Pimples, Lumps and Polka Dots

By Jodie L Schwarzenberg

Maddy Louise Jane lives in a small town in Summerhill. Everything in her life seems to be going to plan, except for her parents of course. They separated and Maddy is still coming to grip with living without her dad. Maddy is growing up and everything is changing, including her body and her attitude! Her best friend Stella is an edgy addition to the story line. Come with Maddy and Stella as they embark on a life changing year for good and bad. Throw in the mix a few boys, a unplanned pool party and some nasty stuck up rich girls and your in for a ride!

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris AU
• Release date: Sep 29, 2012
• ISBN: 9781477115428

Jodie L Schwarzenberg

Jodie Lee Schwarzenberg has spent the past 15 years working with children. Her love for children has been evident over this time. She has dedicated many weekends teaching children biblical truths about Gods love for them. Her writing is inspired by her favourite TV series The Gilmore Girls and childhood author Judy Blume. She is hoping to write more books in the coming years. She lives in Melbourne, Australia with her husband Adam and Four lovely children Madeline, Jackson, Thomas and Daniel. This book is dedicated to her one and only daughter and princess in her eyes Madeline Rose.

Book preview

Copyright © 2012 by Jodie L. Schwarzenberg.

ISBN:     Softcover      978-1-4771-1541-1

               Ebook          978-1-4771-1542-8

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to any actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

To order additional copies of this book, contact:

Xlibris Corporation

1-800-618-969

www.Xlibris.com.au

[e-mail]

501787

Contents

Chapter1 The Perfect Morning—Not!

Chapter2 I Love Candy

Chapter3 Fantasticle

Chapter4 Pimples, Lumps and Polka Dots

Chapter5 A Fist Pumping Belly Flop

Chapter6 A Surprise or Two!

Chapter7 Answered Prayer?

Chapter8 Another One!

Chapter9 Until We Meet Again

Acknowledgements

Book Review

Biography

Chapter 1

The Perfect Morning—Not!

It was a beautiful summer morning in Beachworth. I awoke to the sound of a bird chirping outside my bedroom window. I felt so relaxed in my bed with my snuggly blankies. I could see the morning sun peeking through the gaps in my curtains. I jumped up out of bed and decided to open my window and let the fresh morning air come in.

I ran back to my bed and made a dive for it. I landed on my stomach. Several bounces later, I flipped over on to my back and tucked myself back in to bed. Hmm, could this day be more perfect? I thought. It was Saturday, and every teenager loves Saturday. Firstly, and may I say most importantly, there is no school. Secondly, Saturdays are all about lie-ins. And third on the list is friends! Weekends were times when I would catch up with my friends and, of course, my bestie Stella.

I decided that this Saturday a lie-in would not harm anyone, so I fluffed up my pillow and closed my eyes. Several moments later I was disturbed by a loud noise. Voomp . . . vommp . . . vmmm. My eyes shot open. The lawn mower? Who’s mowing the grass? I sprang up to my feet and went over to the window. I looked to see who was outside. My bedroom was on the second storey of the house, and I could not quite see down to the front porch area where the mower was.

The last time I had heard that mower going on a Saturday morning was when Dad lived with us. It had been almost two years since he had left Mum and me. Dad used to start up that old rattely mower every second Saturday at 8 a.m. It used to drive all the neighbours mad. Although it used to annoy me too, looking back now I kinda wished Dad was here to wake me up on Saturdays with that stupid mower.

So who’s mowing the grass? I grabbed my slippers and dressing gown out of my wardrobe, as I chucked them on I ran downstairs to the kitchen.

There was Mum leaning up against the kitchen bench drinking an orange juice. ‘Maddy, where are you going in such a hurry’? she said.

‘Mum, I heard the mower and was wondering—’ She interrupted me before I could finish.

‘I’m sorry to startle you. I should have given it more thought and told you earlier,’ said Mum.

‘Told me what?’ I said.

‘That someone was coming to do the lawns. I know you still have memories of Dad doing it on a Saturday, and I didn’t mean to upset you.’

‘Upset me?’ I said. ‘I’m not a baby, you know.’ I could feel my cheeks starting to burn up and a fit coming on.

‘Honestly, Mum, I don’t really give a stuff. At the end of the day it’s only a blooming mower,’ I snapped. ‘No need to prepare me for it.’

‘Madeline Jane, there is no need to speak to me that way.’

‘What way?’ I said.

‘Have you learnt a new language that I don’t know about? Or do we still speak the same?’

‘English, is that right, mum?’

Mum didn’t respond, and there was silence. I went to the Fridge and grabbed myself a drink.

‘Look, Maddy, it’s Pastor Doyle’s son Max. He was wanting to earn some extra cash during the summer, so he has offered to do the lawns.’

‘Whatever,’ I said as I turned around to go back up the stairs to my bedroom. ‘Look, I’m just letting you know in advance, don’t bother me this morning. I have some things to do, OK?’ I said. I ran back up the stairs and slammed my bedroom door shut. I jumped back into bed and pulled the pillow over my head. I tried to block out the sound of the mower. I hope it gets stuck, I thought. Stuck full of grass so the thing don’t work. ‘I hope that stupid mower chokes and dies,’ I said aloud to myself.

I jumped back out of bed, scrambled over to my desk, and grabbed the DO NOT DISTURB sign and stuck it on the outside of my door. On my way back to bed I kicked my toe on the corner of my desk. ‘Owch,’ I yelled. ‘Bloomin’ thing.’ ‘What happened to my perfect morning?’ I sighed.

I hopped back into bed and lay there, staring at the roof. The anger was starting to subside. I looked around my room. Looking over at my window, I could see the lace blowing back and forth in the summer breeze, floating out and in, just like a wave in the ocean.

I could feel the pain throbbing inside. It was not the pain in my toe either. The pain I am describing is the pain inside my soul, my heart.

My heart was broken. My dad had left us, and my world had been tipped upside down. Who else did I have to blame except myself and Mum? Why else would dad have left? He was so perfect. The best dad ever. I had such fond memories of growing up with my dad.

Deep down in my heart I really blamed my mum. She must have done something wrong that I don’t know about, I thought. I didn’t buy the whole story about them growing apart and no longer being in love.

I decided to close my eyes and try to get back to sleep. If I got to sleep, I thought, I can start this day again when I wake up. I lay there tossing and turning for ten minutes. It was too late; I was wide awake.

I started to feel a little bad for what I had said to Mum. Although deep down I still believed she knew more than she was letting on, I should never have spoken to Mum that way. She is the only mum I have. If I was to lose her too, I would have no one. Deep down though I still believed Mum had caused Dad to leave—I just didn’t know how or why.

Mum was a good,