Turning Over A New Leaf

Chapter 12

Author's Note:

I have decided that I'm not going to upload every weekend. Not that I am anyways, but just to let you guys know, I'm gonna upload whenever I can.

*                    *                    *                    *                    *                    *                    *                    *                    *

Jan 30, 2010, 10:48 PM

I just got in trouble for the second time, and I’ve only been here a day. When I got back from hanging out with Phoenix, Grandma Sophie yelled at me for staying out so long. I don’t get it - she was the one who kicked me out!

Scarlett

Scarlett laid in her bed, waiting for sleep to come to her. She missed Jacki. Maybe she could call her… If it’s 10:48 here, that means it’s 9:48 there. She should still be up!

Scarlett sat up, suddenly overcome with excitement. Sliding her legs out from under the covers, she tiptoed to the door and slipped out noiselessly. The house was eerily quiet, since everyone had already gone to bed. She sneaked down the stairs, hugging the wall to avoid creaking the stairs. Scooping up the cordless phone from its cradle, she thought for a minute, trying to find a place where she could talk normally, but not wake anyone up. Quickly deciding that outside was the only place, she cracked open the door and waltzed out without a coat.

Dialing the number by heart, Scarlett held the phone up to her ear and waited in anticipation.

“Hello?” Jacki answered.

Scarlett squealed, “Hey! It’s me!”

“Oh my gosh! Scarlett! I’ve been waiting to talk to you forever! How’s Mississippi?”

“Well, it’s okay. My parents have been fighting a lot,” Scarlett sighed, sinking down onto the cold concrete steps and recounting the whole story.

Jacki was silent for a minute. “Are you serious? How could your dad do that?”

“I don’t know. It’s really weird. But I guess it’ll work itself out, right?”

Scarlett could almost feel the reassuring smile over the phone. After giving an affirmative answer, Jacki announced that she had big news. “Well, you know the Valentine’s Dance we have? Well, get this… Phil asked me if I would go with him!”

Gushing, Scarlett responded, “That is awesome! I’m so happy for you!”

After a small exchange about how exactly Phil had asked (non-chalant, in the library after school) and what Jacki was going to wear (an adorable pink dress with a sequined band on her midsection), Jacki asked, “So, any guys catch your eye?”

“I almost forgot!” Scarlett exclaimed. “This random guy gave me his phone number at some gas station!”

This time it was Jacki doing the squealing. “No way! That’s so cool!”

“And today, I met a guy…”

“I need details!” Jacki exclaimed, mimicking the girls in their classes.

Scarlett grinned, and replied, “OMG, he’s just fabu-liscious!” They both giggled, and Scarlett went on, “Well, his name is Phoenix. He’s about an inch shorter than me, black hair, gorgeous blue eyes… Kind of slender, but not creepy skinny.”