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Lindsay's Business

by Marjolein Olthof

"Okay, so that will be $20 bucks," Lindsay said, checking on her calculator.

"What! You only did my math homework! Plus that was only half a page!" Robby yelled at Lindsay confused.

"Well you know this is a business. If I don't get money, then there's no point of doing peoples homework."

"But I don't have $20 bucks," Robby whined begging her to change the price.

"All right, just give me the money you got." Lindsey put out her hand, at the same time chuffing a cigarette in her mouth.

"Fine, here's your money. Happy now?" Robby was very mad. He just lost all his money, and he didn't even have lunch money left for the next day in school, not even one coin. "That brat took all my money!" Robby thought to himself. "I could have just gotten an F, and kept my 5 bucks."

Lindsay was a smart, 16 year old girl. She had her own business going for guys, making homework. Lindsey was not only smart but also very pretty. She had blond hair and blue eyes, which all the guys became attracted too. Plus she flirted with every guy, especially Tom. Tom was a very tall guy in 7^th grade. He always wore black and was very quiet. No one really talked to him, and he had the craziest family. His parents were divorced, and his mother came home every night at three in the morning, drunk, a cigarette in her mouth plus with a different boy friend. Everybody thought it was weird that Tom didn't live in Africa with his father, because his dad had a lot of money. His father was rich and lived in a mansion. So if Lindsay wanted to get to know Tom better she would have to work really hard.

First Lindsay made her own articles.

"Come to Lindsay for help! Homework is done for you, only for 5 bucks!" She yelled every Thursday giving people her new article. When she came to Tom, she stopped. Lindsay looked at him and then started giggling at him. Tom always had trouble with his locker, and he always got frustrated.

"Need some help?" she asked Tom, still smiling.

"Uhhhh . . ." he said uncertainly, a little confused.

"I mean your locker, " Lindsay replied looking straight in his eyes, and with out letting Tom reply she pushed her self between him and the locker. She hit the lock and it flapped open.

"Thanks . . ." Tom said blushing. It was obvious Lindsay was flirting with him, but he just didn't know what to do. He was never able to go along with girls very well.

Tom was also very smart so he never came to Lindsay. That's what Lindsay hated the most! She thought flirting would help because it helps with every guy, except Tom.

"So . . . maybe you want to get together some time. You know just you and me?" Lindsay asked biting her under lip. It was surprising that even Lindsay was a little shy asking a guy this. She always knew how to handle guys, and how to go along with them.

"Well that's okay, you know. I have to do homework and so . . . well I might not have enough time." Tom said this in a very casual voice looking at his binder. On the inside though, his heart was pounding! Tom was so good at keeping his feelings to himself. He didn't tell anybody about himself, and that's why he didn't have any friends.

"Oh that's okay, maybe we can get together another time. I understand if you have homework," Lindsay said at the same time thinking, "Should I ask if he wants me to do his homework? No, I'll just let him . . ."

Lindsay was shocked out of her memory when she heard the bell next to where she was standing blasting right in her ear.

"Ouch!" she yelled putting her hand against her head. "Well, I better get going to classes," Lindsay chuckled pointing to the dark silent hall that went to the girls P.E. locker room. "I have P.E. and . . ."

Tom didn't let her finish, when he heard the second bell he turned around and walked into the science lab.

"Well . . . bye . . ." Lindsay mumbled to herself, disappointed she walked her way to the locker rooms. "Why couldn't the flirting help with Tom!" she thought. "And now I have to do P.E."

The next morning she woke up with a loud nock on the door. "Honey! Are you awake?" Lindsay's mom slowly opened the door and her eyes peeked through the crack. "Oh, you're awake! There's a Tom outside and he needs to talk to you urgently, he says."

Lindsay jumped out of bed. "It's Tom! It's Tom!" she thought to herself. She was so happy she almost tripped over her chair. Lindsay's mom was so surprised she asked, "Honey, is something wrong? You seem in such a hurry."

