Chapter Nine Twelfth Grade
Dear Collin,
Sometimes in downtown Phoenix I see this guy dressed like a pirate on stilts and he sings and juggles and blows fire out of his mouth. That’s what I imagined when you said you performed on the street, but I'm sure you don’t actually look like that.
Thanks for telling me that funny story. It sounds like you attract all sorts of women.
I’ve gotten a little more used to the fact that my parents are getting divorced, but I still don’t really like to think about it.
I’ve spent a lot of time hiding out under my mom’s desk, even though they’re not fighting that much anymore.
Now they hardly talk to each other at all, and sometimes my dad leaves and doesn't come home for three or four days. Do you know how they told me they were getting divorced? They bought me a new telescope, and then they broke the news to me, as if a big present was supposed to make it all okay. I haven’t even used it yet.
I haven't been in the mood for astronomy stuff lately.
Hopefully I get in the mood for it in time for working at space camp.
How are things with you and Ashley? Is she still talking about marriage? Has she named your future children yet?
Sincerely,
Glory
July 30, 2010
Dear Glory,
You were right. I never should have taken Ashley up to the roof with me.
Now I get nauseous every time I go up there.
She broke up with me. She asked me what I wanted my career to be, and when I told her I probably wanted to be a musician, she said that wasn't practical and I couldn't support a family with that and that she couldn't see a future with me. We’re in high school!
Who thinks of that in high school? So now I hate the way I feel whenever I think of her.
I've written a few songs about it. They’re not great songs, but writing them gives me something to do to process it all.
What did you do to feel better after Michael Dunford broke up with you?
I’ve spent a lot of time singing and playing on the street downtown, and I'm making pretty good money. Did you end up working at space camp? How are your parents doing with the divorce?
Bye,
Collin
September 9, 2010
Dear Collin,
I’m sorry that Ashley broke your heart. She sounds really shallow if all she cares about is money.
Although, I care a lot about money too, so maybe I’m shallow as well.
But, there are plenty of musicians that end up making a decent living.
She should have had more faith in you. I didn't really do anything to make myself feel better when Michael broke up with me.
I just let myself wallow in my pain and I cried a lot until the feelings went away.
That probably doesn't sound very pleasant, but I think it helped me get over him a lot faster than if I had tried to ignore the emotions.
My parent's divorce became final a couple weeks ago. My mom has moved in with my Aunt Sara until she can find a place, so I stay with her there during the week and I go back to the house with my dad on the weekends. It’s pretty boring being with my dad because he hardly talks to me, so I usually just go out with friends or spend my time getting all my homework done.
Last week I went to homecoming with some girls from the volleyball team and it was a lot of fun.
We got all dressed up in our formal wear and went to have dinner at McDonald’s, and we even crawled around in the play place with the little kids.
At the dance we went around and took a bunch of crazy pictures.
It was nice to not have to worry about being on a date.
I'm sending you one of the pictures from the dance. I'm the one in the red dress.
Sincerely,
Glory
October 24, 2010
Dear Glory,
I don't know what you were trying to do by sending me that picture of you at homecoming, but I honestly can’t stop looking at it.
Why didn’t you tell me you were hot? Now I'm kind of nervous about writing to you. Seriously, Glory, you’re gorgeous.
That Michael Dunford is an idiot. I kind of wish you hadn’t sent me that picture.
But I'm also kind of glad that you did. I don’t know, it's a little confusing.
A couple days ago Ashley came up to me and said that we could get back together again if I would change my mind about being a musician.
I actually thought about lying and saying I was thinking about becoming a lawyer or something, but I figured I had better be honest, because I really do want to be a musician.
Plus, I was a little annoyed that she wouldn’t let it go.
She got all mad and said she couldn’t believe I was choosing music over her. I guess I am.
So now I’ve been looking for music scholarships to apply for. I might just go to community college for a couple years first though. We’ll see. I kind of hate this whole planning for the future thing. I'd rather just let life happen as it comes. How about you? Are you still set on Berkeley?
Bye,
Collin
December 9, 2010
Dear Collin,
Why would I say that I'm hot? That would be a really conceited thing to say. “Hi, I’m Glory, I like astronomy and sushi, and by the way, I’m really hot.
” Besides, I don't think I'm hot. I wish my hair wasn't so curly and that my boobs were bigger. Now you’re just going to write me because you think I'm hot. But thanks, I guess.
I think it's good that you chose your passion over a girlfriend. People change and can disappoint you, but passions stay steady.
Turns out my parents aren't rich. That was one of the things they were always fighting about.
