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Post by larue on Apr 27, 2006 22:13:01 GMT 10
Susan Lewis sighed heavily as she opened her car door and stepped out in the late summer sun. It had been a long day at the hospital. She was looking forward to a quiet evening at home. Right now she was picking her son up at his day care center. She glanced toward the fenced play area and smiled. She looked for Cosmo amongst the children and staff. Her smile faded. Where was he? She hurried into the center’s brightly painted front door. The director was waiting for her at the counter. Cosmo was sitting in a chair behind her, happily coloring with markers. He looked up when he heard the door open and then his smile faded when he saw Susan. He hopped down from his chair and hid under the receptionist’s desk.
“Oh no,” Susan sighed. “What now?” Olivia Brannick glanced back at Cosmo and then turned to Susan.
“We had another biting incident this afternoon,” she said. ‘That’s the fourth one this month.” Susan shook her head and scowled in disappointment at Cosmo, who was peeking out from under the desk at her. He growled at her and hid his face again.
“I’m very sorry, Dr. Lewis,” Olivia continued. “Parents are beginning to complain. I am afraid you are going to have to make other day care arrangements for Cosmo. At least until he gets over these biting issues.”
“I understand,” Susan said and fumbled as she gathered up the envelope and papers that were on the counter for her. Olivia handed her a bag that contained her son’s things and then opened the half door at the counter.
“Come on, Cosmo,” Olivia said as she lifted him from under the desk. “Time to go home with Mommy.”
“Don’t wanna go home with her,” he struggled to free himself. “See's mad!”
“I’m not mad, Cosmo,” Susan reassured him as she took him in one arm and struggled with the bag in the other. “We’ll talk about this at home with Daddy.”
Susan carried him out to the car and buckled him safely in his car seat. She got in and turned on the CD player. She didn’t really hear the Wiggles music any more when it played. Cosmo loved it though. Her thoughts were racing. What were they going to do now? Chuck had just gone back to work at the hospital because they’d decided that Cosmos needed to be around other children and with the new house, they needed the extra money. They had searched high and low for a good daycare that they could afford. What now?
Chuck’s car was parked in the driveway when they got home and Cosmo raced for the back yard as soon as he was free from the car seat. Susan followed him through the garage door to the patio in back. Chuck was busy at the grill.
“Hey...Starman!” Chuck exclaimed as Cosmo threw himself at his knees and hugged him. Chuck stepped back from the barbecue grill and tossed his son into the air. He hugged him and then set him down. Cosmo raced off toward his swingset. Chuck’s eyes met Susan’s and he reached into an ice bucket on the picnic table and pulled out an open bottle of beer. Susan sighed and dropped into one of the deck chairs.
“I know... I know,” Chuck said as he turned back to the chicken he was grilling. “‘There was a message on the answering machine.” She shook her head and watched her son climbing up the side of the swing set to the top of the slide.
“That Sammy kid is just a pansy anyway...” Chuck muttered under his breath.
“Chuck!” Susan groaned. “Doesn’t it bother you that our son has been ridden out on a rail? From DAYCARE? He’s three years old, for cripes sake!”
“It’s not that big of a deal,” he said as he turned the meat. “There are lots of other places. He just wasn’t happy there.”
“We looked at them all, Chuck,” she said. “This one was the best, remember?” Chuck sighed and sat in the lounge chair next to her. He took her beer and drank from it before handing it back to her. He chuckled and gestured toward the swing set.
“Look at him, Susan,” he said. “We made that.” Cosmos stood at the top of his slide and threw his arms out wide. He plopped down on the slide backwards and tumbled down toward the grass at the bottom. Susan gasped and started to rise but Cosmo stood up, brushed his bottom off, shook out his straight sandy blonde hair and with a huge smile ran to climb up the side of the swing set again. Apparently he didn’t like the slide’s ladder today. Susan threw her head back and laughed. Chuck leaned over and kissed her cheek.
“He’s perfect,” Chuck said.
