Twilight

Upon being dropped off, Lucinda thanked Mrs. Parker for the ride, then bounded up the steps to tell her mother all about the banquet.

"MOM!!" Lucinda called out.

"Here." Cheryl responded from her chair in front of the TV. She got up to face her daughter.

Lucinda started peeling off her winter wear. "Mom, do you w--"

"Where's my scarf?" Cheryl interrupted Lucinda.

"Your scarf?" The girl blinked in confusion.

Cheryl crossed her arms. "The scarf my mother gave me when I was a little girl. I loaned it to you when you went out. Where is it?"

Experiencing a sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach, Lucinda felt along her chest and shoulders, looking along the collar of her coat. "I must have left it, behind. Sorry." Lucinda squeezed her eyes shut, bracing herself for the worst.

"Left it?! Do you know how much that scarf meant to me?" The mother exclaimed. "We're going to get it back. Do you know the address of the place you were at, tonight? Do you think you can give me directions to get back there to retrieve my scarf?"

Lucinda fidget. "I… guess."

Cheryl gave a decisive nod. "Good, that's where we're going, tomorrow. Until then, I don't want to hear a single word out of you."

Lucinda opened her mouth to say something, then, thought better of it. She finished putting away her coat, before trudging off to her room to change for bed.

The next day, Lucinda and her mother went back to the church where the banquet was held. With the help of a caretaker, Lucinda was able to get in and recover the precious scarf, while her mother waited in the car. Cheryl was so excited to have her scarf back, that she neglected to ask Lucinda about the Dinner she went to. Lucinda sulked all the way back to their home.

The Monday following the banquet, Lucinda took a personal day off school. The rest of the students that day were given anti-bullying lectures from their teachers. Libby groaned and rolled her eyes at the talk. She let it go in one ear and out the other.

A PTA meeting, was scheduled for that afternoon, and it was decided that they would donate a little money to give to Lucinda and her mother, so that Lucinda could get some new clothes. The news about the gift, was given to Lucinda when she returned to school on Tuesday.

Lucinda sat in her computer class, typing away, when the notice came for her to go to the school counselor's office. It was no big deal, she was used to these notes, by now. Lucinda, quickly and quietly, shut down her computer, gathered her things, and left the classroom with her pass. She didn't have far to go, just around the corner. She sat in a chair in the alcove, waiting patiently until she was called.

"Lucinda, I have good news for you." Said Miss Bowen, beaming bright.

"What is it this time, Miss Bowen?" Lucinda asked.

Michelle hands a gift certificate to the local mall to Lucinda. "The PTA has decided to help you out with your wardrobe."

"My wardrobe?" Lucinda takes the card, her eyes bugging out at the amount on it. "Are they serious? 200$ for me? Why? What? I-I-I don't know what to say. I'm not sure if I can accept this much, just for clothes."

Miss Bowen, simply, continued smiling. "You can accept it and say 'Thank you."

Lucinda stood agape, staring at the certificate. "Huh? Oh yeah. Thank you. Thank you and the PTA. I don't know what I'm going to tell my mom."

Michelle cocks her head to the side. "You don't think your mom will approve?"

Lucinda thought, for a moment, about her mother's reaction. "It's not that. I don't think she will mind. Just…" Lucinda was still flabbergasted over everything. "…wow. Thank you, again, Miss Bowen." Lucinda slipped the gift card into her folder and left Miss Bowen's office without being dismissed. She wandered back to her classroom in a daze.

That evening, Lucinda went home to her mother and showed her the gift card she had received. "What do you think, mom?"

Cheryl handled the certificate with care, appearing to verify it's authenticity, in reality feeling a tiny pang of guilt for how she had treated her daughter over the past few days. Cheryl Rayne was a proud woman. Too proud to admit when she'd viciously attacked her daughter's emotions. "Okay, we'll go to the mall on my next day off." That was all Cheryl could bring herself to say, before handing back the card.

Lucinda accepted the card and hugged her mother. "Thanks, Mom. I… don't know what clothes to even get. I've seen other girls around the school wearing jeans and T-shirts. So, I guess, I'll start there. I've never had a pair of jeans before, as long as it's comfortable, I don't care what I wear. Oh! And I've got to make sure to get some dress shoes. That way, I don't have to borrow, the next time there's a formal event."

Cheryl remained passive. "Get whatever you like. Now, go to your room and put that card someplace where you won't lose it."

