A Teenager's Challenge in a Small Town

Troy

The first week was fun and exciting. We got our lockers numbers, but I don't need one because I just put all of my books and folders inside my backpack which goes on the back of my wheelchair. Oreo carries all my extra stuff, like: my lunch, gum, pens, and stuff like that. I'm so excited because our brother is due any day now.

"Oreo, are you ready for a new person to be in the house? It's going to be so great having a boy in the family besides you, and Dad is super excited." So as the weeks go by mom says she's getting more uncomfortable and she's ready to have this baby! At school today during fifth-period dad comes to check us out! We gather our things and go to the front office. I see dad signing the papers with the receptionist when Oreo opens the door. Dad turns around and has a ginormous grin on his face.

"YOU'RE MOTHER IS IN LABOR!" he yells.

"Dad! You don't have to yell!" I say.

"Yeah, I'm pretty sure everyone in the school heard you, and even the elementary and they're in another building across campus," Tori says sarcastically to my dad. He just laughs, "You girls ready to go?" he asks.

"YES! Let's go dad!" we both say. The three of us and Oreo walk out to the car. Dad opens the door and helps me into my seat. Oreo sits next to me, and Tori sits in her seat behind us. Dad jumps into the car and quickly starts pulling out of the parking lot. Then, as he starts driving like a monkey swinging from the trees while avoiding other cars. I half expect him to let out a yell like Tarzan (sadly he doesn't).

"DAD SLOW DOWN, WOULD YA?" I yell like we are a mile away from each other.

"I can't! I don't want your mom to have the baby without us there!"

               We finally get to the hospital and I have never been so happy to be here. Tori slides open the door and jump out onto the grass.

"Land!" she yells and takes a few moments to recover from our insane ride down the highway. Dad leaps out of the van and hurls the keys toward Tori, who is still on the grass.

"Help your sister out of the van and meet me inside! The front desk will help you!" he yells as he sprints toward the hospital.

"Tori wake up!" I say in my funny tone, "We've got to get inside." She walks towards the trunk and grabs my wheelchair. She puts it near the door and helps me out and into it.

"C'mon let's go!" I say, "We're going to miss it!" She closes the door and locks the van. I grab Oreo's leash and we start rolling to the door. When we get inside I see the front desk and Tori and I go up and ask for where our mom is. They give us a room number, 2121, but say we won't be allowed to see her until the baby comes. Tori and I somehow find the elevator and go to the second floor, the maternity ward. We exit the elevator and find a place to wait. We watch the TV and wait. Finally, around three o'clock I see dad come out of the special area where they wouldn't let us go. He's smiling.

"Girls, c'mon I want you to meet your new brother!" he yells. We all head toward him and he starts walking. We follow him to room 2121.

               Tori steps inside and dad holds the door for me to roll in. We see our mom in the hospital bed holding a little bundle. The baby looks so tiny! Which is surprising because at the end of her pregnancy mom looked huge! Tori walks over first, and then I roll up beside her with Oreo. My mom looks exhausted but happy. I lean in to see him, and, as my parents had decided to name him Troy, His name fit him perfectly. Dad looks exhilarated to have a boy; he hasn't stopped smiling since he picked us up from school. Oreo seems very chill with everything but, I am not sure of that yet.

Dad comes over and pulls out his phone and takes a picture of all of us! Then a nurse walks in and offers to take a picture of the entire family. My dad gives her the phone and Oreo jumps on the bed right by mom's feet. The rest of us gather around mom and the nurse takes our picture! Right, then I realize that this is our first real picture of a whole family. It is crazy how many new people and pets are in my life now. To be specific: Tori, Troy and Oreo! I'm so grateful for each one of them.