Unexpected
Chapter 2
Chapter 2
I jumped up from my bed and jogged out to the kitchen. I found my mom and Tess sitting at the kitchen table discussing ideas for dinner. I stopped in the doorway, waiting for them to notice I was there, a huge smile plastered across my face. I didn’t hear a word they were saying, I just kept going over what I had found out less than five minutes ago.
After a couple minutes of throwing around suggestions, they looked over at me. I looked back and forth between them and, no matter how hard I tried, couldn’t get the smile to go away.
Finally my mom broke the silence, “Chloe, are you okay? Do you need to see a doctor?” Tess laughed and nodded in agreement, shooting me a questioning look. I attempted to say something but instead just ran down the hallway to my room. I grabbed my computer and ran back to the kitchen, setting it down between them.
They looked at the screen and back at me a couple times before reading the words on the website. I had a feeling I wasn’t the only one who was having a hard time believing what was happening. I’m usually the unluckiest person on the planet, and they both knew that.
I was buried in my own thoughts and didn’t notice the sudden silence in the room. I glanced at my mom, whose jaw had dropped nearly to the floor as she read the rules and details of the contest. I was a little afraid to look over at Tess. The entire time I’ve known her, she has never been quiet this long. Maybe she went into shock. I braved a look in her direction and she was staring at me with wide eyes. I was about ready to call an ambulance before she jumped up from her chair and screamed.
I jumped back and plugged my ears, while my mother seemed unfazed by the high pitched noise in the house. Tess screamed until she almost fainted from lack of oxygen.
Once she stopped, I looked at her and waited for words. At last, she spoke, “I can’t… is this… you’re not serious… water!”
She hurried over to the fridge and downed a bottle of water in less than a minute. I motioned for her to sit back down and she did. She stared at me, waiting for answers.
“I know this is hard to believe, I can’t believe it either! Yes, this is the contest you told me to enter and before you say something like “I told you so” just take a moment to think about this. The contest you found and convinced me to enter, the one I didn’t want to enter, is giving us the chance to meet One Direction! I’m totally serious about this, there’s no way I would lie about something this big.” I realized I hadn’t paused at all while I was talking and took a deep breath.
Tess and I looked over at my mom, who hadn’t said anything since I returned to the kitchen with the computer. She looked engulfed in the details and only tore her eyes away from the screen when I spoke.
“Mom, what do you say? We can do this, right? We need to know so we can go shipping and find the perfect thing to wear. Maybe we could try that new place in the city! Or the little shops out on 23rd.”
I heard Tess grunt in agreement and waited for my mom to say something. She shook her head and closed her eyes. This had me worried for a moment before she looked up at me and smiled.
“This is amazing. This is a once in a lifetime opportunity! I would immediately say yes if only I didn’t have to work that week. I’m sorry girls, you might have to give the trip to someone else.”
“No!” Tess stood up and ran into the living room. I looked at my mom and shrugged. We were about to follow her before she returned waving the telephone around. “Call your job right now and ask for the week off. Tell them the circumstances. There’s no way they can ruin two teenage girls’ dreams!”
My mother cast her a worried glance and took the phone. “I’ll call them, and then after I’m going to call a brain doctor and set up an appointment to get you checked out.”
I chuckled and Tess thanked her. I grabbed my laptop and headed back to my room, Tess at my heels. As soon as she closed the door she fell to floor and laid sprawled out face down. I nudged her with my foot.
“Are you okay, Tess?” I set my computer on my desk and kicked her in the side. She flinched and sat up.
“I have no words for this. I can’t believe this is happening. How in the world did this happen?”
“I thought this was a good thing? You’ve always wanted to meet the boys ever since you first heard them and learned their names.”
“Yeah, of course this is a good thing! I just can’t believe we might not be able to go. Your mom is always working; I really hope they agree to give her the week off.”
“Of course they will. While we wait for her to come tell us what they say, why don’t we plan where we’re going to go shopping.”
“Okay, I guess that’s a good idea. I want something fancy and dressy but not something that screams, “this girl went and bought a whole new wardrobe because she didn’t want to look like a hideous ogre in front of the biggest boyband in the world.””