"No, Mom, I'm okay," Lindsay replied. Lindsay ran down the stairs so fast, it seemed as if she was flying like an angel.

"Would Tom have changed his mind about getting together?" Lindsay thought. She was so excited she didn't even think about her look. She was in her pajama's, her hair was a mess, and her eyes were still half open.

"Oh sorry, did I wake you?" By the way Lindsay looked she seemed pretty sleepy.

"No, no. I was just reading in my bed. Do you need anything?" Lindsay wanted to get straight to the point. She wanted to be ready to hear the magic words flying out of his mouth.

"Well, actually . . ."

"He's going to ask you, Lindsay, be ready," she was thinking. She was so excited she was squeezing her fists.

"Actually, I need some help." The happy exciting smiled vanished from Lindsay's face. She looked like some sort of fish.

"Oh . . . with what?" Lindsay tried to sound normal but she was so disappointed.

"I need to bring my dad to the airport and so I don't have time to finish my homework. I was wondering if you could do my science and math. I was planning to do it this morning, but since I don't have time I . . ."

Lindsay interrupted Tom. Sometimes she was so rude, especially if she was disappointed.

"Okay, that will be 10 bucks." Linsday wanted to get straight to the money, she hated Tom now. Chewing on her nails, she glared at Tom for the money. "Money first, then I do the work." She put out her hand waiting till he gave her the money.

"Excuse me? What's your problem?" Tom replied.

"I'm waiting for the money, then you can leave." She held out her hand, and when she received 10 dollars in her hand she yelled at Tom, "Go! I hate looking at your stupid, dumb, clueless face. You're so slow!"

When Tom heard that, his under jaw was shaking, his eyes started watering and a tear strolled down his cheek. He looked like a puppy waiting to be hugged and kissed. Tom's innocent eyes made Lindsay feel even more sorry.

"I'm sorry I burst out like that but . . ." Lindsay stopped. "No! Don't tell him know how you feel! Don't! Stop your self!" Lindsay thought, she had to stop it. She couldn't let her feelings out at him! So she started again.

"But . . . I just didn't have a good night sleep and I've been having problems with my mom lately. We've been having some arguments lately."

It was true Lindsay was mad at her mom, but that wasn't why she bursted out. She had to make up a lie, because it would sound stupid if she told him the truth.

"Well I'm here if you need me. You know if you want to talk about your mom . . . I'm always free." Tom said this in a calm tone, and at the same time he gave her a comforting hug.

"Yes! Yes! He gave me a hug!" Lindsay thought. This hug lightened up Lindsay, it made her feel so warm. It gave her a home feeling.

"Okay, well I better get started on that homework!" She smiled at Tom and her eyes sparkled when she saw a cigarette box in the corner of her eyes. Tom just saw that, so he took the box and threw it in the garbage.

"Hey, those cigarettes cost me a quarter of how much I get paid! She yelled at Tom stamping her feet.

"Well otherwise you get lung cancer! Whenever I see you I already see you with a cigarette in your mouth!" He imitated Lindsay shaking his neck like a snake. Lindsay shrugged and gave Tom an annoying glare.

"Bye," Tom said after he heard a car drive by. Lindsay looked up and saw a skinny woman sitting in the drivers seat. She had brown curly hair, and wore a very tight shirt. She wasn't that old, around Lindsay's age.

"Was that his mom?" Lindsay's thought to herself. When Lindsay waved goodbye she saw the woman in the drivers seat kiss Tom on his cheek, and hug him. It could be his mom. Lindsay stared at the math sheet Tom gave her. It was algebra and Lindsay hated it, but it was for Tom so she would try her best.

"Done!" Lindsay yelled out.

"With what honey?" her mom asked from the kitchen.

"Oh, nothing, Mom! I finished my math that I forgot to do yesterday.

"Okay sweetie! Your breakfast is ready!" her mother yelled back. Her mother was not allowed to know about Lindsay's business, because if she did her mom wouldn't allow it.

