another day.”
Mrs. Riley rolled her eyes and looked heavenward. “Oh brother, I can see this is going to be good.”
“Well, that’s about all. But last night he had me sit on the sofa with him and....”
“Go on,” Mrs. Riley said while impatiently tapping her foot. “You were probably carrying on to him about not being able to do cheerleading, weren’t you?”
“He put his arm around my back while we were sitting there. It felt funny,” Mary Margaret said, ignoring her mother’s question.
“You are a ridiculous and evil girl, Mary Margaret. Father Antonio is Latin, and they touch each other more than we do. It’s his way of supporting you, that’s all. Besides, he’s a priest. He’s only offering spiritual comfort.”
“Are you sure?” Mary Margaret said, feeling a little bit of relief along with a continued ache in the pit of her stomach.
“I’m certain. I’m also certain that I don’t want to hear any more of this nonsense, either. No more disparaging remarks about our dear Father Antonio. We’re so lucky to have him.”
“I know, Mom. He’s very nice and he’s a good priest.”
“You go off to school now and tell them you aren’t going to be on the cheerleading squad,” Mrs. Riley said, dismissing her with a wave of her hand. “One more thing. Don’t you ever, and I mean ever, tell your dad any of this about Father Antonio. He’s already acting funny about Father stopping here during the day to counsel me.”
Mary Margaret picked up her dishes to put in the sink and almost dropped them on the floor. “He comes here? To our house. What are you being counseled for?”
Mrs. Riley turned her back to Mary Margaret. “That’s none of your business. You go on to school.”
Mary Margaret picked up her books and left the kitchen. It was October and a blast of cool air hit her as she opened the front door. She closed it quietly behind her and started the walk to school.
Why would Father Antonio be counseling her mother? Were her mom and dad having marital problems? They’d never gotten along, but wasn’t that just the way married people were? Was there more to it than that?
Then it hit her...she was the problem. They were fighting about her. It was true, she had been rebelling too much lately, but she certainly didn’t want her parents to break up because of her. Dad always defended her, and he was much more lenient than Mom. From now on she was going to do exactly as Mom said. That way she wouldn’t get in trouble and neither would Dad. She’d be a good daughter for both of them.
#
Mary Margaret had her books clasped tightly to her chest and hadn’t noticed Linda’s approach until she was right in front of her.
“Oh my gosh, this is just so cool.” She bounced up and down on her toes and waved her hands in the air. “We have our first practice today. Aren’t you excited?” Her brown hair was in two ponytails that were tied in black and gold ribbons, the school colors.
Mary Margaret stared at the ground and kept walking across campus towards her locker, with Linda right on her heels.
“What’s going on? You’re not acting like someone who just made the cheerleading squad. Don’t you want to be popular?”
Mary Margaret ignored her.
Linda grabbed Mary Margaret’s wrist, forcing her to stop walking. She moved around directly in front of her and stared into her eyes.
“Oh no. Your mom put her foot down, didn’t she?”
“Well, sort of,” Mary Margaret admitted reluctantly. “She reminded me I’d made a commitment by taking the job at the rectory, and she said I can’t do both.”
Linda put both hands on her hips and cocked her head to the side. “But I thought your dad was going to give you the money and everything? I thought it was all decided.”
“It was...until Father Antonio talked to my mom.”
“He what ?” He butted in? I told you he was jealous, but you didn’t listen to me, did you? Did you tell your mother that little bit of
Mrs. Riley rolled her eyes and looked heavenward. “Oh brother, I can see this is going to be good.”
“Well, that’s about all. But last night he had me sit on the sofa with him and....”
“Go on,” Mrs. Riley said while impatiently tapping her foot. “You were probably carrying on to him about not being able to do cheerleading, weren’t you?”
“He put his arm around my back while we were sitting there. It felt funny,” Mary Margaret said, ignoring her mother’s question.
“You are a ridiculous and evil girl, Mary Margaret. Father Antonio is Latin, and they touch each other more than we do. It’s his way of supporting you, that’s all. Besides, he’s a priest. He’s only offering spiritual comfort.”
“Are you sure?” Mary Margaret said, feeling a little bit of relief along with a continued ache in the pit of her stomach.
“I’m certain. I’m also certain that I don’t want to hear any more of this nonsense, either. No more disparaging remarks about our dear Father Antonio. We’re so lucky to have him.”
“I know, Mom. He’s very nice and he’s a good priest.”
“You go off to school now and tell them you aren’t going to be on the cheerleading squad,” Mrs. Riley said, dismissing her with a wave of her hand. “One more thing. Don’t you ever, and I mean ever, tell your dad any of this about Father Antonio. He’s already acting funny about Father stopping here during the day to counsel me.”
Mary Margaret picked up her dishes to put in the sink and almost dropped them on the floor. “He comes here? To our house. What are you being counseled for?”
Mrs. Riley turned her back to Mary Margaret. “That’s none of your business. You go on to school.”
Mary Margaret picked up her books and left the kitchen. It was October and a blast of cool air hit her as she opened the front door. She closed it quietly behind her and started the walk to school.
Why would Father Antonio be counseling her mother? Were her mom and dad having marital problems? They’d never gotten along, but wasn’t that just the way married people were? Was there more to it than that?
Then it hit her...she was the problem. They were fighting about her. It was true, she had been rebelling too much lately, but she certainly didn’t want her parents to break up because of her. Dad always defended her, and he was much more lenient than Mom. From now on she was going to do exactly as Mom said. That way she wouldn’t get in trouble and neither would Dad. She’d be a good daughter for both of them.
#
Mary Margaret had her books clasped tightly to her chest and hadn’t noticed Linda’s approach until she was right in front of her.
“Oh my gosh, this is just so cool.” She bounced up and down on her toes and waved her hands in the air. “We have our first practice today. Aren’t you excited?” Her brown hair was in two ponytails that were tied in black and gold ribbons, the school colors.
Mary Margaret stared at the ground and kept walking across campus towards her locker, with Linda right on her heels.
“What’s going on? You’re not acting like someone who just made the cheerleading squad. Don’t you want to be popular?”
Mary Margaret ignored her.
Linda grabbed Mary Margaret’s wrist, forcing her to stop walking. She moved around directly in front of her and stared into her eyes.
“Oh no. Your mom put her foot down, didn’t she?”
“Well, sort of,” Mary Margaret admitted reluctantly. “She reminded me I’d made a commitment by taking the job at the rectory, and she said I can’t do both.”
Linda put both hands on her hips and cocked her head to the side. “But I thought your dad was going to give you the money and everything? I thought it was all decided.”
“It was...until Father Antonio talked to my mom.”
“He what ?” He butted in? I told you he was jealous, but you didn’t listen to me, did you? Did you tell your mother that little bit of
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