I laughed and replied, “I think we can do that.”
I was about to pull up a map of all of the clothing stores in the area when my mom walked in, still holding the phone in her hand. She looked a little upset.
“What is it, Mom? Did they say you could have the week off?” I sat down on my bed, ready for my heart to be shattered by the inevitable “no”. Tess and I exchanged a worried look and watched my mother.
She lowered her gaze and fiddled with the phone. She looked up at us and quickly turned her eyes to the window. I could see genuine sorrow in her eyes.
“Girls,” she began with a small voice, “I just don’t think…” she paused and looked out the window again.
It may have just been my imagination and emotions running wild but I swear I saw her try to suppress a smile. And in her eyes was a hint of possible happiness. Was she happy we couldn’t go? Did she find joy in our dreams never coming true?
Tess must have noticed the change in emotion as well because she looked at me with questions in her eyes. I shrugged and looked back at my mother who had erased all signs of anything but sorrow.
“Girls, I just don’t think I’ll be able to decide which store to take you to first. There’s that new store in the city or the shops on 23rd but there’s also the mall out by your grandmother’s that could have the perfect outfits!” As she was speaking her frown turned to an ear-to-ear smile and mine and Tess’ jaws dropped.
I looked over to Tess who was staring at my mother like she was an alien. I thought she was about to start yelling before she jumped up and hugged her, throwing out thank-you’s and I-hate-you’s and suggestions for shopping.
“You are out of your mind, Mom. You know the mall by Dad is way better!”
She laughed and nodded in agreement. “We’ll head out first thing tomorrow morning. No budget, no rules. This is once in a lifetime, you’ll look perfect. For now, get some rest if you can, there’s no getting tired allowed tomorrow.”
She left with a smile on her face, clearly proud of the little show she had put on. Tess and I discussed what we’d like to look for while shopping tomorrow and quickly fell asleep with different scenarios running through our heads. I couldn’t stop thinking about what could happen when we met them; would they like us? Would they say hi and then leave? Would they invite us out to dinner with them? Most of the thoughts were perfect and the butterflies in my stomach didn’t cease until well after I fell asleep.
I jumped up from my bed and jogged out to the kitchen. I found my mom and Tess sitting at the kitchen table discussing ideas for dinner. I stopped in the doorway, waiting for them to notice I was there, a huge smile plastered across my face. I didn’t hear a word they were saying, I just kept going over what I had found out less than five minutes ago.
After a couple minutes of throwing around suggestions, they looked over at me. I looked back and forth between them and, no matter how hard I tried, couldn’t get the smile to go away.
Finally my mom broke the silence, “Chloe, are you okay? Do you need to see a doctor?” Tess laughed and nodded in agreement, shooting me a questioning look. I attempted to say something but instead just ran down the hallway to my room. I grabbed my computer and ran back to the kitchen, setting it down between them.
They looked at the screen and back at me a couple times before reading the words on the website. I had a feeling I wasn’t the only one who was having a hard time believing what was happening. I’m usually the unluckiest person on the planet, and they both knew that.
I was buried in my own thoughts and didn’t notice the sudden silence in the room. I glanced at my mom, whose jaw had dropped nearly to the floor as she read the rules and details of the contest. I was a little afraid to look over at Tess. The entire time I’ve known her, she has never been quiet this long. Maybe she went into shock. I braved a look in her direction and she was staring at me with wide eyes. I was about ready to call an ambulance before she jumped up from her chair and screamed.
I jumped back and plugged my ears, while my mother seemed unfazed by the high pitched noise in the house. Tess screamed until she almost fainted from lack of oxygen.
Once she stopped, I looked at her and waited for words. At last, she spoke, “I can’t… is this… you’re not serious… water!”
She hurried over to the fridge and downed a bottle of water in less than a minute. I motioned for her to sit back down and she did. She stared at me, waiting for answers.
“I know this is hard to believe, I can’t believe it either! Yes, this is the contest you told me to enter and before you say something like “I told you so” just take a moment to think about this. The contest you found and convinced me to enter, the one I didn’t want to enter, is giving us the chance to meet One Direction! I’m totally serious about this, there’s no way I would lie about something this big.” I realized I hadn’t paused at all while I was talking and took a deep breath.