"Right!" Lucinda gave a decisive nod, running to her room to put away the certificate.

When her daughter returned, Cheryl asked. "What do you want for supper? I could microwave you something."

Lucinda blinked in surprise, then shook her head. "Uh… mom, how about I make dinner, tonight? We've got some fried chicken in the freezer, I could try to put that in the oven and that'd be our supper."

In Cheryl's melancholy, she managed a weak smile. "Whatever you want, Lucinda. I love you."

"I love you, too, mom." Lucinda headed to the kitchen to get out the cookie sheets and chicken. After preheating the oven along with reading the instructions on the box, I put the chicken in and go watch TV with mom until the food is ready. It was a pleasant evening for the family.

A week later, Lucinda and her mom went on their shopping spree, courtesy of the PTA. The following school day, after Lucinda's makeover, she entered the school feeling like a new woman. Head up, all smiles, greeting everyone she met. Everyone was astounded at the confident Lucinda that mingled among them, that day.

Libby seethed with rage over Lucinda being in a good mood. Little girl thinks she's the best thing ever, all because of some new clothes? Pfft, don't make me laugh. Libby thought. She'll get hers. I'll make sure of it. Libby narrowed her eyes at Lucinda, seething with fury.

The morning went perfect, for Lucinda. However, when Lunchtime came, the cafeteria seemed even more crowded than usual. By the time she had gotten her lunch, the only spot at the table, available, was right across from Libby. Lucinda balked, for a moment, putting on a smile, and finally resolving to take the seat.

Libby goggled at the absolute gall of Lucinda, of not only sitting near her, but directly across from her at the cafeteria table. "You can't sit, here!" Libby snapped.

Lucinda was not to be rebuffed. "Libby, there's nowhere else to sit. It'll probably only be for one day. If you don't bother me, I won't bother you."

"UGH!" Libby saw nothing but white hot rage. She had to say something to get back at Lucinda for this slight. "I hope you don't think my mother was serious about those things she told you at the Black History Month Banquet. She was just being nice to you, because you looked so poor."

"Okay." Lucinda remained calm, not showing any emotion on her face.

Libby gripped the edge of her lunch tray, wanting, desperately, to have a reason to flip it into Lucinda's face. "We're not friends in Jr. High and we will, absolutely, not be friends next year. Even if we will be going to the same High School!"

"I know." Lucinda replied, impassively.

"WHAT!?" Libby spat.

"For what it's worth, I, most likely, won't be around next year, to attend High School." Lucinda stated in a matter of fact tone.

Libby was stunned. She felt as if a bucket of ice water had been dumped all over her. In one instant, she was hot, full of pure hate, in the next, all the fury went out of her. "What? Why?" Libby asked in a more civil tone. "You aren't going to… yourself? Are you?"

Lucinda shook her head, sadly. "No. I would never do that to myself. It's my mom. Every year, mom finds some reason to pack us up and move us to a different home. She's done this ever since my dad went away. That's why I don't try to make any friends. It's too hard to say goodbye."

Libby's jaw dropped. She felt two inches tall. "I didn't know." Libby murmured in a small voice. "I couldn't imagine moving around from place to place, every single year. I've lived in my house with my mom and dad all my life. Is there nothing you can do or say?"

"It's my mom. If she wants to move somewhere else. I have to go with her, I've got no choice." Lucinda spoke with a heart-wrenching, seriousness.

Libby wanted to cry. Her voice had dropped to the level of a whisper, in the noisy cafeteria. "Yeah. I…" The last word was lost in the din.

Lucinda had no more desire continue the depressing conversation. She avoided Libby's gaze, favoring the view of her own lunch tray. Lucinda ate her meal in silence, keeping mindful to chew with her mouth closed. If she sensed a change in Libby's attitude toward her, she chose not to comment on it. When she was finished, she said goodbye to Libby, then went off to bus her tray and go to class.

Libby felt physically ill She didn't acknowledge when Lucinda left. Libby wasn't even aware when Rachel and Rebecca moved down the table to find out what happened during her lunch with Lucinda. Ignoring Rachel and Rebecca, Libby got up from the table, returned her tray, and headed to the nurse's office.

After taking Libby's temperature, the Nurse instructs Libby to lay on a cot. Libby was to wait until her father could be notified of her condition, in order to come get her. Libby rolled onto her side, facing a wall, bringing her knees to her chest. She felt so miserable, she wanted to curl into a ball and die.

