Penny Vie

I wrote this story when I was around 13 or 14. In order to preserve its originality all I did was do a grammar check and slight alterations to make the story more realistic. Even though I wrote this years ago, I think I can still learn from it, so I decided to post it. Thank you for taking the time to read this story and give me your honest opinion.

Penny Vie

My name is Penny Vie, and I go to school at my neighbor’s house. They are a really gifted family. The parents are geniuses that got rich fast when they first started working. Their children are just as smart, if not smarter. They are also talented athletes. The oldest is a boy my age, seventeen, named Derek, the youngest is a girl, ten, named Cleo. Cleo and I get along great, but Derek and I clash at every turn. I’m not as naturally talented at everything like they are, and Derek seems to always want to remind me of it. Mrs. Winter has to break us up when we get too heated. You're probably wondering why I go to school at my neighbors’ house instead of at my house or a school. Well, you see, both my parents work, and they both don't like the school systems, so they both agreed that home schooling at my genius neighbor’s house was an excellent idea. I don't mind it so much, but I do wish we could spend more time together as a family. Plus, spending so much time in a talented atmosphere tends to make me cranky; it always reminds me of how hard I have to work just to understand the simplest of things.

The day that changed my life drastically was like any other day. I got up, had breakfast with my parents, said good-bye, and went to school. On that particular day Derek and I had really had an all out fight. I should have taken it as an omen. I was playing with Cleo after dinner; I always stayed over at their house until my parents returned, when the phone call came. Mrs. Winter came to get me and took me to the kitchen. She had ordered Cleo to go to bed, and Derek was doing his own thing in his room. So, it was just me and Mr. and Mrs. Winter in the kitchen. I should have taken it as another bad omen. Mrs. Winter told me to sit down while she got the tea ready and Mr. Winter was looking anywhere but at me. Their odd behavior started to unsettle me.

"Is something wrong?" I looked from one to the other, "Did I do something really bad…?"

Mrs. Winter replied, "You didn't do anything, Penny." She looked at me sadly as she set the cups of tea down, "Your parents got into a car accident on their way home from work." She sat down and looked at me calmly. "They're in critical condition, but they're both alive. You'll be staying over-"

The rest of what she said, I don't remember well. I think I just sat there in a daze, until Mrs. Winter guided me to the guest room and put me to bed. I didn't sleep a wink the whole night, but stared up at the ceiling.
I got out of bed early the next morning and wandered over to my house. The house was eerily quiet. I wandered into the kitchen, the one room where we were always together, sat down at the table, and cried. I was scared, scared stiff about my parents, and about the future. After I had cried I felt a lot better, more in control of myself, and fell asleep almost instantly afterwards. The next thing I knew, Mrs. Winter was shaking me awake.

"Don't go off without telling me Penny." She looked at me with a face of relief, "Now come along. We're going to go see your parents."

I silently followed her, and I didn't break my silence all the way to the hospital. As I followed Mrs. Winter into my parent’s room, my eyes started to water again. Seeing my mom and dad with tubes and wires stuck to them and the constant beeps of the machines... it was almost too much. We stayed until visiting hours were over then left. I felt completely drained. It was decided on the way home that I would stay with Mr. and Mrs. Winter until my parents came out of their comas. When I entered their house, Cleo avoided me and Derek didn't say a word above hello.

Three months passed with me doing school in the morning and visiting my parents, who were moved to a long term care facility, in the afternoon. Their condition didn't change. They didn't get worse, but they didn't get better. I also decided that I would have to get a job. It was almost my eighteenth birthday, and I would soon have to take care of the bills. My parents weren't rich, so their reserved money wouldn’t last long. Mr. and Mrs. Winter offered to pay, but I refused. It wasn't their problem and I was sure I could handle this without them. Besides, I didn't want to owe them anything more than I already did. I graduated high school on my birthday and started my first job soon after.

Four years later I am living in an apartment. It wasn't the nicest apartment but it could have been worse. My parents are still in a coma. To pay for the bills I had to sell our house and most of our belongings three years ago. I also had to take out two loans within that time, but that didn't worry me. I had learned early on that worrying only drained me of my strength each day, so, I always did my best to look on the bright side... but I didn't always succeed. My routine was pretty basic. Wake up, go to work, visit parents after work, and, on Sundays, go to church. I know my parents wanted me to go to college, but with the way things have turned out I decided to put that on hold... at least until my financial situation became better.

I worked at a family owned bakery. They were very nice people and did fairly well with their business. As usual, work went smoothly. As I was leaving work I happened to bump into Cleo. I hadn't seen her since I had moved three years ago.

“Penny! Long time no see! How have you been?" She asked excitedly.

“I’ve been good. How about you? How’s school? ... What grade are you in now?" I replied cheerfully.

"I've been great!" She smiled, "School’s still the same only slightly harder than before. I always thought ninth grade would be harder than it actually is though."

An awkward silence stretched between us, "Well, I have to get going. It was nice seeing you again Cleo. Take care." I nodded and smiled as I went on my way.

"You too!" she replied as she turned to watch me go. I went straight to the long term care facility and talked to my parents by telling them how my day went. There was, of course, no change in their state. I had to leave them earlier than usual that day because I had to go to the bank to consult them about my loans. After talking it over with the bank I got the deadline for my next payment pushed back so I could make it on time. I went straight to bed completely exhausted.

