Across the Maps

Chapter 12

The rest of school is pretty uneventful. All the teachers do is lecture on different subjects and it gets boring. Finally the bell rings and school is over.

I rush to my locker, nearly getting squished between two large seniors but I wiggle out of the crowd and finally reach my locker.

I turn the knob to my combination and open it, grabbing my bag and shoving my stuff in it.

I bolt out of the building as fast as I can and get into Mom's car. Mom sits in the driver's seat, smiling.

"Hey Mom," I greet in a friendly voice.

"Well," she smiles. "You're in a good mood."

"Yes I am," I exclaim right as the car door opens and Paisley and Hallie get into the car.

"Why are you so happy?" Mom asks me, adjusting the side mirror of the car.

"Well," I pause. "I got asked out to the dance."

Paisley and Mom smile, but Hallie just sits there looking bored, picking at her dirty nails.

"You got asked out to the dance?" Hallie smirks. "Must have been some loser that was desperate not to show up alone."

"Hallie," Mom snaps, annoyed. "Be nice to your sister."

"Why? So she got a date to a stupid dance. Who cares?"

"Hallie," I growl. "Shut up." She was starting to get on my nerves. And if she doesn't shut up, she's going to regret it.

"Why don't you?" She spits back.

"Girls," Mom yells as she pulls out of the parking lot. "Stop fighting. And for once Hallie, act mature."

A small smile curls at the sides of my lips hearing Mom's words. Out of my peripheral vision, I can see Hallie scowling as she leans back against the chair.

"So," Mom asks. "Who are you going with?"

"Jeremy." I tell her and she smiles.

We pull up onto our private road and then finally we are home. I grab my bag and head up to my room and do my homework, which is easy so I am finished quickly. Then I watch tv until dinner is ready.

I sit at the table, Hallie to the right side of me, Paisley to the left, Mom beside Pailsey, and Dad at the head of the table.

Dad quickly says a prayer and then we dig into the food. The steak is tender and delicious and the mashed potatoes warm my throat. I gobble down all of my food quickly and then put my plate into the dishwasher. Licking my lips, I head upstairs and into my room.

I quickly get ready for bed and then plop down on my mattress, pulling the warm covers over my body. And slowly, I fall into a deep sleep.

The rest of the week is the same. The classes are long and boring. The only highlight of my days are lunch. I sit with Jeremy and we chat about random stuff. Then the bell rings and I have to get back to class.

The dance is tomorrow and Mom and I go shopping for a dress. After hours of shopping at different stores, I finally find one that I like.

It's a light peach colored dress with polka dots and glistening silver jewels at the collar. I find some silver flats with roses at the top to match them. And finally I find a dark pink beaded choker necklace on a sale rack at a clothing store.

Grabbing all of the stuff in my hands, I set them down on the counter and Mom pays for them, handing over her credit card.

After the checkout man, who is medium tall with amber eyes and dark brown hair, grabs the card from her and scans it, he looks up at Mom and his eyes go large.

"You're, you're Darla Canton, the worldwide famous writer." he stutters, his voice amazed and nervous at the same time.

"Yes, Mom says. "I am."He still stands there, his eyes wide and mouth dropped open.

"Can I have your autograph?" he asks, hopeful."

"Sure," Mom replies, smiling, and the guy hands her a pencil and a blank piece of paper. She signs it and hands it back to him and he smiles the largest grin, his semi crooked teeth showing.

"Can I have my card back?" Mom asks when he stills stands there, gazing it te piece of paper as if it was heaven in a small box.

"Yeah," he murmurs and hands her back her credit card and shoves our stuff in a bag and hands it to me.

I thank him and snatch the bag from him and we walk to Mom's vehicle and get in. Turning the car on, Mom puts in reverse and then pulls out of the crowded parking lot.

So I was thinking about maybe double updating today. Comment if you want me to.