"I'm not hungry! Anyways I'm later for school!" Lindsay yelled back to the kitchen. She stuffed the two papers in her binder so no one could find them, and when she got to school she would sneakily give them to Tom.

Lindsay ran up the stairs in her room and locked the door. After she heard the click of the lock she quickly undressed, and then dressed in her skirt and spaghetti straps. She put lip gloss on to make her lips shine and a thin layer of eye shadow. Then she slipped on her shoes, grabbed her bag, and opened her door. There was her mom, with 10 dollars.

"Do you have something to tell me?" her mother asked holding up the 10 dollars.

"Oh, I just got that from . . ." Her mind couldn't think, she was begging herself to think of an excuse. Those 10 dollars must have slipped out of her hands, or she left it in the living room where she did Tom's homework.

"Tom, I lend him 10 bucks yesterday and he isn't going to be here today, so he paid me back before school." Lindsay gave her mom an innocent smile, she actually believed her. There was just one uncertain tone in her eyes that made Lindsay think, "She is this close to not believing me though."

"Alright . . ." Lindsay's mother kept staring at Lindsay.

"Okay, Mom, I'm late for school." Lindsay hated when her mom stared at her like that, so she tried to cut it by pushing by her mother.

"Not so fast young lady." Lindsay's mother grabbed Lindsay by the shirt. Lindsay froze and stared at her mom. "You're coming home right after school, I need to talk to you." Lindsay's mother gave her daughter a stern look, and Lindsay was glad she didn't get in too much trouble.

Lindsay walked up the stairs of Farrington High School when the bell rang. She was just in time, but now she still had to go to her locker to get her books. Then also find Tom, because he had math first.

"Tom! Tom!" Lindsay yelled. Tom was just around the corner with the same girl who was in the car, but Tom didn't hear Lindsay. Lindsay froze. Tom was holding hands with that ugly girl and slowly their lips touched.

"NO! NO! This can't be!" Lindsay was praying that it was just a dream, but it wasn't. Her hands were shaking, and a tear came from her cheek. Finally she liked a guy, and he had no feelings for her, but this other girl. She couldn't take it, so she ran in the girl's bathroom and slammed the door closed. Lindsay looked in the mirror, and she saw how ugly she was. She was so ugly she was even scared to look in the mirror. Her eyes were red, and there were black smudges from her mascara. She noticed how fat, and selfish she was.

When finally Lindsay stopped crying, she heard two girl voices in the bathroom.

"You know Lindsay?" one asked.

"Yeah, I hate her. She's so selfish!" the other said.

"Did you hear about her so called business?"

"Yeah I did, and how stupid can that be. Only for guys."

"I saw her flirting with that dork yesterday. You know the 7^th grader?"

"Yeah! I know! But isn't he going out with an 8^th grader?"

"Yeah, she must not know. The thing that really bothers me is that in 6^th grade we were best friends. She totally left me, when she started her business. Sometimes I still cry about that."

Lindsay could tell that that was Nancy. Her voice was shaking, and then Lindsay noticed she was actually crying.

"I'm sorry, I know I'm a selfish person."

"Lindsay?" Nancy asked, while she flushed the toilet. Lindsay didn't want to see Nancy, not now, so she ran outside the bathroom. Lindsay was bursting out crying; she didn't care if people saw her. She ran outside and on the road. She was so depressed, and she finally noticed everyone hated her. She wasn't popular anymore, she was a mean, ugly, selfish person. She would rather die.

Lindsay jumped up when she heard a motor, really loud. She turned around and there was a speeding school bus right in front of her. Lindsay could hear the brakes, but the bus went too fast. She was too shocked to move, her brain was empty, she couldn't think. Right then she fell on the ground, and the bus crossed her. She was hit, it hurt, she couldn't breath, and she felt and tasted blood everywhere. The bus rode over her legs, and she was screaming from pain. The next thing she knew was that she stopped breathing, her heart stopped beating, and she was dead.

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