“Yeah...” she agreed and giggled as Chuck kissed her lips. She pulled away as her cell phone rang.
“Don’t answer that...” he groaned and reached out to hold her.
“Come on, Chuck...” she wheedled. “It might be Chicago. Abby is due any minute now.” Susan laughed as he sighed heavily and sat back in his chair. She took the phone out of her pocket and pushed the buttons.
“Hello?” she said. “Yes, this is Susan Lewis...what? Oh my god...” Chuck looked at her as she reached for his hand. The color had drained from her face.
“Susan?” he said as he sat up straight. Susan squeezed his hand and her eyes filled with tears.
“It’s Joe,” she whispered.
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Post by larue on Apr 27, 2006 22:14:06 GMT 10
This has been posted on Fanfiction.net for a while. It's one of my favorites! Has it been read by too many in here or should I continue to post it?
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Post by <3 LubyII <3 on Apr 27, 2006 22:53:23 GMT 10
Yes continue! This is the first I've seen of this fic.
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Post by Lubyfanatic316 on Apr 27, 2006 22:55:47 GMT 10
Great story! I can't wait for the next part! Update soon!
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Post by zelda on Apr 28, 2006 4:50:30 GMT 10
I read your fanfic on ff.net and loved everything you wrote.You catch so well all the most tiny aspects of Susan's personality. Of course, you MUST continue for all Susan's fans! No need to ask the question!
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Post by larue on Apr 28, 2006 11:47:53 GMT 10
Chuck sat next to the suitcase on their bed and watched as Susan packed it with her things. She stopped for a moment and gazed worriedly at Cosmo who slept soundly next to him. “Don’t worry,” Chuck said. “We’ll be fine.” She smiled at him and turned to go into the bathroom. She came out with a small makeup case and her hairbrush. “I know you will,” she said and kissed him. She tucked the makeup case into the suitcase and looked around to see if she’d forgotten anything.
“I wish you were flying,” he shook his head and leaned back against the head board. “I don’t know what I am going to have to bring back with us,” Susan sighed. “Besides, a little road trip might give the two of us a chance to reconnect a little bit.” She dropped down onto the bed. “I can’t believe it’s been four years since I have seen her,” she sighed sadly. “Too long.” “Don’t be too hard on yourself,” Chuck comforted her as he reached up to massage her neck. “Joe is the one that moved her to Toledo...and New York before that. You sent presents and called now and then.” Susan scoffed and looked at him. “That’s not enough.....” she said. “Especially now.” Chuck pulled her gently down into his arms and held her as the tears began to flow again. He kissed the top of her head. She turned in his arms and watched Cosmo sleep again. She reached out to brush his thick, stick straight hair away from his face and tucked the sheet around him again. He snorted and rubbed his nose before throwing the sheet off again. Susan smiled. “Well, we will concentrate on turning that extra bedroom into a bedroom again and not a storeroom,” Chuck said softly. “It will be ready by the time you get home.” Susan sat up again. “She may have her own things to bring,” she said as she wiped the tears from her cheeks. “Don’t go overboard.” Chuck shook his head. “Nah.....just a bed and dresser....some black lights...neon posters...,” he said. Susan turned and hit him with a pillow. “Chuck, she is twelve years old,” she chuckled softly. “Don’t rush things.” Susan stood up and closed the suitcase. She sighed. “Well, I think I have everything,” she said. Chuck moved off the bed and picked up her suitcase. Susan leaned over and kissed her son’s cheek and frowned a little. She was going to miss him. She followed Chuck through the house to the garage. He put her suitcase in the back of her red Aztec and shut the door. Susan buckled her seat belt and looked out the open window at Chuck. He gestured to the box he’d put on the passenger seat.
“There’s some apples and caffeine to keep you going,” he said.
“Thanks.” “Be careful.” Chuck leaned in to kiss her. Susan smiled and held her hand to his cheek for a long moment and then started the car. As she pulled out of the garage into the night he kissed his fingers and waved to her. Susan waved back and he shut the garage door. It was a seven hour drive from Iowa City to Toledo across three states. Fortunately for her it was a straight shot on the interstate highways. She debated about stopping in Chicago to see her dad but decided to wait until the drive back. She needed to talk to him anyway...about Chloe......and Susie.
