Hello guyssss
Chapter 5: Sighing Situations
Megan goes through pencils like a sick person goes through tissues (yes, that is the best simile I could come up with at the moment). But I couldn't blame her. She had a lot of homework to do for an eighth grade student. Plus, she brainstormed like crazy. Her walls are a bunch of scattered and colorful sticky notes. It's usually quiet in here. Almost lonely. Between the Barbie always screeching like a hyena that's on fire from downstairs and the two purple Dixon Ticonderoga pencils (from the pack Megan bought when she bought me) grumbling about being out of eraser and losing the only friend they ever had our of that pack, I didn't really have much to do before the other supplies came. I've tried talking to them, but apparently pencils can speak more than one language and these pencils know German, French, and Spanish. In a way, I'm almost lucky I don't speak more than one language because then Megan might have to wash their erasers with soap.
Anyway, it's Monday and Megan is taking me back to school. It's Trudy and Ralph's first time going to school so it'll be exciting. The rest of the supplies are staying at home, but some of the Sticky Sisters are coming which I don't mind but I don't want to hear giggling at eight in the morning while the Barbie-witch curses under her breath at the traffic.
We all wait in Megan's backpack. Trudy seems nervous whereas Ralph is catching up on his sleep.
"Is it really easy to get lost?" Trudy asks.
"Not really. Unless you fall in the hallway," I reply, "But Megan doesn't let that happen. You'll be fine, Trudy. Don't worry."
"Thanks, sweets," Trudy says.
When Megan arrives at the classroom, she takes Ralph, me, and one of the Phenomenal Pencils (I can never remember their names).
"I'll see you in a little bit, Trudy," I call to her.
The bell rings and people slam their books and binders down on the desks. I shudder at he thought of my spine hitting the hard wood. I notice Susan scribbling in a bright pink notebook, looking frustrated as she rips out a page and crumples it up. The crinkling sound makes me shudder too. I doze off halfway through the class until Ralph starts snoring rather loudly.
"Ralph, could you shut up a little?" I say to him. He snores louder.
"Do you mind Ralph?" I say, feeling annoyed. He snores even louder.
"Ralph!" By this time, my eardrums almost burst. I give up on trying to sleep and let Ralph snore.
I hear whispering and realize it's Megan and Susan.
"How far have you gotten in your story?" Susan asks.
"Not too far but almost halfway. What about you?"
"I'm still a little stuck on ideas so you know...." she trails off, "Can I read yours?"
Megan hesitates as she puts a hand on my cover. She sighs. "I don't know, Susan. I'm not really at the point where I can share it."
Susan looks a little disappointed. She pouts a little. "Oh, okay. I understand."
I silently applaud Megan for saying no. I don't want to be handled by Susan. Megan might trust her, but I don't.
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After the Barbie witch screeches at Megan about her chores that she's already done, Megan spends hours in her room writing in me. I try to keep up but when Megan writes she tries not to pause or else she loses her focus. Instead of using Ralph this time, she uses Trudy. Soon the image of Megan becomes blurry, but a strange dream about an endless blue line on a cream page becomes clear.
I wake up to a voice. Two voices, actually.
"How was school today, Megan?"
"Nothing new really. But I was talking to my English teacher about the writing contest and she told me details and some tips," Megan replies.
"That's good, that's good," Adam says. Megan's father looks like the upper half of her face. The little pools of pudding in the middle of the whites of the large eyes. The nose resting quite flatly between the eyes and rounded at the bottom.
The rest of her face looks like her mother. The crisp cheekbones tinted with red. Her oblong shaped face. Her soft lips of two different shades of salmon pink. The frizzy brown hair looks like a wave of coffee running down her back.
Her father clears his throat. "I have to take Lucy to her mother's house over the weekend. You'll be staying with your mom."
"Do you have to leave? I barely see you as it is," Megan complains. She's not wrong.
Adam sighs, putting his hand on her shoulder. "I'm sorry Megan. I can't work that out as of now. But Lucy has to attend her brother's wedding. And I'm going to attend with her. You're going to stay with your mother."
Megan doesn't say a word. Her face is unreadable.
"Megan?"
"Believe me, Dad, I'm all for staying with Mom, I prefer her over Lucy," Megan retorts, "But why do you have to go with her? She can go by herself. Stay with me."
He sighs at her response.
"Megan, this isn't up for discussion. I'm going and you're staying with your mom, okay?"
"Whatever you say dad," Megan replies with a roll of her eyes.
"I know the divorce isn't exactly in your favor but you have to try to get through with it. Lucy really is trying," he says.
Megan almost laughs. "I wouldn't be too sure."
"Be nice to her, Megan. You have to respect her. You may not like her but she is my wife."
She narrows her eyes at him. "Do you like her?"
"Megan, that's not a valid-"
"Ok, fine. I get it. I'm staying with Mom," she cuts him off.
Adam sighs once again, and walks out of the room.
Meghan falls back on her bed with a sigh. What is with this sighing. Sigh.
