I can tell my mother has arrived when I hear the clamor in the hallway. She yells at a nurse.
“I’m her mother!” Her stilettos click down the linoleum hall, and into my room.
“Mackenna, darling!” She squeals. Ugh, give me a break. My mother has this nasally voice that she absolutely loves using. And she does, it’s usually at an extremely high volume with obnoxious emphasis on about every other word.
Mom is tall, skinny, and beautiful; basically everything I’m not. It drove me crazy when I was a little girl. Now, I don’t mind so much. Me being a tomboy makes my mother insane, which is all the better for me. We have never gotten along. She wants me to be something I absolutely refuse to be: her pretty little puppet. I know that technically you’re not supposed to choose favorites between your parents, but I’m for my father all the way. I wonder where he is, by the way. I didn’t see him walk in with my mother. I come back to Earth and listen her insult doctor Franklin, who has done nothing but be kind to me.
“Mom, I’m fine. Really, I’m comfortable, and everyone has been great.” I haven’t met the nurses yet, but I notice my mother has been glaring at one from the reception desk, so I throw in the last piece, hoping my mom chills a little. I go back to wondering where my dad is. They must have gotten into a fight on the way here. Mom was probably really agitated after escaping the chaos of the baseball stadium. I wonder if she left my daddy at the game in effort to get here faster. I think of my poor daddy having to take about fifteen cabs to get all the way here. I address my mother.
“Is Daddy here? Or did you leave him in Denver to hail a cab?” I ask her, annoyed. I think I hear Richie gasp. I completely forgot he’s here! I flush, completely embarrassed he has to see my mother act the way she does. He must think I’m a freak! He’ll never want to play soccer with me now! This makes me even angrier at my mother.
“I do not appreciate your tone, Mackenna Elizabeth.” Mother stresses my stupid middle name as a threat. Two can play at this game. I sigh obnoxiously and roll my eyes. There’s a muffled laugh by the doorway. I look around my mother and squeal.
“Daddy!” All my anger at my mother is forgotten as he strides to my bedside and smiles at me with his big blue eyes. It’s so good to see my daddy again!I think I might start crying!
“How’s my little bun?” He says in a rich voice only my daddy has. My mother heaves a very lady-like sigh and stomps to the corner of the room.
“I’m alright,” I say, “Did you hear what I did? I fell off of our roof. Our very own roof!” Before Daddy opens his mouth, my mother shrieks,
“Why ever were you on the roof?!” I smile as I remember meeting Richie.
“Well, Daddy, I’d like you to meet Richie Jacobs.” I turn to where Richie’s sitting. Except, he isn’t sitting there anymore. He’s gone. “Huh. That’s strange. He was right there a minute ago. I wonder where he went? Oh, I don’t know. Doctor Franklin said he was here the entire time, even when I was knocked out. He probably got hungry.” My mother huffs in the corner, probably mad that Richie’s allowed in here without question while she has to fight for visiting hours.
“Anyway,” Daddy prods.
“Anyway,” I tell them all about how I met Richie, minus me crying (I tell them I was reading) and Richie and I holding hands. I don’t know why I omit the last part, but something tells me my parents won’t approve of me holding hands with a total stranger. I finish with telling them that Richie lives just a few houses down. “And Daddy, he loves soccer! We’re going to be great friends! And when Penny gets back, I’ll introduce them and we’ll all be best friends!” I know my mother detests me playing with a boy all summer, but Daddy seems to approve, and that’s all that matters.
Doctor Franklin returns about two minutes later and says I can go home tomorrow. I ask where Richie is so my parents can give him a ride home, but the doc says he left already. I guess he walked home.
Maybe he hated my mother so much that he just left, maybe he doesn't want to be friends anymore! Tears sting my eyes at the thought. I try to pull myself by remembering that Richie's kind of shy. I force myself to believe that's the only reason he left. It satisfies me for the night. But, when I return home the next day, I ignore my mother's warning to settle down, and rush over to his house to play soccer. When I knock on the door, no one answers. I think I just lost any hope of a friend this summer.
