The Alignment by Kristin Andrecheck (little red riding hood read aloud TXT) 📕

a sliver. Enough so I can see my parents, without them seeing me.
“Ever since, Katy,” Dad looks down towards his feet.
“That was going to be Teals’s baby sister!” Mom shouts.
“But, I also went to the doctor and asked a question,” Dad says, cunningly.
“Well, what’s that?” Mom looks worried.
“I found out that Katy....” Dad pauses.
“What!” Mom screams.
“Is not my child!” Dad shouts back.
I have a tear in my eye. My mother’s a cheater! I’m dumbfounded. How could she do this? I walk out of the bathroom and stare at my mom. She has a dumb look on her face.
“Mom, how could you? Why would you?” I interrogate.
“I..I..I was sick of your father, going away, on “business”,” Mom air quotes.
“What do you mean, Iris,” Dad asks, looking uneasy.
“I talked to your secretary. Seems like she cares for you a lot,” Mom says. I know where she is going with this.
“I’m leaving. And, never coming ba...” Dad doesn’t finish.
“I know that you,” Mom looks at me.
“Leave,” Mom directed, pointing towards the door.
Dad knew what she was going to say. He gives me a kiss, and an envelope. I watch him walk out the door. I look out the window and see him pull out of the driveway with his car. I don’t look at the paper, not yet anyway.
“So. Was the car in the driveway?” Mom asks, trying to get off the subject.
I look at her with an awkward look. She knew I was going to ask her questions.
“Whatever you put across, you know he deserved it,” Mom points out.
I nod my head, slightly.
“Whatever, I...I hate this summer. Can we get our stuff tomorrow? After what I’ve heard...I just can’t take it. Can I sleep on the couch, please?”I request.
Mom nods her head. She looks very, dejected.
“What do you wanna eat tonight, angel?” Mom asks. She has a very depressed tone.
“Pizza, I guess. Let’s try to turn this night around, okay?” I inquire.
“Ya. I’d like that. I mean, I guess it’s our first night in Cali. Why don’t you sleep with me. I mean, movies all night. I already have NetMovie. It’s a movie thing,” Mom explains.
I smile, and nod my head.
I then ask mom “Where are the tweezers?”
“Um, in the reddish dresser. Second shelf. Why?”
“Well, a girl needs perfect eyebrows in California, Mom.” I say.
I then start walking into mom’s bedroom. I then remember that dad handed me an envelope. I sit on the bed and open it. It looks like a check. I reach in the envelope quickly and grab the paper. It is a check for one thousand dollars! I run to mom and I hand her the check. I’m jumping up and down. Mom smiles, but the smile turns quickly to a frown.
“What’s wrong?” I ask.
“I think your dad is trying to buy you,” Mom interprets.
“What! Are you crazy mom? I chose you, remember,” I say.
“Well, were saving it for school, okay. You have three hundred dollars in your bank account. We’ll use that for shopping, okay? I already ordered the pizza. Anchovies, right?” Mom asks.
“EESSHH no!!!” I shout.
“Ha ha ha! I know, onions and peppers. The sweet peppers, right” She asks again.
“Ya mom, thanks. I love you,” I smile.

