An Evening and an Afternoon

Heather’s mother had Monday night off, but she did not spend it staying in.  Heather was sitting at the dining room table doing her homework when she left her bedroom, dressed and ready to go out, carrying the full waste paper basket from her room.  “You’re such a good girl,” she said to Heather as she passed.  “Always doing your homework without me asking you, staying inside when you could have gone to that party—” She pulled the kitchen garbage can from under the sink, having to wedge it out of the cupboard door.  “I’m so lucky to—why are there beer cans in the garbage?”
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Origins: Katy

Katy sat alone at lunch.  She used to buy her lunch like every other kid, but at the beginning of her seventh grade year her mother had started having their part-time help, Rachel, make special diet lunches for her every day.  She chewed her salad with fat-free ranch, forcing herself to eat it.  She barely touched her skim milk.  She had always hated milk and her mother always forced her to drink it.  After lunch she would empty most of her thermos down the girls’ room sink. [more]…

The Red T-shirt

On Monday David picked up Gabby in his new car.  “I can’t believe your dad just gave you his car.”

“He bought a new Civic for himself, I get the old one.  I think it was a ploy to get me to find a job.  I can’t afford to keep gas in it.”

“What are you going to do?” [more]…