Susie. Her namesake. The baby she had been there for at birth and after when her mother had left her behind. They had made quite a little life for themselves in the beginning, snags and all. Then Chloe had returned with Joe and the court had seen fit to return custody to them. Susan had been devastated with Susie gone from her life. But then she moved to Phoenix to be closer to them and had gone from surrogate motherhood to being just ‘Aunt Susan’. Chloe was doing so well when Susan decided to return to Chicago. She still wasn’t sure what had precipitated the downward spiral that happened after. Joe moved the family to New Jersey to be closer to his extended family and Chloe disappeared one day with Susie. Susan had gotten a telephone call from her niece and rushed to New York only to be dragged through some of the seamier drug hangouts with the police looking for her. She never found Susie but soon got word from Joe that Susie was safe.....and with him. Chloe had apparently dropped her off at a nearby McDonald’s, called him and then disappeared again. Joe had been great about allowing Susan to have access to her niece. Chuck was right. She had tried. There had been telephone calls on her birthday and other holidays, gifts and an occasional letter with school pictures. It still wasn’t enough but there was only so much you could do when you lived so far away. She should have tried harder to actually see her when they moved to Toledo but then there had been her job...and then Chuck...and Cosmo. It was so hard to believe that with everything she had already been through, Susie’s world had flipped upside down again. This time Joe was gone. Susan had talked to his sister. He was a heart attack waiting to happen. He’d gone suddenly while Susie was in summer school and she’d found him on the livingroom floor when she came home. They weren’t going to have a funeral......just a memorial service when they could get his body back to New Jersey. Susan was Susie’s guardian now and would she please come and get her as soon as possible. Just like that. As soon as possible. Susan shook her head. What kind of family was that for a little girl? She sighed. Probably no better than the family that couldn’t make time to be closer to her. Well, that was about to change. Susie was coming home.
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Post by larue on Apr 28, 2006 14:42:42 GMT 10
Susan found the exit number and followed the directions that Joe’s sister had given her. She found the neighborhood and finally the house. She sat outside for a long time and just looked up at the small two story set in the middle of a close neighborhood of houses exactly the same. It was only 8:30 in the morning. She’d been driving all night. She was a mess. Finally she worked up her nerve and got out of the car. She brushed her wrinkled slacks and straightened her light summer sweater as she made her way up the sidewalk. She rang the front doorbell and waited. The door was opened almost immediately by an older heavy set woman with long blonde hair.
“Susan?” she asked. Susan nodded and the woman opened the door further. “Come on in. I’m Cindy, Joe’s sister.” Susan stepped inside the modestly furnished livingroom. There were boxes packed and stacked and others ready to be filled.
“Well, I am glad you’re here,” Cindy said as she led Susan to the back of the house where the kitchen was. “Susie is at her summer school class. I told her she didn’t have to go but she insisted. Something about a test she couldn’t make up? She’ll be home around noon. Can I get you some coffee? Some breakfast?”
“Oh no...thank you,” Susan said as she stretched a bit. “I drove straight through so I am afraid I am coffee-ed out. Can I use the bathroom?”
“The big one is upstairs,” Cindy said. “I can get you some towels if you’d like to take a shower or something.”
“That would be so great,” Susan sighed. Cindy nodded and headed back through the livingroom to the staircase. Susan stopped her.
“I’m so sorry about Joe,” she said quietly. Cindy shrugged.
“We weren’t close,” she said. “He'd kind of cut himself off from everyone for a while. My mother helped him rent this house so that’s why I’m here. She couldn’t come herself.”
“Ahh...” Susan nodded.
“The realtor wants us out by the weekend,” she said as she headed up the stairs. Susan watched her go and then went to get her bag from the car.
She showered, changed, and then fell asleep on the couch in the den. All night driving had exhausted her. She slept for a couple of hours.
