Too Many Secrets

Opening the door, she went into the house shouting, “Mom! Mom! Are you home?” Georgie was pretty sure her mother wasn’t home, but she didn’t give up. “Where are you? I’m home!” When she went into the kitchen, there it was! Another note! It was on the counter, propped up against a dirty coffee cup. Georgie picked it up and read it. “What’s going on?” her voice sounded whiney, even to her. “A job!” she yelled loudly to the empty house. “Mom’s got a job! We have money from Grandma’s will! We don’t need you to work! Why are you working?” Georgie’s voice rose slightly higher. She continued to read the note and it got worse. “At the restaurant! As a waitress! How awful! I can’t stand it! Are you trying to make my life more miserable?” she wailed all the way to her room. Georgie sat down hard on her bed. She looked at her phone. She sometimes wished she had one of those cell phones that so many kids were getting, but she hadn’t felt the need to get one, besides Reenie couldn’t afford one. Since Reenie was her best friend since forever, she didn’t want a cell phone if Reenie couldn’t get one. Reenie had supported her through those first months when her father disappeared. Georgiana remembered how messed up she had been and Reenie had been patient, had put up with her moods and at times had allowed Georgiana to blast her with misplaced anger. Tears fell down her face and she sniffed her runny nose to keep it from dripping. She wanted to call her mother at the restaurant, but deep down inside she knew better than to do that. The note said that her mother would be home around 6:00 and she would bring pizza and salad. The thought of food gagged her. She decided to call Reenie. Glen and Lance worked at the same grocery store tonight and they usually worked at the same time, so she figured Glen wouldn’t be at Reenie’s. She really needed to talk to somebody. “Hi, Georgie! I’m so glad you called! I’ve been missing you.” Reenie’s voice sounded so happy. But then Reenie always sounded happy.