kinda wish I didn't have to go. I probably could've gotten out of this whole thing because of the fight last night but I knew once I saw my fathers face I'd regret it.

We pull into the parking lot of the hospital. "I thought we were going to the office first," I say.
"We need to stop here real quick. I need to pick up some papers first," He says unbuckles his seatbelt. I unbuckle mine and we walk inside. I look around at this gray place. God never wanna end up in this place. Only for visiting, not to stay. Oh jeez never to stay. Everyone wears the same nurse scrubs and white sneakers. There's a dude twitching and a girl talking loudly about how close she it to Santa Claus. "Mind waiting in here while I look for the papers?" Dad asks.
"Sure!" I say. I sit down at a small round wooden table by some windows. A woman sits down in front of me. I look at her. "Hi, I'm Nettie Landcaster," I say.
"How do you do. So Nettie how's school?" She asks.
"Good good. I've been zoning out a bit more that usual," I tell her.
"Make many friends in school?" She then asks.
"I got two. Addie and Will," I say.
"Only two?" She asks.
"Well yeah, at least close friends. But I'm friends with my field hockey team though," I say smiling.
"Oh that's good. So what about free time," She asks me next.
"Uh field hockey in the fall, Friday's I have movie night with Addie and Will, Hang out with Will, do homework with Addie and Will," I list.
"So basically you hang out with Will and Addie or you play field hockey?" She asks with a little attitude.