Later, Susan came awake slowly. She reached up and rubbed her nose a bit and yawned. Her eyes opened and she yelped in surprise. A young girl sat hunched over on a stool close to the couch, staring at her, with her elbows on her blue jeaned knees and her chin on her hands. She looked slight, wore black rimmed skinny glasses and had her wavy hair pulled up into a frowzy top knot. It was the hair that held Susan’s interest. It was impossible to judge the natural color. It was a mass of neon pink, blue and purple streaks.
“Su...Susie?” Susan stammered. The girl blinked and stood up.
“You drool when you sleep,” she said as she tugged at the minuscule straps of her sleeveless black top. She cast another disapproving glance at Susan and left the room.
“Oh...this is going to be...interesting,” Susan said softly as she sat up and rubbed her face.
Interesting wasn’t the word for it. Susie had proven to be a very resourceful, if incommunicative, girl. She knew where all Joe’s important paperwork was, including her own birth certificate and custody papers. There was little in the house that they had actually owned. It had been rented fully furnished. Cindy would be taking the television and the few family mementos back to New Jersey. Susan made room for just four boxes of Susie’s things in the back of her car.
They left Toledo late Thursday afternoon. Susie had insisted on attending one last session of her summer school class. Again, it was because of a test she couldn’t make up. She’d packed her own things and Susan was surprised by how little she wanted to move with her. Her room was fairly spartan...a sharp contrast to Susan’s bedroom at twelve.
It was a nice day to be traveling. The windows were down and the sun roof open. They played war with the radio dials for a while. Susan had never felt that she was a prude when it came to music but the lyrics in the rap music Susie preferred were a bit much. Susie finally just opened her laptop and put a headset on. So much for road trip bonding.
Susan had phoned a ahead so her dad was waiting for them to arrive. He eyed Susie warily all through dinner. She'd refused the steak,was picking at a salad and returning his glances furtively. Actually Susan had gotten used to the technicolor hair and black clothing. She had only observed four piercings and all of them were in Susie’s ears. There was a tattoo on her lower back that had worried her for a bit but now it appeared to be a temporary one. Susan had a feeling that the persona Susie was trying to convey was more foreign to her than it was to Susan.
“You are going to have your hands full with that one,” her dad chuckled softly after Susie had gone upstairs to bed.
“As full as yours were with both Chloe and I?” Susan laughed. Her dad sighed happily.
“You weren’t so bad.”
“Have you heard anything from her at all, Dad?” He shook his head.
“I hate having her out there not knowing what’s happened.”
“Is it as bad as us not knowing where the hell she is?” Susan shrugged. Her dad reached across the table and took her hand in his.
“Forget about Chloe,” he said. ‘Just forget her.” Susan nodded and fingered the coffee cup in front of her.
“Can you entertain Susie for a while in the morning?” she asked. “I have a friend I need to see.” Her dad nodded. Susan stood up and kissed him on the forehead.
“I think I am going to call Chuck and then turn in,” she said and headed toward the livingroom.
“Susie,” her dad said. Susan turned around.
“What the hell kind of breakfast does a...vegan...eat?” he asked. Susan laughed and rolled her eyes.
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Post by Lubyfanatic316 on Apr 28, 2006 23:55:57 GMT 10
Love both updates!
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Post by larue on Apr 30, 2006 10:05:02 GMT 10
Susan took her time driving through the city. While she loved her life in Iowa , there were still things she missed about Chicago. She drove down Michigan Avenue, along the lake shore, by the park, the museums and even past the ambulance bay at County. She saw Chuny and Neela heading in to work from the el station. Fortunately, they hadn’t seen her. She didn’t know if she was up to a real visit to the old haunt quite yet. Sometime soon...but not quite yet. Finding their new home wasn’t difficult. Susan parked her car and made her way up the steps to the front door of the building. A doorman buzzed the apartment and then let Susan in. Luka was waiting for her with their door open. He looked tired but was grinning broadly and held a tiny wrapped bundle at his shoulder. “Where is your niece?” he asked.
