drinking.”
“Me too,” Connie said, sounding discouraged. She had been convinced that Kevin was home free, and the bad days were over. Now she wasn’t as sure. Kevin was definitely at risk, of using drugs or booze, and getting lost along the way. After all, he had very nearly gone to jail, and in a similar situation, the next time he would. She was less concerned about Billy having a couple ofbeers and a shot of tequila in his bedroom, although they weren’t happy about it, but there was no denying that kids Billy’s age drank from time to time, even good kids. But Kevin was no longer a kid, he was a man.
There was good news and bad news during Christmas vacation. Connie and Marilyn ran into Michelle at the manicure salon one day and were horrified by what they saw. She looked frighteningly thin. There was no denying that she was anorexic, and when Marilyn finally got up the guts to mention it to Judy, she said they had been to the doctor that week, and Michelle had just started outpatient treatment at an eating disorder clinic. Judy was very upset about it. Marilyn was relieved to hear that Michelle was in treatment.
The best news of the season was that on the day before Christmas vacation, Andy got the letter he’d been waiting for from Harvard. He had gotten in on early decision, in pre-med, and it came as a surprise to no one but him. Izzie let out a scream that resonated down the halls when he told her, and Sean and Billy picked him up and carried him on their shoulders, while Gabby grinned. He was a hero to them, and all his teachers were elated for him but not surprised.
He called his mother in the office to tell her, but her cell phone was on voicemail, which meant that she was with a patient or delivering a baby, so he sent her a text to find whenever she was free, and he got hold of his father between patients. He sounded busy, but pleased with the news.
“I’d only have been surprised by anything less,” his father said calmly. “You didn’t really think they’d decline you, did you?” Robert sounded amused at the thought, particularly since he had gone to Harvard too. And with Andy’s grades and test scores, Robert considered him a shoo-in. Only Andy himself had been deeply anxious about it, and hadn’t slept well in weeks. But Andy never let it show. The only one whom he had confided in about his nervousness was Izzie. He had had nightmares about not getting accepted, on early decision or ever, and being banished by his father as a result. His mother would have forgiven him and understood, but his father never would. He had always expected the 4.0 GPA that Andy always delivered with ease, although sometimes it wasn’t as easy as Andy made it look.
“Thank you for helping me with my application essay,” Andy whispered to Izzie as they left their last class of the day. “I think that’s what got me in.” He was grateful and relieved.
“Are you insane?” Izzie looked at him in amazement. “With your grades and scores, you think my help got you in? Andy Weston, wake up! You’re practically the genius of our class.”
“No, silly, that would be you. You have one of the best analytical minds of anyone I’ve ever met. You even make more sense than my parents, and they’re both really smart, and my father writes books and is considered brilliant.” Izzie knew his father’s books were successful, but she had always considered him a cold person. She liked his mother a lot better.
“Trust me, you’re a genius, and you’re going to be a terrific doctor one day. Any ideas about what you’re going to specialize in?” she asked him as they left school.
“Probably research. I hate seeing people in pain. And I’d never want to make a mistake that cost someone their life. That’s too much responsibility for me.” After twelve years in school together, one thing she knew about Andy was that he never wanted to hurt anyone, in deed or word. He was a very thoughtful, cautious, caring,
“Me too,” Connie said, sounding discouraged. She had been convinced that Kevin was home free, and the bad days were over. Now she wasn’t as sure. Kevin was definitely at risk, of using drugs or booze, and getting lost along the way. After all, he had very nearly gone to jail, and in a similar situation, the next time he would. She was less concerned about Billy having a couple ofbeers and a shot of tequila in his bedroom, although they weren’t happy about it, but there was no denying that kids Billy’s age drank from time to time, even good kids. But Kevin was no longer a kid, he was a man.
There was good news and bad news during Christmas vacation. Connie and Marilyn ran into Michelle at the manicure salon one day and were horrified by what they saw. She looked frighteningly thin. There was no denying that she was anorexic, and when Marilyn finally got up the guts to mention it to Judy, she said they had been to the doctor that week, and Michelle had just started outpatient treatment at an eating disorder clinic. Judy was very upset about it. Marilyn was relieved to hear that Michelle was in treatment.
The best news of the season was that on the day before Christmas vacation, Andy got the letter he’d been waiting for from Harvard. He had gotten in on early decision, in pre-med, and it came as a surprise to no one but him. Izzie let out a scream that resonated down the halls when he told her, and Sean and Billy picked him up and carried him on their shoulders, while Gabby grinned. He was a hero to them, and all his teachers were elated for him but not surprised.
He called his mother in the office to tell her, but her cell phone was on voicemail, which meant that she was with a patient or delivering a baby, so he sent her a text to find whenever she was free, and he got hold of his father between patients. He sounded busy, but pleased with the news.
“I’d only have been surprised by anything less,” his father said calmly. “You didn’t really think they’d decline you, did you?” Robert sounded amused at the thought, particularly since he had gone to Harvard too. And with Andy’s grades and test scores, Robert considered him a shoo-in. Only Andy himself had been deeply anxious about it, and hadn’t slept well in weeks. But Andy never let it show. The only one whom he had confided in about his nervousness was Izzie. He had had nightmares about not getting accepted, on early decision or ever, and being banished by his father as a result. His mother would have forgiven him and understood, but his father never would. He had always expected the 4.0 GPA that Andy always delivered with ease, although sometimes it wasn’t as easy as Andy made it look.
“Thank you for helping me with my application essay,” Andy whispered to Izzie as they left their last class of the day. “I think that’s what got me in.” He was grateful and relieved.
“Are you insane?” Izzie looked at him in amazement. “With your grades and scores, you think my help got you in? Andy Weston, wake up! You’re practically the genius of our class.”
“No, silly, that would be you. You have one of the best analytical minds of anyone I’ve ever met. You even make more sense than my parents, and they’re both really smart, and my father writes books and is considered brilliant.” Izzie knew his father’s books were successful, but she had always considered him a cold person. She liked his mother a lot better.
“Trust me, you’re a genius, and you’re going to be a terrific doctor one day. Any ideas about what you’re going to specialize in?” she asked him as they left school.
“Probably research. I hate seeing people in pain. And I’d never want to make a mistake that cost someone their life. That’s too much responsibility for me.” After twelve years in school together, one thing she knew about Andy was that he never wanted to hurt anyone, in deed or word. He was a very thoughtful, cautious, caring,
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