Opposites Attract

Chapter 16

Chapter 16

Victoria

Once we've cleaned up a lot of silverware, eaten dinner (which is cold so we reorder), and finished cleaning up the silverware, I get home around eleven. I don't fall asleep until around twelve. I keep thinking about how I should've gotten Annabelleś email or phone number or whatever.

* * *

When I wake up, Mom is staring at me. Umm... Awkwardness... "Hello, Mom..." I say, She looks upset. "What happened? Is there a picture of me knocking the silverware over online? Because that's okay with me..."

"No... your school is shutting down."

I gape at her. What? WHAT??!! "What?" Am I dreaming?

"They spent too much money at once, there's too much debt... I'm sorry..."

"Donate some money, Mom! You are sooo rich! Come ON please please please please please please pleeeeeaaaase!" This isn't gooooood! She needs too!

"I can't."

"Why not?????????"

"Because they were writing out fake checks and things like that. It's not good."

"MOM!" I sob, "NO ONE CARES! I'M GOING TO BE SEPARATED FROM MY FRIENDS!!!!!!!!!!" A new thought occurs to me, "How long have you known?"

"Since the beginning of the week. I'm sorry." She pauses, "But maybe you could go to Annabelle's school."

"Um... and how do you even know what school she goes to??" I ask, really confused as well as upset now.

"Her mom and I were talking..." WHAT?! MY MOTHER... TALKED... TO... ANOTHER... HUMAN... BEING... WITHOUT... A A A A SCRIPT THINGY?! Wow. Big achievement there.

Aaaaanyways... I'm going to a new school?????? SCARED SCARY SCARED SCARY SCARED SCARY SCARED SCARY.

I pull the covers over my head and go back to sleep.

* * *

Dawn is waking me up. WHY IS SHE WAKING ME UP?! I want to sleeep. Sleep. NOW! GO AWAAAY! "Shoooo..." I moan, still half asleep, "SHOOO, FLY!!!"

"You need to get up, Victoria..." Dawn informs me, sounding annoyed.

"MMMMMMMPPPPHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!" I stuff my face into the pillow.

"Victoria. Get. Up."

"NOOO! I DON'T WANT TO GET UP! IF I GET UP I HAVE TO GO TO A NEW SCHOOL! THAT'S SOOO SO SO SO SOOO SOO SOO SO SO SO SO SO SO SOOO SOOOOO SO SOOO SO SO OS SO SO SOOO SOO SO SO SO SO SO SO SO SO SO SO SCARY!"

"You will manage." Dawn says drily.

"I will NOT!" I scream.

"This is a pointless tantrum." She points out.

I lift my face from the pillow, "So? It can get me one day to just SLEEP."

"Get out of bed."

"NOOOO! NO NO NO NO NO NO NO!"

Dawn yanks the covers off. I shriek again and start shivering, "Now will you get up? There's this nice, fluffy bathrobe... all warm..."

"I'M UP!" I jump out of bed and grab the bathrobe.

"Breakfast in five." Dawn says, "Get dressed."

She leaves the room, and I climb back into bed. So soft. So comfortable. Yess...

* * *

Around noon I show up at Annabelle's school on a tour. We walk through all of the classrooms with all of the people "in action" and all that stuff. It's all very boring.

Except for the part when Annabelle sees me and her mouth drops and she cannot close it. I think her eyes are about to pop out of her head. It's CRAAAZY. Then she starts like mouthing things but I can only make out like half of the words so what I piece together is "oh. my. god." and "radio" and "spoon" and "funny" and "Greasy Joint" and "you" and then she goes off into a fit of hysterical laughter silently. I hope she isn't self conscious, because everyone is staring at her. Maybe she just doesn't notice. I don't know.

Anyways, I guess I'll be going to her school then. That sounds interesting. OH NO! What about Ginger and Holly and Cassie? And EVERYONE at Lexington Middle. WHAT IF I NEVER HEAR ANOTHER CRAZY STORY ABOUT ONE OF THEM WHO HID THEIR IPHONE IN THEIR BRA AND STILL GOT LIKE A THOUSAND BUCKS STOLEN, OR SOMEONE WHO GOT INTO THE WRONG LIMO AND WENT TO SOME CRAZY OLD LIKE A HUNDRED AND TEN YEAR OLD BILLIONAIRE'S HOUSE INSTEAD OF THEIR OWN! And so on. WHAT WILL I DO?!

This is a tragedy. Maybe I can convince some people to come here. Wait. A public school. I don't think their parents will let them. Well, I might as well try.