Chapter 9

Bright new morning in Cali. I look over towards my mom and she is still sleeping. I get up and walk towards the living room. Ugh, I feel a mess. I walk towards the bathroom and I take a quick shower. After I’m done I walk towards my bedroom, with a towel covering me of course, and get my duffel bag that mom left on the floor. I pick it up and go to the empty room. Today is going to be a long day. I pick out shorts and a rose colored tank top. I hear a knock and remember that mom’s still sleeping, I get dressed quickly and run towards the door. I open it and it’s a man.
“Um, hello,” I say
“Hi, are you Iris Osmond?” the man asks.
“No, my mother’s sleeping. Can I take a message?”
“Well, are you Teal-Marie Osmond?” he asks again.
“Uh, yeah. Do I know you?”
“Actually, I have a couple packages for you. Are you 16 or older?”
“Yes,” I lie.
“Sign here,” he gives me this iPad to sign my name.
He then hands me two packages and says, “Have a nice day ma’am!”
I close the door. I look at the packages in my hand one stacked on top of the other. A small, rectangular ones is on the top while a vast one is at the bottom. Packages, for me? I consider. I decide to make mom a nice breakfast. I walk towards the kitchen and look at the clock. 8 a.m and a package delivery at this hour? Suspicious... I lay the package on the counter, I don’t want to get in trouble. I plan to make mom an omelet, bacon, and homemade biscuits. I’m really good with cooking, sometimes. First I decide to make the bacon. So I go to the 70’s looking fridge and open it. SHOOT!! I forgot that we don’t have food yet. Ugh!!! I want to make mom happy, after all she’s done for me. I decide to let her sleep and as I watch t.v. I turn get the remote and surf the channels. I’m so bored! I say quietly to myself. This commercial turns up, and it’s about home phones. I miss Justin and Rose. I decide to call them. I look at the clock, but remember it’s pointless since theres a 5 hour difference between here and New York. It’s about 1 to 2 o’clock over there. First, I call Rose..... She answers!
“Hello,” Rose says.
“Hi, Rose,” I say back.
“Who is this?”
“Teal. Just wanted to say hi, from Cali,” I say in a peppy kind of voice.
“Teal? I don’t know a Teal,” Rose explains.
“Rose, stop it. It’s done, over with, I miss you,” I elucidate.
“Yeah, your right. It is done,”
Then I hear the hang up sound. How long is she going to keep up on this. I miss her so much, it’s driving me crazy. She doesn’t have to be so bitter. I mean she is, was, my best friend and I guess were done.
Mom wakes up “Teal, Teal!”
I run into her bedroom, “I’m right here mom. What’s the problem?”
“Oh,” Mom puts her hand on her head, “I’m just a little off this morning, who was at the door?”
“The mailman, he dropped off two packages. It must be urgent ‘cause I know the mailman doesn’t drop off random packages at eight in the morning,” I describe.
“Great,” Mom lights up smiling.
“Why is it Great!” I mock mom.
“Well, because...I bought you something,” Mom fades off with her voice.
I start running towards the kitchen. Mom stops me and says, “Not. So. Fast.”
I start walking back to mom’s bedroom. I have a sign of grief on my face. Mom could see it also.
Mom says, “Okay, only the smallest one.”
I light up with a huge smile and get the smallest package. It’s quite light. I walk back to mom’s bedroom, I sit on her bed and open it. It’s a one hundred dollar gift card!! I smile, look back, and hug mom.
“Well, I better get ready. We have a ha-uge day today,” Mom explains.
I nod and walk back into the living room.

chapter 10

As we are finishing breakfast at Sally’s Eat In Diner, mom explains that we have to go to Storage Fasters. It’s a storage place, and we need to eat quickly. I scarf down my pancakes and orange juice. I see mom is looking at the time.
“I’m done,” I say to mom.
Mom says, “Check please,” to the waitress next to her.
We wait and talk about random stuff for the past five minutes. Mom pays the inexpensive bill and we leave. We drove a storage truck here, I mean fifty bucks for a day is pretty cheap, might as well use the day. We start to go to the storage place and it’s basically 30 minutes away from Sally’s. I am quiet the whole way there. We finally arrive and I’m blind. What I mean is that the you can’t miss the place. I mean there’s a huge sign that has Storage Fasters in massive lighted letters, even though it’s in the day. Not including the sign, the shacks where the stuff is enclosed in, the shacks are painted bright, bright orange. Lets say I was blind, I would get my eyesight back, thanks to these bright colors. I’m now thinking I’m kind of thirsty. I ask mom if I can go across the street to get some soda. Mom nods and I go across the not so busy street. I walk in and I accidentally bump into this girl.
“Sorry, I don’t help the homeless,” She says to me.
This girl is the typical California chick. She has the tan skin, I felt like a ghost compared to her. She also had the blonde hair with the light brown streaks. The big blue eyes, the sunburn lightly on her cheeks that looks like permanent blush. Not to mention the snotty attitude.
“Um, my bad,” I apologize, not knowing what else to say.
“Ya, no kidding, wow, you must be new.” She says, looking