They have a lot of debt. So I can't afford to go to UC Berkeley, but that's fine, because I’m kind of mad at my dad right now and I don't want to give him the satisfaction of going to his stupid alma mater.
I'll probably end up going to Arizona State, which is a great school and I want to stay close to my mom anyway.
My mom is going to move into an apartment closer to the hospital in January, and that's probably a good thing.
I like living with my Aunt Sara, but I can tell that we're stressing her out.
She makes really good pizza though. I'm going to miss that.
If you could live with any of your relatives, who would you choose?
Sincerely,
Glory
January 14, 2011
Dear Glory,
I’ve been writing to you all these years and I didn’t know you were hot, I thought you were some science geek. I like that your hair is curly. As for the other thing you mentioned, I think it'd be better for me not to comment.
If I could live with any of my relatives, I think I would live with my Uncle Marty.
He's my mom's brother and he lives on a big farm in Ohio.
He always lets us drive his ATVs and tractors when we go to visit him, and we always pick a bunch of apples and make them into pies.
I think it'd be cool to live out where no one is around and you can pretty much do anything you want.
Or maybe I'd like to live with my Grandma and Grandpa Finlay because I'd love to see Scotland and I want to get to know them, but it might be a little awkward since my dad hasn't spoken to them in so long.
How was your Christmas? Did you spend it with your mom or your dad?
Bye,
Collin
February 19, 2011
Dear Collin,
My Christmas was a little sad, but actually kind of fun.
I didn’t want to deal with going between my parents, so I just spent Christmas with my friend Allie Morrison and her family.
We made a whole bunch of cookies and watched some weird holiday horror movies (that’s their tradition).
I missed my parents some, but I knew it would be really sad and tense being with just one of them.
My mom’s new apartment is close to the train station so I hear trains running a lot at night when I’m trying to sleep.
I kind of like it. I like to think about how people are traveling and moving while I’m dreaming.
My dad is going to sell our house, but he’s going to wait until after I graduate, which is a nice gesture, I guess.
He’s been spending a lot of time with this lady who has really big lips named Sandra, and she’s come over to the house a couple times.
I’m pretty sure he was seeing her before my parents got divorced. Jerk.
You have an uncle in Ohio? My grandma lives in Ohio and I was thinking about visiting her this summer. I want to take a big, long road trip before I go to college, and if I’m going to Ohio, maybe I could stop in Chicago and see you.
Sincerely,
Glory
P.S. Some people think that science nerds are hot, by the way.
March 27, 2011
Dear Glory,
I got a scholarship to NYU! I’m so excited!
I don’t really know how I’m going to get there, though.
Maybe I’ll take the bus. I might have saved enough for a flight.
I found out a couple days ago, and now all I think about is going to college.
High school just seems so lame. But there are things I need to finish, like finals and a band concert. And all my shifts at the store.
Yes, you should definitely come to Chicago! Then I can introduce you to my little sister Erin, because she’s positive I’ve made you up. I might even bring you up to the roof if you promise not to break my heart. Just let me know about when you’ll be here. My mom will make you a bunch of cookies.
Bye,
Collin
P.S. You’re right. Nerdy science girls can be pretty hot. I think you’re just trying to get me to say that you’re hot again.
May 8, 2011
Dear Collin,
Congratulations on the scholarship! I think you’ll have a great time in New York.
It sounds like an awesome adventure. I was accepted to ASU so I’ll be going there.
It’s 30 minutes away from where I grew up.
It’s a good school, but it’s definitely not as exciting as New York City. I’m a little jealous.
So, my car broke down. It needed a new transmission, and it would have been really expensive to fix, so we sold it and instead we bought this really old Chrysler Lebaron that totally looks like something my Grandma would drive.
But it’ll be just fine for college. All the kids at my high school are really rich so they all drive nice cars, but I’ve been on the ASU campus a couple times now and the cars in the student parking lots are pieces of junk, so I’ll fit right in.
Anyway, I can’t go on my big road trip now.
I don’t trust this car to make it out of Phoenix, much less across the country.
I’m pretty sure if I drove it over 70 miles per hour it would blow up.
I’m really sorry I can’t come visit you.
I was really looking forward to your mom’s cookies, and the view from the roof of your apartment building.
But it was probably best that I didn’t go on a road trip anyway. I don’t have a lot of money to spare.
My graduation is in a couple weeks and I can’t wait.
I’m so ready to be done with high school and all the drama.
Are you excited for your graduation? I dare you to not wear any pants under your graduation gown.
I’ll do it if you do it. And then when I walk I can know that someone over in Chicago is feeling a nice breeze in their nether parts too.
Sincerely,
Glory