Frankie

Chapter 4

Chapter 4

After my shower I grab my phone to tuck it in the pocket of my hoodie, when I see a text from an unknow number. “Hey! Are you ok with what happened today?” That was an hour ago and right after my dad had called my phone to find it in my room. I don’t answer because I don’t know who it is or what it means. On my way down to the kitchen I felt my phone go off again. “Please let me know I don’t want you upset with me over this.” I looked at the number and I know it’s local but still don’t know who it would be. Ella is the only one I ever text and mom and dad are the only ones who call. I sigh and decide to reply. “I guess I can’t be upset, because I don’t know who you are lol”. I sit in my normal spot at the table as mom puts the last dish in the center with a smile. Once mom and dad are in place dad turns to me and says “pass the potatoes and start telling your mom and I what’s wrong.”

I dish up my plate and pass things to mom and dad until we are all ready to start eating. Then I sigh and think of how I’m going to tell them without sounding like a selfish spoiled child. “Well,” I started, “the Dean announced the Valedictorian today. It looks like I will be sharing the honor with Keyon Blackhawk.” I pause and mom and dad exchange a look that I can’t tell what it means. So I just continue, “it seems that they decided that they need to take into consideration that the jocks share their time between sports and school work so they gave them extra consideration which made him tie with me on a stupid point system.” Mom looks at me with one of her ‘you’re not going to like this look’. “Honey I get that you’ve worked hard for this, but maybe Keyon, has too. We never know what others are going through and we should always try to see others from the opposite side of how we want to.” I love my mom for her trying to make me a better person, but sometimes she makes no sense.

Dad turns the conversation for a moment asking me about college and the final week of school and what I’ve done for my speech so far. We finish dinner talking like we do every day and laughing at dad’s attempt to be funny and failing. At one point I felt my phone vibrate again but ignored it because dad doesn’t like phones at the dinner table. I help mom clear the table and load the dishwasher. I quickly check my phone and see just a number and know it’s not Ella, so I ignore it till I’m done helping mom. Once we are done, I tell mom and dad I’m heading up to work on my speech.