Concerned for his daughter's well being, Mr. Chandler entered the nurse's station. Seeing Libby lying on a cot, he approaches her, kneeling by her side, Mr. Chandler tries to offer his daughter some comfort. "Libby, are you okay? The nurse said you weren't feeling good. What's wrong, princess?"

In a quick motion, Libby rolls over. Wrapping her arms around her father, Libby clings to him, crying. "Da-daddy?"

Mr. Chandler moves so he's sitting on the cot. He pulls Libby onto his lap. "I'm here, princess. Tell daddy, what's wrong."

"It's Lucinda…" Libby sobbed.

Mr. Chandler rubs his daughter's back, trying to calm her down. "Did you and her get into another argument?"

Libby sniffles. "No…"

"Well, if you two didn't have another argument, what did happened, sweetheart?" Mr. Chandler asked, confused.

"Lucinda's moving away!!!" Libby bawled into her father's shoulder.

"She's moving away?" Mr. Chandler screwed his face up, complete at a loss for understanding.

Libby un-buried her face from her father's chest to wipe her nose on the back of her sleeve. "Uh-huh. She told me at lunch. She said her mom is going to move her away at the end of the school year. She does it every year."

Mr. Chandler gets Libby a tissue. "Okay."

Libby blows her nose. "Daddy, can you make it so Lucinda doesn't have to move?"

Mr. Chandler had no clue as to what to do. "I'm sorry, Libby, I can't do that. Lucinda's mother wants to move away, I can't stop her from taking Lucinda with her." He decides to address the elephant in the room. "Libby, why are you crying over Lucinda moving away? I thought you didn't like her."

"That was before…" Libby confessed.

"Before what?" Mr. Chandler responded.

"Before I found out she was mooooving!!!" Libby dissolved into another wave of raking grief.

"I see." A theory finally came to Mr. Chandler as he rocks Libby, offering her solace. Mr. Chandler believed that Libby was feeling guilty for treating Lucinda the way she did throughout the entire school year. It would not serve well to mention the idea, now. Not while Libby is in this state. It would do neither of them any good. For the moment, he would offer Libby all the emotional support she required. When, her tears slowed, once more, Mr. Chandler decided to venture something. "Do you want me to call mom, to come take you home?"

Libby nodded weakly. "Yeah. I don't feel good. My stomach hurts."

Mr. Chandler pouted sympathy. "I'll use the nurse's extension to call mom, then stay with you until she arrives. Is that okay?"

Libby moaned an, "uh-huh." Then climbed off her father's lap, so he can go use the phone to contact her mother.

After making the call, Mr. Chandler, returned to Libby's bedside. He resumed rubbing her back. "Mom, will be here, in 20 minutes. You just rest and try to feel better, princess. If you need anything, I'm with you.." Mr. Chandler hated seeing Libby so upset like this. However, there was nothing for him to do. He would wait until she was better, then he would talk to her about what drove her to this pain and misery. ""I love you, Libby."

Libby whined. "I know, daddy. I love you, too." Libby lay quiet for awhile. "Daddy?"

"Yes, princess?" Mr. Chandler replied.

"I'm sorry." Libby said. "I'm sorry for all the mean things I did to Lucinda."

Mr. Chandler, forcibly, suppressed a smile. "I know, sweetheart, I know. Just rest until mom comes to get you."

"Okay." Libby whimpered into space.

Upon going home, Libby's grief would hit it's peak. She spent three sleepless nights sobbing uncontrollably into her pillow. There was nothing her father or mother could do to console her. Libby felt as though she were losing her best friend. Only, it wasn't her best friend that was leaving her, it was someone she considered her worst enemy. Libby was growing and changing.

On the morning of the fourth day, Libby had grown quiet, spending most of the time staring at her ceiling. Libby was thinking. She thought over the past year. Remembering all the mean things she did to Lucinda. When she started, Libby was just a bored teenager looking for something to do. Once she began, she couldn't stop herself. Libby regretted doing those things, now. In her musings, Libby had come to some conclusions about Lucinda. She wished she could take back all the awful things she did to Lucinda. Libby fantasized that if she had to do the year all over again, she'd have tried to get to know Lucinda, maybe become her friend. If that had happened, maybe she wouldn't be feeling her current pain as bad.