Hello Dolly

Chapter 9

When I got off the phone with Rebecca, I quickly hit the call button for mom and dad, merging them into a three way call with me.

"Hello, Daisy? What's wrong honey? Do you need something?" Dad was the first one to answer as I awaited for him and mom to answer the phone. I could tell I had bothered him right in the middle of an important meeting since he sounded so rushed.

"No dad nothing's wrong, well actually there is something wrong. Mom, are you on the other line?" I asked.

"Yes honey I'm here! What's going on? Is Isaac okay?" Mom sounded worried.

"Isaac is fine mom." I reassured her. "I'm calling you both because I just got a call from the elementary school. Lori got in trouble today."

"Trouble? Lori? Are you sure?" Dad asked in disbelief.

"Yes dad, she got in trouble. Oh, I know. Even I was surprised too."

"Well, what happened?" Mom asked.

"Apparently one of her classmates stuck gum in her doll's hair during lunch to play a joke on Lori and she ended up finding out who it was that did it and during recess, she found him and pushed him off the playground set. They said that he broke his leg from the fall."

"Oh my goodness!" Mom exclaimed in shock.

"Angela? Are you okay?" I heard Aunt Lucinda's voice say in the background.

"Yes I'm fine. I have to go okay? I'll see you tomorrow." Mom said to her.

"Okay. Bye!"

"Mom, dad, Lori's waiting in the lobby in the front office. They told me to tell you that one of you has to come and pick her up."

"Alright Daisy, I'm leaving Aunt Linda's house and I'm headed towards the school right now." Mom said as we heard her get into her car and start it.

"I'm gonna go ahead and finish up the meeting and I'll be home shortly." Dad said.

"Okay. I'll see you both soon!" I said to them before I hit the end call button, ending our phone call.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

After about 25 minutes, I heard mom's car pull up in the driveway. I was in mom and dad's room, feeding Isaac a bottle. I heard the front door open and mom and Lori's footsteps.

"I'm in here!" I called out from their room.

I heard quick footsteps in the hallway and saw mom appear at the doorway.

"Hey sweetie. Thank you for watching your brother." Mom said, taking Isaac from my arms.

"You're welcome. How's Lori?" I asked, standing back up on my good foot and adjusting my crutches.

"She's doing fine. She told me she really feels bad for what she did to her classmate." She said, slowly walking alongside me as we made our way down the hall on my crutches.

"I still can't believe she pushed her own classmate off the playground." I whispered to mom. She pursed her lips and nodded her head at me.

"Neither can I." She said. "That's really not like her."

We passed the kitchen and I looked around for Lori. She was sitting on the living room couch holding Lucy on her lap, her eyes fixated on the TV.

"Hey Lori." I said as I approached her. She looked away from the TV and gave me a weak smile.

"Hey Daisy." She said to me as I went over and sat down next to her on the couch. Mom stood near us with Isaac in her arms. We then heard dad's car pull up and mom walked out the door to meet him out on the porch. I could hear them talking to each other. I turned my attention back to Lori who had returned her attention back to the TV.