“Probably making her grandfather crazy teaching him how to make ‘vegan’ pancakes,” Susan laughed. “Come on, Kovac. Hand her over!” Luka grinned even wider and carefully shifted the baby into Susan’s waiting arms. He led her into the apartment and toward a carved wooden rocker by the front window. Susan sat down and took a moment to look at the baby in her arms.
“Ooohhh....my god,” she sighed. “She is....beautiful.” Luka leaned over and tucked the blanket away from the baby’s folded hands and sighed. Susan took note of the splint on his little finger. “What happened there?” she asked. Luka shrugged.
“It’s broken,” he said. ‘No big deal.” His eyes met Susan’s and he chuckled happily. She shook her head and grinned. The baby slept peacefully but wrinkled her straight dark brows when Susan ran a finger through the long, whispery soft hair that fell across her forehead. Then there was a pout. The brows and hair were all Luka.....but the pout was pure Abby. Susan chuckled softly. “Where’s Abby?” she whispered. Luka looked up suddenly. “I forgot. She’s in the shower,” he said. “I’ll go see if she needs some help and then it’s my turn.” He pressed a kiss to the baby’s head and then was gone. Susan giggled and shifted the baby so she could look at her more closely. “Hello, Miss Lauren,” she said softly and played with the lace collar on the pink sleeper. “”I am Aunt Susan. You and I need to have a very serious talk about your Dad. He is totally besotted with you and you must learn to take advantage of that very carefully.” Susan pressed a gentle kiss to the baby’s cheek and took a good, long whiff of the enchanting new baby smell. She tucked the baby back into her elbow and rocked slowly. “Getting acquainted okay?” Abby asked as she came out of the bedroom in her bathrobe. Susan looked up at her and grinned. “Damn, you do good work,” she said. Abby laughed and pulled a chair from the table next to the rocker. She sat down and smiled at her daughter tucked into Susan’s arms. Susan looked up suddenly and laughed. “You broke his finger???” she asked. Abby rolled her eyes and nodded. Susan giggled again. “That’s what I call a pay back,” she said. Susan leaned back and sighed. “Oh...I envy you right now,” she said. “I could just sit here all day and hold her. Enjoy it, Abby. It doesn’t last long.”
“How are things going with Susie?” Abby asked. Susan shrugged and continued to rock. “Okay, I guess,” she said. “It’s a little weird though. She doesn’t seem to be grieving or anything. I mean, Joe was her primary care giver for the last four years and she hasn’t said a word about him.” “And then you appear out of no where and whisk her off to Iowa,” Abby said. “Any reactions to that?” Susan shook her head.
“None,” she said. “‘Unless you want to count the technicolor hair job but I am not sure if that’s something new or something she has always had. And then there’s the tattoo....” She looked down at the sleeping baby in her arms. “....the likes of which you are NEVER going to have by the way.” Abby laughed and Lauren’s lips started to quiver. “Uh oh....” Susan sighed. “I think my little taste of heaven is over. Wanna switch?” Abby nodded and stood up carefully. Susan let her settle in the rocker and then reluctantly handed her the crying baby. Abby opened the front of her robe and guided Lauren to a full breast. Susan grinned as the crying stopped immediately. She reached for one of the clean cloths stacked on a table nearby and handed it to Abby. Abby tucked it under the baby’s chin and then tucked her robe closer around them both.
“See.....you were so worried about all this and you’re a natural!” Susan exclaimed softly. Abby chuckled.
“It’s been two whole days, Susan.”. “One step at a time, sweetie,” Susan said as she settled in her chair to watch the baby nurse. “One step at a time.”
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Post by cheryl on May 1, 2006 5:24:06 GMT 10
Awww what a lovely update!!
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Post by Lubyfanatic316 on May 1, 2006 10:58:56 GMT 10
I love it, can't wait for the next part!
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Post by <3 LubyII <3 on May 1, 2006 11:20:53 GMT 10
Great update! Can't wait for the next part. Seems like a great story.