Tess and I looked over at my mom, who hadn’t said anything since I returned to the kitchen with the computer. She looked engulfed in the details and only tore her eyes away from the screen when I spoke.
“Mom, what do you say? We can do this, right? We need to know so we can go shipping and find the perfect thing to wear. Maybe we could try that new place in the city! Or the little shops out on 23rd.”
I heard Tess grunt in agreement and waited for my mom to say something. She shook her head and closed her eyes. This had me worried for a moment before she looked up at me and smiled.
“This is amazing. This is a once in a lifetime opportunity! I would immediately say yes if only I didn’t have to work that week. I’m sorry girls, you might have to give the trip to someone else.”
“No!” Tess stood up and ran into the living room. I looked at my mom and shrugged. We were about to follow her before she returned waving the telephone around. “Call your job right now and ask for the week off. Tell them the circumstances. There’s no way they can ruin two teenage girls’ dreams!”
My mother cast her a worried glance and took the phone. “I’ll call them, and then after I’m going to call a brain doctor and set up an appointment to get you checked out.”
I chuckled and Tess thanked her. I grabbed my laptop and headed back to my room, Tess at my heels. As soon as she closed the door she fell to floor and laid sprawled out face down. I nudged her with my foot.
“Are you okay, Tess?” I set my computer on my desk and kicked her in the side. She flinched and sat up.
“I have no words for this. I can’t believe this is happening. How in the world did this happen?”
“I thought this was a good thing? You’ve always wanted to meet the boys ever since you first heard them and learned their names.”
“Yeah, of course this is a good thing! I just can’t believe we might not be able to go. Your mom is always working; I really hope they agree to give her the week off.”
“Of course they will. While we wait for her to come tell us what they say, why don’t we plan where we’re going to go shopping.”
“Okay, I guess that’s a good idea. I want something fancy and dressy but not something that screams, “this girl went and bought a whole new wardrobe because she didn’t want to look like a hideous ogre in front of the biggest boyband in the world.””
I laughed and replied, “I think we can do that.”
I was about to pull up a map of all of the clothing stores in the area when my mom walked in, still holding the phone in her hand. She looked a little upset.
“What is it, Mom? Did they say you could have the week off?” I sat down on my bed, ready for my heart to be shattered by the inevitable “no”. Tess and I exchanged a worried look and watched my mother.
She lowered her gaze and fiddled with the phone. She looked up at us and quickly turned her eyes to the window. I could see genuine sorrow in her eyes.
“Girls,” she began with a small voice, “I just don’t think…” she paused and looked out the window again.
It may have just been my imagination and emotions running wild but I swear I saw her try to suppress a smile. And in her eyes was a hint of possible happiness. Was she happy we couldn’t go? Did she find joy in our dreams never coming true?
Tess must have noticed the change in emotion as well because she looked at me with questions in her eyes. I shrugged and looked back at my mother who had erased all signs of anything but sorrow.
“Girls, I just don’t think I’ll be able to decide which store to take you to first. There’s that new store in the city or the shops on 23rd but there’s also the mall out by your grandmother’s that could have the perfect outfits!” As she was speaking her frown turned to an ear-to-ear smile and mine and Tess’ jaws dropped.
I looked over to Tess who was staring at my mother like she was an alien. I thought she was about to start yelling before she jumped up and hugged her, throwing out thank-you’s and I-hate-you’s and suggestions for shopping.
“You are out of your mind, Mom. You know the mall by Dad is way better!”
She laughed and nodded in agreement. “We’ll head out first thing tomorrow morning. No budget, no rules. This is once in a lifetime, you’ll look perfect. For now, get some rest if you can, there’s no getting tired allowed tomorrow.”
She left with a smile on her face, clearly proud of the little show she had put on. Tess and I discussed what we’d like to look for while shopping tomorrow and quickly fell asleep with different scenarios running through our heads. I couldn’t stop thinking about what could happen when we met them; would they like us? Would they say hi and then leave? Would they invite us out to dinner with them? Most of the thoughts were perfect and the butterflies in my stomach didn’t cease until well after I fell asleep.
6/16/13