The Painter and Toker

Dinner Chapter 4

Addie's Point of View

Addie had sat through dinner basically silent, other than asking her mother's questions about Donna.

"Yes Donna lives across the street"

"Yes the same Donna who she roomed with"

Sure she'd wash the dishes after dinner and that was all that was asked of her. The entire rest of the conversation was about how Ryan had made quarterback, and he made his father proud. She was chasing her peas around her plate when she heard her name.

" uh? What I was busy" she took a slip of water

" Busy, not eating your peas, Greg suggested you try out for the cheerleading team"

Addie choked on her water, Greg frowned " I'm sorry but what? You want me to wave pom poms around , and wear tiny flippy skirts , letting people throw me in the air ?"

" your skirts are short" Ryan grinned

"umm,.but people aren't throwing me in the air in my skirts"

"It's be a good way to make new good friends not like that last lot " he pointed his fork at her.

" I made a friend Greg, remember the whole conversation about Donna" sarcasm running through her words.

Greg rolled his eyes "friends interested in things that could actually take them places"

" but how is flippy skirts and ditzy cheers going to take me anywhere,Greg"

"it's merely a suggestion, something to lead you away from your starving artist furture"

"yeah, and insanely stupid suggestion" muttered Addie

Greg slammed his hand on the table, and stood up.

"Addison" her mother touched her shoulder.

" I'll start the dishes" Addie stood up collecting the plates, and slammed them in the sink.
"you don't have to be so rude, Addison" her mother placed a glass in the sink " he wants a good life for you

'no, he wants his life for me, the perfect trophy daughter, to go along with his trophy son and new wife" she began scrubbing at the dishes,

" you impossible recently"

"I haven't been here recently mom" she placed the dishes on the drying wrack.

"Well, at least thinking about doing some kind of activity after school, it'd be good for you." Then the doorbell rang, it was 8:00, Donna was here for the rescue;she dashed towards the front door, but not before Ryan opened it.

" uh.. uh it's some red head"

Donna smiled "you must be Ryan I'm Donna; Addie's friend?"

"Hi Donna" she grabbed Donna arm and started pushing her away, but Mom got to there before freedom met us.

"hello, Donna it's nice seeing you again, Gregory come meet Donna" her mom smiled sickly sweet

"Great" I sighed " let's just all met Donna"

" it's fine, I can say hi "

Donna stepped in the door, and my mom ushered her over to the dining table; where he was slurping on his coffee and reading the newspaper, he looked up from the newpaper,

Donna extended her hand,  " Hi, I'm Donna, I was Addie's roommate at the creative arts summer school"
He eyed her up and down, his lip curled up "Donna what's that short for?"

"it's not short for anything , it's my name"

"well Donna other than you parent lack of class with name choice, I hear you write little stories"

Donna's mouth dropped just a little, I pulled her away scowling at him.

"Me and Donna are going to hang out her house across the street"

Greg snorted " be home by 9:00". Addie flipped around about to say her normal curfew was 1:00 on weekends, 10:00 on schools days.

" ohh.. Psssh.. Gregory it's the weekend home by 10:30/11."

" we have Church in the morning Gregory "retorted snidely.

" Addie go to church, what did you pour in that Coffee Gregory Chaplin".Her mother shooed both girls out the door; both girls sighing in relief