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Post by larue on May 1, 2006 11:43:17 GMT 10
One step at a time. One thing at a time. One small moment at a time. Susan was trying very hard to follow her own advice. She nudged Susie as she pulled the car toward the Iowa City exit. The girl slipped her head phones down and looped them around her neck. She snapped the screen down on her laptop computer and sat up straighter in the front seat. Wow...she was actually showing some interest in where she was going to be living for a change. Susan had tried to talk to her about Chuck...about Cosmo...about her job. Susie had been very uninterested. Any questions about Joe, about her friends, her summer school class had gone basically unanswered. For the most part, she was uncommunicative. Then in the next minute they would get into an animated debate about the music Susie insisted on choosing from the radio. Susan was basically told that she had an ‘antiquated’ idea of what good music was. Oh yes....this was going to be a very interesting ride. Chuck and Cosmo were waiting on the front steps of the house when she pulled in to the driveway. Chuck had a firm grip on the back of the little boy’s tee shirt until the car came to a complete stop. Cosmo dashed around the car to Susan’s side and was bouncing up and down until she opened the door. He threw himself into Susan’s arms and hugged her tightly around the neck.
“Mommy!!!!” he squealed. Susan laughed and squeezed him tightly.
“I missed you, little man,” she sighed and kissed his cheek. Susan got out of the car and shifted her son to her hip. She carried him around to the front sidewalk of the house. Susie had gotten out of the passenger side and stood uncertainly by the door. Chuck waved and sauntered down the walk. He wrapped his arm around Susan and Cosmo and kissed her.
“Glad you’re home, babe,” he said softly. Susan smiled and touched his cheek “Me too,” she said. Cosmo twisted and curiously eyed Susie who still stood by the car. He squirmed and Susan set him down on the ground. He took a couple of steps toward her and eyed her closely. “Cosmo,” Susan said. “This is Susie.”
“Cool name,” Susie said approvingly as she stared down at him. Cosmo frowned a little bit as he looked up at her. Susie returned his gaze as he took in her black jeans with the heavy chain belt and black tee shirt. She adjusted her glasses and crossed her arms across her chest defensively.
“I like yo hair,” he nodded finally. “It’s a rainbow.” Susie smiled and held her hand up in a high five salute. Cosmo slapped it and then took her hand. He pulled her toward the house past Susan and Chuck.
“Yeah,” Susan said as they moved past her. “I should have known that you two desperados would connect. You have a lot in common. He’s already been kicked out of one daycare.”
“No kidding!” Susie nodded happily. She looked down at him and grinned. Chuck watched them go into the house and then looked at Susan.
“Ummm......interesting kid,” he nodded. Susan laughed and hugged him.
“Are you ready for this? I mean, a teenager?” Chuck shrugged and then grinned as he kissed her.
“I am ready for anything as long as I have you by my side.” Susan laughed as he swept her into his arms and dipped her low in a romantic dance move. “Ow! Ow....ow!” he cried suddenly and Susan laughed and pulled herself upright again. Chuck grabbed his side and she helped him limp toward the front steps laughing all the way.
One step at a time. One thing at a time. It took Susie no time at all to unpack her things. One box of clothes. One box of books on a bookshelf. One box shoved into the back of her closet. She looked seriously out of place in the butter yellow painted room with lace curtains. She didn’t seem to mind too much. It looked as if she were just ‘parked’ for a while. Chuck had arranged his work schedule around Susan’s so they were working different shifts and could dispense with the whole daycare issue for a few weeks. Aside from the fact that they didn’t see much of each other, it was working out for them. The few times when they didn’t cross paths, Susie stepped in and babysat Cosmo for an hour. Susan had to admit that watching the two of them interact was a lot of fun. Cosmo adored Susie and followed her like a little puppy. “Where is dere face?” Cosmo said one evening at the dinner table as he examined his sliced hot dog. “Face?” Susan asked him.
