Looking Up

Chapter 2

I sit on the rough, tan carpet in my living room. My dad is tipping in the black desk chair next to me. Creak, Creak, Creak.

"Could you just shut up?" I say angrily.

His creaking stops for a moment as he says, "Nice to see you too."

I glance up at him slightly and see him combing through his gray hair with his hands. He is wearing an old, blue shirt with grass stains littering the front. Mom always hates when he wears that shirt.

He looks at me questioningly, but I just shake my head and look down at all my school supplies. They are lined up in a neat pile, with not one thing out of place. I can't stand messes.

I hear the vibrating of a phone as I put my pencil case together and I turn around just in time to see my dad with my phone in his hand about to press a button.

"Will you please stop?" I yell, snatching the phone from him.

I squint at the bright screen and barely make out the name Bridgett and a picture of Bridgett and me at the beach this summer, our toes digging into the hot sand.. I hastily press the answer button and hold the phone tightly to my ear like it is my lifeline.

"Hey Bridgett," I say, holding up a finger as I see Keegan speeding down our wooden stairs.

I hear some yelling voices in the background and I sigh. Bridgett's real mother must be in town.

"Hi Aimee," Bridgett says, as a door slams in the background. "Can I come over your house for a little bit?"

I groan a little as I feel Keegan's body slam into my back. I love him to death, but he can get on my nerves sometimes.

"I have to ask my dad, but just a fair warning that Keegan is excited for school tomorrow," I say with a small chuckle.

I hear the voices get a little louder and I flinch. I hate hearing people yell. It makes me feel like I want to shrink into the floor so nobody can see me.

"Great, we have some things to talk about," she says with a little squeal.

She's always so hyper and happy, which is weird considering people are so mean to her at school. It's like she doesn't care what they think. What people think of me is very important to me. It is like a constant thought replaying over and over in my head. A constant choir of birds chirping the same thing. I shouldn't care because no matter what I do, they are repelled by the presence of me.

"See you soon," I say quickly as Keegan starts digging through my pile of school supplies.

As soon as the line goes dead, I rush over to Keegan and grab his wrist before he can get into anything else.

"Stop it Keegan, or else Bridgett and I won't be able to talk to you." I threaten, releasing him.

I turn to Dad and give him a pleading look. His dark brown eyes narrow at my ocean blue ones and his frown makes his pale chin crinkle.

"What did you do this time?" he asks jokingly.

I know that he's just kidding, but I still feel annoyance in me. I don't know why I feel annoyed around him.

"I don't always screw up!" I scream, a little louder than meant to.

He rolls his eyes and says, "Can you have one normal conversation."

I scowl at him, but regain my composure quickly. I am not going to get Bridgett stuck in that small, loud house just because I can't keep my temper under control.

"Can Bridgett come over?" I ask, forcing the tiniest of smiles.

He smiles back one of his lopsided, crooked teethed smiles. I guess I would be surprised too seeing somebody who has barely smiled all summer, smile the night before school.