The Ivy League

The Ivy League Part 44

          My uncle must have sensed a different kind of quiet from me, feeling that I was considering what he told me. I sensed a light at the end of the tunnel.

          “If I promise to be nicer to Julie,” I began cautiously, my nose scrunching up at how hard that sounded, “does that mean you won’t send me away?” I asked hopefully.

          It wasn’t like I was exchanging my life in California for Leslie’s life with my uncle. Nope, I would be quite nice to Julie, but I’d still work on Operation Leslie. It would just have to happen in a let’s-go-for-a-walk-uncle-Isaac-oh-whoops-look-it’s-Leslie-what-a-coincidence kind of way.

          My uncle hesitated. “That’s not up to me to decide, Courtney. It’s your parents’ choice. They’ve really been worried about you, it seems like you took your antics to the extreme side.”

          I ignored the last part. “Well I know my parents have a say in this, but don’t I have a say, too? It’s my life; I’m going to have to start living it all over again when they drag me back to Canada.”

          Okay, so I had friends back in Canada, who were crazy enough to suit my tastes. Carmen in particular was like Satan’s Mistress. But I’d grown to love Sunny C, the people in it even more, and it made my heart hurt to leave it.

          My uncle sighed, smoothing back my hair. Tears sprang to my eyes, and I wiped them away. My sweet, kind, gentle uncle Isaac. He had more right than anyone to be angry with me, and yet he was the one here comforting me, sneaking upstairs under cover of the almighty fight going on below.

          “We’ll talk about this later, all right?” he said, rising. “We’ve got two weeks of break to convince your parents and change their minds.”

          “We?” I perked up, happy beyond words for such a powerful ally.

          He winked at me. “You need to help me out, though.”

          “I’ll do it,” I said dramatically.

          A tiny frown appeared between his eyes. “That means acting more responsible, mature, and staying out of trouble,” he finished as sternly as possible for uncle Isaac to be.

          “Ahh...” I said, “That complicates things,” I commented, thinking on the extensive list I had planned on my To Do Before Being Deported list.

          My uncle levelled his gaze with me and I heaved a sigh. “Oh, all right.”

          He nodded. We both froze, hearing sounds of conversation once more.

          My uncle cleared his throat. “Well I’d better get down there and pretend to be heart-broken over some hideous family heirloom that they broke,” he excused himself. He closed the door quietly behind him and I heard his steps descending the Staircase of Doom.

          I fell backwards onto my bed, staring hard at my ceiling. So things weren’t great. But I had hope, and I had uncle Isaac. I fully intended on making those things count for all they were worth.

***

          “Your Diabolical Evilness,” Jake greeted me solemnly the next morning, giving me a sweeping bow. “Welcome to Hell.”

          I stepped out of my car, having driven myself to school today. I was in one of my funny moods, and preferred to have my car with me in case I needed a quick getaway without the inconvenience of waiting for Larry to pick me up.