“Do hot dogs have a face?” he asked as he plunged a piece into his ketchup and popped it in his mouth. “No.......” Susan said. “Where would you get an idea like that?” Susie slumped deeply into her chair and scowled at him.
“Susie don’t eat stuff with faces and her don’t eat hot dogs,” he said as he shook his head. “Where is dere face?” Susan turned to Susie and shook her head.
“Susie likes vegetables more than she likes hot dogs, sweetie,” she said. “So you need to eat yours too.” Cosmo nodded and picked up a green bean and examined it carefully. “Do green beanies have a face?” he asked. Susan rolled her eyes.
“You are SO dead......” she said quietly to Susie. Susie shrugged. “Oh, by the way,” Susan said. “You and I have a meeting with the principal of the middle school tomorrow morning. They have your records from Toledo and want to talk to us about a schedule for you.”
“Tomorrow?” Susie exclaimed. “Why didn’t you say something before this?” “Hey.....I just got the call myself this afternoon. We’re lucky that tomorrow is my day off.” Susan looked at her and sighed. “I don’t suppose you have a dress or something hanging in that closet of yours, do you? I mean, first impressions mean a lot some times.” Susie scoffed and tossed her hair over her shoulder.
“I refuse to wear a dress,” Susie said. “Even if I did own one, I wouldn’t wear it. It is SO like you people to think wearing a dress is going to make me any different than I really am.” She stood up from the table and stomped off toward the staircase and her bedroom. Cosmo looked at Susan with wide green eyes. She sighed and picked up a forkful of green beans.
“This is pitiful,” she sighed. “I am way too young to be considered you people, aren’t I?” Cosmo smiled and dipped another piece of hot dog into his ketchup.
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Post by larue on May 1, 2006 20:18:48 GMT 10
“Susie!” Susan called up the stairs for the third time. “Get down here now. We’re going to be late!” Susan looked at Chuck and sighed. He was still wearing his scrubs from the hospital.
“Are you sure you’re going to be okay with him?” she asked. ‘You look exhausted.”
“I’ll be fine till you get home,” Chuck said. “I’ll put the Barney video in and we’ll watch it together.” Susan shook her head.
“He’ll watch it and you’ll be sleeping.”
“Yeah....and tell me you haven’t done the same thing on occasion,” Chuck shrugged with a smile.
“Susie!” she called again. Susie came bounding down the stairs in a khaki skirt, a sherbert orange polo shirt and leather sandals. Her wavy shoulder length hair was a decidedly lighter shade of red than Susan’s and was held off her face with a slender elastic headband. The ever present black framed glasses were the only thing about her that looked the same.
“I’m ready,” she said as she hurried to the front door and opened it. She turned back to Susan and Chuck who were watching her with dumbfounded expressions.
“I’m sorry I needed to borrow the box of hair coloring from your bathroom,” she said. ‘You didn’t give me enough warning to get something in my own shade....but this is close enough.” Susan turned her head to meet Chuck’s eyes. “Come on, Aunt Susan,” Susie insisted. “What was it you were saying to me about first impressions last night? What kind of an impression will we make if we’re late?” She hurried out the door and Susan kissed Chuck good by in shock before following her chameleon of a niece. Given the surprisingly new look, Susan should have expected a few more revelations as the meeting progressed....but no....she was caught totally by surprise....again.
“I’m very sorry, Dr. Lewis, but I needed to see you because I’m not sure that Hardton Middle School is going to be able to meet the educational needs of your niece,” the principal of the middle school was saying.
Susan sat up straighter in the chair across from him. “What?’ she said, “ She’s a seventh grader. Surely you have some sort of remedial program already in place.”
“Remedial?” he looked at Susie who slumped even lower in her chair. Mr. Braden turned the file around so Susan could read it.
“Susie was attending a magnet school in Toledo,” he said. “She already has several advanced placement credits on her transcript.”
“You were in summer school!” Susan exclaimed as she turned to look at her niece. Susie sat up in her chair.
“Yes. I‘ve gone every summer since I was eight. “
”For what?” Susan asked. Susie sighed.