The next day, after work, we were all notified that the bakery was closing down and that today was its last day. That announcement put me into shock and almost panic, but after quietly collecting my thoughts I started job hunting. I had to get a job and fast so I could make my next payment on time.

A week passed, I was out of food and couldn't afford to buy more. As I was coming out of a shop from turning in an application, I was spotted by Cleo, "Penny!"

I turned as I heard my name yelled out and saw Cleo, Derek, and a bunch of their friends across the street. I waved, smiled, and hurried on my way. I finished turning in the rest of my applications and returned home. I was ravenous, but there was nothing I could eat around. I needed a job, and fast.

The next day I received a call early in the morning from the long term care facility. My dad had woken up. I ran over there as fast as I possibly could. When I saw my dad up and talking tears poured out of my eyes. I stayed all day and chatted about everything with him. I went home really happy and feeling more refreshed than ever before. I may not have had a job, but I finally had my dad back. I went to bed without feeling the pain of hunger at not having eaten for the past three days.

At three in the morning I got a call from the long term care facility saying that my dad had passed away. Apparently he had just quit breathing. No tears came and I just lay in my bed until seven, not knowing what to do. I felt the pain of hunger the pressure of the loans, of being jobless, and the loss of my dad. I felt buried under it all, and like I wasn't even alive.

When I got up I went to the long term care facility’s church in a daze and sat there for a while. It just all felt unreal but I didn't want to go there, because I didn't want to make it real. Towards late afternoon I wondered to a nearby park and sat on the swings, gently swinging bake and forth. As the sun set I shook my head trying to clear it, and headed home. Just as I entered my apartment, the phone started to ring. It was a call for a job interview. I agreed to the time and hung up. I did feel partly relieved, but still in a daze, about the job interview. As I was heading to the kitchen to get a drink, trying to quench my hunger, my doorbell rang. When I opened the door Derek was standing before me. "May I help you?"

Derek replied, "I was in the neighborhood, and thought I'd stop by to say hello... Hey! Are you alright?!" He looked at me in alarm as tears streamed down my face.

I worked at stopping and drying my tears as I said, "Um, no… no I’m not" I took in a huge shaky breath, and tried to smile, "Would you like to come in? I can’t offer you any food, but I can give you some water..." I walked away towards the kitchen, and left him to close the door. As I heard him enter while I was filling two glasses with water I started to talk again, "I hear you go to an excellent college. Is it any different from the way your mom schooled us?"

He went and sat in one of the kitchen chairs as I brought the water over, "No, not really. The only thing that's really different is that we have a different teacher for each subject." He looked around my bare room quietly.

"What are you going to college for?"

He ignored the question as he asked, "How are you doing?"

"Oh, fairly well-"

"Don’t lie to me." He looked at me hard, "I know I wasn't the easiest or nicest person to be around and I apologize for my past behavior. I came here as a friend wanting you to know that if there is anything I can do to help, tell me."

I started to cry then. Really hard and silent; then, through hiccupping, shuddering breaths, I told him everything that was on my mind. Afterwards, I felt much better and more at peace with myself. I looked him straight in the eye for the first time that evening and smiled shakily, "Thank you for listening Derek. I feel a lot better with all that out in the open." I laughed softly and took the two glasses to the sink.

"I’ll be back in a couple of minutes, ok?" He got up and left without waiting for a reply. I sat down at the table to wait and accidentally dropped off to sleep. The next thing I know I’m smelling food, and hearing the clanking sounds of cooking. I rubbed my eyes and looked around.

"What are you doing…?" I looked around in shock.

Derek turned around for a bit before returning to his cooking, "I’m making you dinner and I also bought you enough food to last you for a while."

He pointed to the fridge and cupboards, which had been completely empty before.

"I can’t accept this. Its-"

"You can and you will." He interrupted cheerfully. That night I ate a complete meal for the first time in four days. After he watched me eat he went home saying that he'd come to visit again and that I should get some rest. That night I went to bed happier than I ever dreamed I would be. The next morning I ate a filling breakfast and was about to head out when I got a call from the long term care facility saying my mom was in critical condition. I rushed over and by the time I got there she was stable. I stayed there all day.
The next day I want to my job interview in the morning and by evening was told that I had received the job and would start the next day.

Two weeks passed in which I worked, made funeral plans with the help of Derek, paid my loan on time, and my mom stayed stable, but afterwards her condition worsened, and within three days she was gone.
At the funeral they were buried side by side, and I had to take out another loan. The only people present were me and my four old neighbors, the Winter family. I didn't have any blood relatives that I knew of. As they were leaving the funeral they gave their condolences and an envelope. I watched them leave then opened the letter. Inside was a check that would pay off my three loans with money to spare and a note, which read “From the Winter family to Penny. Our condolences.” Tears spilled down my cheeks again and a small smile curved my lips.

With the left over money I started college and got my AA degree. I was able to get a better job and move into my own house. During this time I became good friends with the Winter family again. By this time I had fully recovered from the events of two years ago, although I do still miss them, I can move on with my life. I think it's mostly because of Derek, who has always been there for me since the day he cooked me dinner.