Thinking Cap: A Collection Of Short Stories

A Divorce (2017)

I lie on the Raymonds' comfy sofa, reading one of my favorite books. Mom is chatting with Mrs. Raymond and Holly and Monica are playing in the basement. I turn page after page, enraptured in the story.

Then, Mom walks into the living room and says, "Honey, it's time to go." I nod, dog-ear my page, shut my book, and follow Mom to the door, where we find Monica and Holly sadly saying goodbye.

Mom, Holly, and I are piled into our Honda Civic.

"When will Daddy get home?" asks Holly.

"In a month," replies Mom.

"I want Daddy now!" She whines.

"Me too, sweetie. Me too."

Mom always acts cool in front of us, but I can tell when she's upset. Our dad is a movie director who spends most of his time abroad. It's currently June, and Dad left for Brazil to shoot a movie in February. My best friend, Macy-Jane, says that my parents might get a divorce. She says that her parents fought a lot and avoided each other before they got divorced. I hope that's not the case, though.

When we get home, Mom puts on a TV show to keep Holly entertained. Then, she sits me down.

"So, sweetie, as you know, your dad and I haven't been getting along that well, and, honey, we are going to legally separate," she says.

My heart skips a beat. I can't say anything. I can't breathe. But I can cry, so I burst out sobbing.

"Oh, honey," my Mom says, rubbing my back.

Now, instead of feeling sad, I feel furious; at my mother, at my father, at my everything. A fit of fiery anger rises in my throat.

"Don't you dare touch me!" I scream, leaping out of her reach.

Then, I march off to my room. When I get there, I slam the door and collapse on my bed, crying myself to sleep.

...

The next day, I wake up, eyes puffy, face sticky. Suddenly, last night's events come rushing back.

"They're getting divorced," I mutter quietly.

I carry myself down the stairs, feeling depressed. Mom made blueberry muffins. That should excite me, or at least make me smile, but it doesn't.

"Hi, Lana," Mom says, clearly feeling very guilty and sorry about last night's turn of events.

"Hi," I say lifelessly.

"Hi, Lala," says Holly, who has trouble pronouncing her N's.

I don't look up from the ground. I sit down at the table and eat breakfast.

Mom drops me off at school, then leaves to take Holly to daycare. I walk inside. Macy-Jane finds me.

"Hey!" she says enthusiastically.

I nod.

"Are you alright?"

"No."

"What's wrong?"

I pause and meet her eyes.

"My parents are getting a divorce."

"Oh, Lana!" She wraps me in a large, loving, tight embrace.

"Don't worry. You'll feel better soon," she says reassuringly.

"Thanks, MJ," I say.

"No problemo! Anyway, guess what?! Ms. Lai is putting on Cinderella!! I think that..."

I can't hear the rest of what she's saying. I'm so focused on fighting back the tears dwelling in my eyes.

...

I sit at my desk. It's been a month since Mom told me about the divorce. Piles and piles of unfinished homework are in front of me. I haven't been myself; not my happy self, not my energetic self, not my always-knows-the-answer-to-every-single-question-no-matter

-what-the-subject self. Lately, I've been miserable. I've become a recluse. I don't talk to MJ anymore, I don't talk to my friends from soccer anymore, I don't even go to soccer anymore. Mom's hired a therapist for me, Dr. Shelby Anderson. She doesn't help. It doesn't help that Mom and Dad will officially be divorced tomorrow. I stagger over to my bed, plop down, and stare at my blank, white ceiling.

What has happened to my life?

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Ok, so I went burrowing in my Google Drive and found this from 2017. I figured I'd publish it, then publish an updated version XD