“Well, they wouldn’t let me take calculus until I took Algebra II so I was doing that in summer school....but I think I am going to have to repeat it anyway since I couldn’t finish the last two weeks,” she said. “Last summer I took Geometry....and the summer before that a class where we dissected and rewrote Shakespearean plays. I did ‘MacBeth’.” Susan’s mouth dropped open. She looked at her niece for a long moment and then turned to Mr. Braden with a forced smile.
“Okay,” she said calmly. “So what would you suggest that we do?” He pulled the file back and then sat back in his chair.
“St. Alyosis has a couple of slots available to us for students like Susie,” he said.
“Catholic school? Like with......uniforms?” Susie exclaimed. “That is SO not going to happen!”
“Well, the good news is that your Algebra II teacher has agreed to give you a passing credit for the summer school class you were taking. Apparently you aced the special final exam he gave you the last day you attended,” Mr. Braden said.
“Oh....sweet!” Susie grinned.
“How much is this.....other school....going to cost?” Susan asked. Mr. Braden picked up a flyer about St. Alyosis and handed it to Susan.
“Since we need to have her attend because our district cannot produce a program for her, the tuition costs will be picked up by us,” he said. “You would have to provide her uniform and any other extra fees.”
Susan flipped through the flyer. Private school. All girl academy. This was looking better and better.
“After she officially finishes middle school and can attend our high school program she will be eligible for other advanced placement classes here and could maybe attend some community college classes in lieu of high school classes,” Mr. Braden said. “It’s something to think about down the road. You have a real treasure on your hands, Dr. Lewis.” Susan looked up at him and then at Susie. The girl scowled and shook her head in disgust.
“Yes....well......um......what do we need to do to get the ball rolling here?” Susan asked. “School starts in a week, right?” Mr. Braden picked up the telephone.
“I’ll call the school and see if they can see you this afternoon,” he said. Susan turned to look at her niece very pointedly.
“I am NOT wearing a uniform,” Susie said firmly. “I need my identity.”
“We’ll find you some interesting underwear,” Susan smiled.
“Parochial school?” Abby said later on the telephone. “Please tell me she is not wearing something plaid.”
“Oh...yeah, “ Susan said as she examined the school uniform that was laid out on the couch next to her. “Very cute plaid skirt, yellow blouse, navy sweater and a navy blazer.”
“Ooohhh.....poor kid,” Abby chuckled. “Does it have a tie?”
“A red one. How did you know?” They both laughed.
“Seriously though,” Susan said. “ I am really mad at her for not telling me about this magnet school thing. I looked like a total dork at the meeting with the principal.”
“What was she supposed to say?” Abby said. “I mean you drop back into her life after how many years....hi, Aunt Susan....I’m a genius? Cut her some slack, Susan.”
“Well, at least some conversation about anything at all would be nice, The only one she really talks to is Cosmo.” Susan sighed. “This grieving thing is really bothering me. There has been like....nothing.”
“Maybe she doesn’t have anything to grieve about,” Abby said.
“Are you thinking....some kind of....attachment disorder?” Susan asked. Abby laughed.
“We sound like two doctors discussing a patient,” she said. “It’s different when it’s your own kid, isn’t it?” Susan sighed.
“Actually she has been great. Maybe a little too great.”
“What was it you told me?” Abby scolded. “Something about not looking for problems??” Susan chuckled.
“You know, that’s the second time today that I have heard my own words from someone else’s lips. I think I’d better quit while I am ahead.” Abby laughed.
“Okay,” she said. “But don’t get too comfortable with the parochial school restrictions. Remember, that’s where I was when I met Howie.”
“Oh god....no!” Susan shrieked as she remembered their ‘virginity game’ revelations from years before. Abby laughed.
“So it IS a good thing that this in an all girls’ school?” Abby just laughed.
“Time will tell....” she said. “I’ll talk to you later.” Susan nodded and hung up the phone.
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Post by Lubyfanatic316 on May 2, 2006 13:36:26 GMT 10
Great updates!
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