Five years later...
"Hey, Dad. I just called to tell you that I'm on my way to work, so if you want me to pick up anything, call me back. I hope you're having a good day at work, and I'll see you later." Leah hangs up the phone and slips it into her purse. She takes out her keys and unlocks the car. Didn't answer, she thinks. Fiftieth time this week. She gets into the drivers seat, starts the car, and drives off.
She works as a secretary at J&J Law Firm, where her father works. She thought getting that job would help her to see her father more often since her desk is right in front of his office, but he only stays in his office for forty-five minutes every morning, and that's before she arrives. After that, he's just going back and forth from his office to meetings and back again.
Suddenly, her phone starts ringing in her purse. She raises her hand to her ear, then realizes she forgot to put in her ear piece before she left. "Ah, damn it," she says. She slows down to a stop at a red light and hurriedly digs into her purse. She retrieves her cell phone and checks the caller ID before answering it. It's her sister's high school. "Ugh, Sam. What now?" She presses the answer button. "Hello?"
"Hello. Is this Leah Price?" Laura says. She memorized the secretary's name from the number of phone calls she's gotten from her sister's school.
"Yes, this is Leah," she replies.
"Hello, Leah. This is Laura Stanton from Warren Harding High School. I'm calling about your daughter, Samantha Price."
"Sister, and yes. I assumed that." She switches the phone to speaker and lays it on the dash. When the light turns green, she continues her journey to the office.
"Sister," she says. Leah can hear the smile in her voice. "My apologies, I was looking at your mother's cell phone number here. Your sister got into a little bit of trouble with one of her classmates. Dr. Jameson would like to have a meeting with you as soon as possible."
Leah sighs. This is the third time this month she's gotten a call from Ms. Stanton. "Um, I think I can make it in the next half-hour, if that's good for him." She turns onto another street, the office just at the end of it.
"Um...perfect! I will tell him that."
"Okay. If I'm not available in that time, I will call you back."
"Okay. That's no problem. Thank you, and I apologize if i interrupted anything."
"You didn't. Thank you very much. Good bye." She waits for the screen of her phone to say call ended, then she sighs. You're killing me, Sam, she thinks. She finds it so sad that her father is unavailable so often that the school just calls her first, instead.
She parks in her reserved spot, bought by her father and turns off the car. She takes a few deep breaths before getting out of the car. She can't exactly be stressed out when taking calls from clients. When she feels more relaxed, she takes the keys out of the ignition and leaves the car, her purse on her arm, and locks it behind her.
Her car is a black-and-white 2013 Ram 1500 Pickup Truck. Another gift from her dad, but this one she doesn't complain about. She fell in love with it the moment she saw it, on the edge of crying when her father gave her the keys.
Her phone begins to ring again. She pulls it out of her back pocket and answers it. "Hello?"
"Hey, sweetheart."
She half-smiles. "Hey, Dad. How's work going?"
"Hm. Pain in the ass. Is that offer to pick up something still open?"
"I'm afraid not. I'm already in the parking lot."
"Oh well. I'm sorry I didn't pick up earlier. I was out getting your Christmas present."
She lights up at the word present. She gets annoyed by her dad, but she'll never deny that she's spoiled as hell. "What did you get?" she asked, eager to know.
"Christmas morning, you'll find out."
"Dad, you're never home on Christmas. How can I open it and be happy when you're not there with us?"
"Well, sweetheart, this year will be different. I spoke to my boss, and he allowed me to pass all cases that ran through Christmas and New Year's to Abraham and Jeremy. I'm going to be home this year."
This bit of news couldn't make her happier. For the first time in ten years, he's going to spend the winter holidays with his children.
"You didn't faint on me, did you?" he says.
"No, no, Dad. I'm still here." She can't stop smiling. Then she remembers her sister. "Uh, Dad?"
"Yes?" he replies.
"I got a call from Sam's school today. Do you mind telling Cinthia I won't be in 'til nine-thirty?"
Leah hears her father sigh. "Ugh, Sam. What now?"
"I know."
"Alright, I will tell her...so does that mean you can pick us up something to eat?"
She rolls her eyes. "Fine, Dad. What do you want?"
She takes down her father's order, says goodbye, and hangs up. She gets back into her car and drives away from the building. She hopes her father doesn't forget to tell her boss. She zooms down the street, heading for Warren Harding high School.
She arrives twenty minutes later, earlier than she said she would be. She takes five of the remaining minutes to relax. The day has barely begun, and already she needs a cigarette. She's been trying to quit, but she's too into it. She makes herself resist getting one out. The last thing she needs is to walk into a school smelling like a pack of Newports.
Her favorite song comes onto the radio, and she starts singing along with it:
If you're having girl problems, I feel bad for you, son.
I got 99 problems and a bitch ain't one.
Tip my hat to the sun in the west.
Feel the beat right in my chest.
At the crossroads a second time.
Make the devil change his mind.
It's a pound of flesh, but it's really a ton.
99 problems and a bitch ain't one.
If you're having girl problems, I feel bad for you, son.
I got 99 problems and a bitch ain't one.
99 problems
But a bitch ain't one.
Like broken glass under my feet.
I could lose my mind in this heat.
Looking for the prize, but I don't want blood.
I order one drink, then I drink the flood.
Well, you can come inside, but your friends can't come.
99 problems and a bitch ain't one.
If you're having girl problems, I feel bad for you, son.
I got 99 problems and a bitch ain't one.
I got 99
99
99
99
99 problems
But a bitch ain't one.
Leah smiles when the song finishes. That's always been her favorite song. She can't remember why, but it is. She looks at the time. Shit, I have to go, she thinks. She grabs her keys and her phone and gets out of the car. Time to deal with Sam's shit. Again.
