Читать книгу Hannah Smart 3-Book Bundle - Melody Fitzpatrick - Страница 18

The Big News

I don’t know how much more disappointment I can take. I’ve been trying so hard to be positive but now I’m worn out. I’m tired of trying. I’m tired of being almost there and then failing. For a “successful little businesswoman” I don’t feel very successful at all.

November is a blur, an awful grey blur of high-fives and squeals and little giggling groups of girls. Obviously, they got tickets. And then there’s Scarlett and her stupid V.I.P. tickets. Honestly, I think if she goes on about them one more time, I’m going to seriously lose it. And then there is Rachel. She never did want to talk about the interview, or the lie, and she never brought up the radio contest, either. I really don’t deserve her as a friend, but I’m so glad she is, because she’s the only person who’s keeping me from going nuts right now.

My parents have finally stopped arguing, but I still catch Mom crying every once in a while, and I hear them whispering sometimes, too, like they have some big awful secret, a horrible secret I don’t want to hear. They keep saying we need to talk about something. I keep saying later. Honestly, I’m afraid they might be planning to get a divorce, which would be the worst thing that could ever happen, which is why I keep saying later. I think maybe they need more time to work things out, and as long as no one says the word out loud, there’s still a chance to fix it. Unfortunately, there is no more time.

“Hannah, you can’t keep saying later,” Mom says with a frustrated sigh. “We need to talk.”

“I’m really busy right now, I was just about to practise the guitar.”

“Hannah, you don’t own a guitar.”

“I know that. I borrowed Rachel’s.”

“But why, Hannah? You don’t even play the guitar.”

“Exactly, that’s why I need to practise!”

“Hannah, come have a seat,” Mom says, patting a chair by the kitchen table.

This is it. Here it comes. I guess I can’t put it off any longer.

Mom and Dad exchange a worried glance and then they both stare at me like they’re waiting for me to say something.

“Okay, just say it!” I finally blurt out.

“Well,” she says, rubbing the back of her neck, “we’ve been trying to talk to you about this for a few weeks now, but you wouldn’t listen, which wasn’t a big deal at the time because the decision wasn’t final yet.” She glances back at Dad. “But now it is, as of today.”

“Final?” I ask, as a lump rises in my throat. “As of today?”

“Yes, as of today,” Mom almost whispers.

Suddenly, my world is spinning. I just want it to stop. I’m not ready to hear this. I just want everything to go back to the way it was, before all the arguments and whispering and crying.

“I know,” I yell, “I know what’s going on. I know everything!” I shove my chair back and tear off up to my room. I try to fight back the tears, but realize it’s no use, so I bury my face in my pillow, but instead of crying, I scream. I scream because I’m frustrated, I scream because I have no control over what’s going on in my life, and I scream because I’m just so tired. How could I be so happy in September and so miserable now? How could my life get so totally messed up so fast?

Exhausted, I drift off to sleep until the sound of knocking wakes me up. My dad is standing in my doorway, holding a plate of supper.

“Can I come in for a sec?” he asks, smiling.

“Fine,” I answer.

“I’m sorry you’re so upset over what’s going on,” he says, putting the tray on my desk. He sits down on the edge of my bed. “Hannah, it’s not going to be that bad.”

“Tell me, Dad. How is it not going to be that bad?”

“Listen, this is going to be good for us. We’re all going to be better off.”

“Better off!” I shriek. “You’re getting divorced! How could we possibly be better off?”

“Divorced?” he says, raising his eyebrows. “We’re not getting divorced.”

“What?”

“We’re not getting divorced, Hannah,” he says, shaking his head.

“You’re not? Seriously? Are you sure?”

“Positive,” he answers, chuckling.

I heave a big sigh of relief. “I totally thought that’s what you were going to say. I was so scared.”

“No, it’s nothing like that.”

“Well, what’s going on then? Why all the arguments? Why all the whispering, and why are Mom’s eyes always red?” All of a sudden I panic. “Are you sick? Is Mom sick?”

“No, no, no,” he assures me, shaking his head again, “we’re both healthy and madly in love, okay?”

“Okay.” I nod. “So then what’s going on?”

“Well, honey, you know how hard you worked to earn that money for the concert?”

“Yeah,” I say, feeling more confused than ever.

“Well, when you work really hard on something it doesn’t always turn out the way you expect. Sometimes it’s difficult to understand how all your hard work will pay off in the end.”

“I’m still waiting to understand,” I say.

“What’s to understand? Look how much you’ve learned over the last few months. When you started all this ticket business, you were disorganized and didn’t know what you were doing. Look at you now, a successful business under your belt, and an appearance on TV! You handled that interview like a pro, you know?” Dad smiles and punches my shoulder. “You’re a winner, Hannah.”

“I feel like a loser,” I mutter.

“Hannah, you never lose when you accomplish something. You become a stronger, better person.”

“Yeah, I guess.”

“So, just like you, I’ve been working hard for quite some time now trying to accomplish something. And guess what?” Dad pats my leg. “It hasn’t turned out the way I expected.”

“It hasn’t? What do you mean?”

“Well, you know that promotion I was given a few months back?”

“Yeah.”

“I worked really hard to get that job, and once I got it, I realized that it wasn’t for me. I’m not good at being a supervisor. I realized I don’t like being the one telling everyone else what to do; I like to be the one doing it.”

“Okay, could you just tell me what is going on?” I finally interrupt.

“So, after all of the hard work and training I went through to get that promotion, I’m finally in the position to take on some exciting, new challenges.”

“Dad,” I say, sighing in complete and utter frustration, “would you please get to the point?”

“Well, not too long ago, an amazing opportunity just fell in my lap.”

“What was it?” I ask anxiously.

“So, turns out you’re not the only one in the family who’s a natural in front of the camera,” he says with a wink. “You are looking at the brand-new meteorologist for Channel 9 News in Maine.”

“Maine?” I say, my forehead creasing. “You’re going to be a weatherman on TV in Maine?”

“Yes I am,” he says proudly.

“So, you’re moving?”

“No silly,” he says, laughing, “we’re moving.”

“We’re moving?”

“Yup! On December thirty-first, we’re headed for Maine!”