Life Matters - Book 2: Life Matters, #2

By M.L. Stimpson

Written by a national bestselling novelist, these short stories provide a realistic peek into the lives of young adults trying to make it in a world that doesn’t play fair. Always thought-provoking, sometimes controversial, the Life Matters Series offers relatable characters in realistic circumstances that matter in the lives of young adults.

Behind Closed Doors - Nicole isn’t trying to be disrespectful to her mother, but Nicole can’t continue to live beneath the burden of her mother’s severe hoarding. How can she overcome the ever-growing monster in her own home?

The Delgados’ Last Supper - Marco Delgado's parents have always argued constantly, but he was accustomed to their bickering. So why are his parents trying to make a huge change this late in the game?

A Family Problem I & II - John is trying his best to keep his sisters safe from a stranger. The biggest danger, however, is their father, whose drunken rages threaten to tear their family apart.

The Price of Freedom - Nicholas never thought twice about saying the Pledge of Allegiance. His father's return from the war, however, changed everything.

A Hard Lesson - When Donna can't live with her mother's strict new rules, she goes to live with her grandmother and becomes the hostess of the neighborhood skip parties. But the parties will come to a tragic end on Donna's 16th birthday.

My Brother’s Debt - Most people think money will solve all their problems. For the second-year NBA player DeShawn Mobley, money only made things worse.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Right Track Academic Support Services
• Release date: May 10, 2015
• ISBN: 9781513054544

Book preview

Life Matters

Book II

Short Stories for Young Adults

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By M. L. Stimpson

Copyright © 2015 by Michelle Stimpson

All rights reserved. No portion of this book may be reproduced in any form, except for brief quotations in reviews, without written permission from the publisher.

Published by Right Track Academic Support Services www.WeGottaRead.com

Table of Contents

Behind Closed Doors - Nicole isn’t trying to be disrespectful to her mother, but Nicole can’t continue to live beneath the burden of her mother’s severe hoarding. How can she overcome the ever-growing monster in her own home?

The Delgados’ Last Supper - Marco Delgado's parents have always argued constantly, but he was accustomed to their bickering. So why are his parents trying to make a huge change this late in the game?

A Family Problem I & II - John is trying his best to keep his sisters safe from a stranger. The biggest danger, however, is their father, whose drunken rages threaten to tear their family apart.

The Price of Freedom - Nicholas never thought twice about saying the Pledge of Allegiance. His father's return from the war, however, changed everything.

A Hard Lesson - When Donna can't live with her mother's strict new rules, she goes to live with her grandmother and becomes the hostess of the neighborhood skip parties. But the parties will come to a tragic end on Donna's 16th birthday.

My Brother’s Debt - Most people think money will solve all their problems. For the second-year NBA player DeShawn Mobley, money only made things worse.

About the Author

Behind Closed Doors

Cole made the mistake of forgetting to set his alarm clock so that I could get up, sneak out of his bedroom window, and get back to my house before my mom missed me. Consequently, I got busted sleeping in his bedroom. His parents called my mom. My mom rushed over and apologized profusely.

I am so sorry, Mr. and Mrs. Wheeler. I don’t know why my daughter is behaving this way.

Mom, Cole and I are just friends, I repeated for the fiftieth time. Neither Cole’s parents nor my mom listened. Figures, though. Parents always believe the worst. It didn’t matter that Cole and I had been friends since junior high school or that I was on Cole’s couch. People over the age of twenty-five always think any time a boy and a girl get together, a baby will magically appear.

All the way home, my mom fussed at me about not presenting myself as a respectable, decent young lady. She threatened to make me take an HIV test and a pregnancy test in the next few weeks. I think you should take a marijuana test, too, because you must be out of your mind sneaking over to your boyfriend’s house to spend the night.

I smashed my head against the headrest again. "Cole is not my boyfriend!"

Next thing you know she starts fake-crying, making her voice crack although I see no actual tears. That’s even worse! At least if he was your boyfriend, I’d think you have some kind of reason for sleeping with a boy.

Enough with all this drama. "Are you even listening to me? Cole and I didn’t do anything. We never do."

She gasped. "What do you mean never? How many times have you slept at his house? Are you some kind of prostitute or something? Is he paying you?"

Wow.

I rolled my eyes and rocked my head toward the window. Through the side view mirror, I could see the bus stopping at the corner where I should have been standing so that I could board the yellow rescue vehicle and go to school.

No first period for me today, though. I could only imagine what my mom was going to write on my excuse note. Please overlook my daughter’s tardiness. She’s late because she’s a promiscuous little floozy.  Sincerely, Lisa-Lin Murdock.

As we approached the outside of our three-bedroom, two-car-garage, one-story house with its brown bricks and tan trim, the irony of its appearance hit me again. From the outside, this place I shared with my mom looked like any normal house. Driveway swept clean. Hedges trimmed. Potted mums on the front porch.

My mom hopped out of the car and, reluctantly, I followed. At the front door, she waited for me like she always does before we go inside. I hoisted my backpack onto my shoulder to block potential viewers.

Stand to the side of me, she directed while visually searching to make sure the coast was clear of neighbors who might be putting out their trashcans, or walkers taking in an early stroll. Her strawberry blonde hair bounced anxiously as she surveyed our surroundings above the rim of her ancient glasses. She’d bought two new pairs last year, but both had gotten lost.

The hum of a car engine threatened nearby. My mother waited for the vehicle to pass, took another look around, and then quickly opened the door so that she and I could step inside.

My nightmare resumed.

Mom closed the door behind me, but it might as well have been a jail door slamming shut. Everywhere I turned, junk. Boxes, bags, trash, pictures, clothes, dolls, shoes, blankets, nail polish, books, chairs, plastic water bottles, dishes, purses, Christmas decorations, computer equipment, tables, and stuff I couldn’t even begin to categorize—piled waist-high all around us. And this was the cleanest room in the house.

In a familiar routine, my mom used her feet to shove aside a few items that had tumbled into our walking path. More and more, the path got cluttered as mountains of what my mother deemed reusable items spilled