Choices........Part Eight

Lilly was waiting for two things to come. Her period and her fifteenth birthday.

Finally, it was Saturday and her birthday. She was still grounded, it was the last day. She endured the past month of staying home, except to go places with her family and to school every day she was supposed to. Only phone calls were allowed. She was dying to get out of the house. She was also depressed that her birthday was going to be spent in lock up.

"I can't believe I have to stay home on my birthday!" Lilly cried. "This is the worst birthday ever!" she persisted, just within ear shot for her mother to hear. She continued with the water works. They had served her well over the years. Especially when trying to get her brothers in trouble.

Finally, Lilly's mother told her that she would talk to Lilly's father to see if restriction could be over. "However," she told Lilly, "don't get your hopes up." No problem there. Her parents proved that they could stick to the rules with this punishment. No matter how unjust it seemed to Lilly. "Oh, come on, only one more day, no big whoop." Lilly responded. "I have done everything you have asked and I am sorry," continued Lilly. "I have learned my lesson." Lilly promised, crossing her fingers behind her back. "We'll see," her mother said, as she walked out of the room.

Lilly was bored beyond belief. Her thoughts bounced around from getting off restriction on her birthday to thinking about what Jim was doing that very moment with his new girlfriend. She wondered if she just laid there too. Lilly thought not. Or she would not have stayed with him. After all, Lilly didn't.

Lilly was still confused about her feelings. She couldn't figure out why she was jealous that Jim had a new girlfriend. She didn't like him anymore and she certainly didn't want to ever see him again. She thought at fifteen that she would be smarter than she was at fourteen. She was wrong.

JoAnn called and asked if she was ungrounded yet. "No." Lilly replied. JoAnn told Lilly she had a gift for her and asked her to meet at the park the next day then. "Park, sure, why not?" Lilly moaned. Lilly couldn't wait another year for her license. Then she could go anywhere she wanted. And then it hit her. JoAnn would be sixteen in three months. JoAnn could drive them everywhere and get them out of the boring neighborhood. On that note, Lilly perked up. She agreed to meet JoAnn the next day.

Lilly was eating lunch when her father came in. He told her that she could end her restriction. "Right this very minute?"she asked excitedly. "Yes," said her father, "Right now, Happy Birthday," he told her. "Yippee, cool, uh, thanks Dad." Lilly responded. "You're welcome and Lilly, be good."

Lilly ran to the phone and called JoAnn. JoAnn's mother told Lilly that JoAnn was at the park. Lilly ran out of the house, telling whomever, she would be at the park.

When Lilly got to the park, only a block from her house, there were a bunch of people. JoAnn and other friends of theirs. JoAnn's eyes got big when she saw Lilly. " I thought you had to stay in one more day!" yelled JoAnn. "Nope, I'm free again," shouted Lilly. Then the others came over and told her that thay were glad to see her. Lilly was so happy and got birthday greetings from her friends.

Lilly's friends wanted to have a party at the park that night. Any reason was good for a party, but this was a genuine party for Lilly. Lilly was sure she could get out of the house after dinner. On birthdays in her house, they got to choose what they wanted for dinner and her mother would make it. She couldn't ditch dinner that night.

Lilly's brother came to the park to tell Lilly dinner was ready. Lilly dashed off and ate dinner with her family. She opened her presents after dinner. A new pair of jeans and a blouse. Pretty cute too. She got two candles from her brothers, to add to her collection. After cake, her mother told her she didn't have to do the dishes that night. Lilly already knew that. It was a birthday rule. Nobody had to do dishes on their birthday, even if it was their week.

Lilly headed for the shower. Put on mascara and her new jeans. It was too cold to wear the blouse, so she opted for a sweater. Not the turquoise sweater she had worn with Jim. Quite possibly, she would never wear it again. Asshole. Now she couldn't even wear her favorite sweater. Lilly put on perfume and earrings and headed to the park.

The party at the park was fun. Strawberry wine and her friends. What could be better? Nothing, Lilly thought. She got a few gifts and a great black light poster from Joann. Lilly loved her posters and the black light. It made her look thin and tan. Two enviable qualities, at least in Lilly's eyes. Lilly had all the posters arranged beautifully on her walls. Now she would have to reconfigure the whole room, or at least one wall. She would sit down the next day and draw out their new placemment.

Lilly was home by 11:30. She had a good day after all. She went to bed happy. She was fifteen now.

The next week was going well for Lilly. She was attending all her classses. One morning though, she began to vomit. She thougth she had the flu and her mother told her she could stay home from school. Lilly was not going to argue with that, and hopped back in bed, until it happened again.

Lilly was about to confront the other thing she had been waiting for. Only, it wasn't coming.


To be continued........