The Waiting UnKnown, chapter 8
JOEY'S P.O.V
I can't sleep. I just keep tossing and turning. But I gotta get to sleep. I've got school in the morning. Jakob doesn't. He's got a chemo treatment. Mom and Dad used to keep me out when he had one, but not right now. My grades have dropped in pretty much everything but P.E. and Music. And if my grades dropped in Music, my dad I think would have a heart attack. So I've gotta get some sleep so I don't fall asleep in class. Again.
But my mind keeps going. I keep thinking about everything that is going on recently. Poor Jakob. His hair is finally gone. His hair started falling out in little clumps a while ago. Dad called the Morgan ladies, Ms. Bonnie and Ms. Janine, Tara's moms. They said he should just go ahead and get it shaved off. They said it would probably be less upsetting to get it done at once instead of watching as it comes out little by little. He does like being allowed to wear a hat in school. Well, head scarf. But sometimes hats.
I'm really starting to like Tara. As a friend. Well, maybe a little more, but the guys at school would tease me. They're all still so interested in sports they don't have time for girls.
I wish my dad would go back on the road. I mean, I love having him home, but I know he loves the road and performing. I heard him and mom argue about it last night. I remember there was some cuss words thrown about- I don't get it, mom gets mad at me for saying 'Damn' or 'Hell' or 'Piss' but at least I don't say the G-D word or the F word. Or even the S word. And dad says a lot of worse things in his songs. And every cuss word out there last night. That's one of those 'Grown Up things that I'm too young to understand'...
Mom caught me rolling my eyes at her when she told me that last time I asked about it, when she got mad at me 'cause I said the F word when I stubbed my toe- might have been cause I shouted it in the hospital waiting room last time Jakob had a treatment.
Then there is the other F word- the one dad used in his song American Idiot. Mom always said that was a bad bad bad word and dad was using it only to make a point- a good point. Kids at school use that a lot for each other. Sometimes the teachers catch it but not often.
And the bad bad D word, used for people like Tara's moms. A lot of the boys call some of the girls that word. The girls who are kinda tomboyish. And I used to, until Mom told me it was a bad hurtful word. I apologized. I think Tara has the greatest moms. I don't want to think of them getting called a name like that.
I need to go to sleep. Dad says to count sheep, maybe I should try- 1 sheep, 2 sheep- hey wait are these sheep just hanging out, or jumping over something... I think they are just hanging out. 1 sheep, 2 sheep 3 sheep 4 sheep 5 sheep... 6 sheep 6 sheep... no, 7 sheep, 8sheep, 9 sheep...
I can't sleep. I just keep tossing and turning. But I gotta get to sleep. I've got school in the morning. Jakob doesn't. He's got a chemo treatment. Mom and Dad used to keep me out when he had one, but not right now. My grades have dropped in pretty much everything but P.E. and Music. And if my grades dropped in Music, my dad I think would have a heart attack. So I've gotta get some sleep so I don't fall asleep in class. Again.
But my mind keeps going. I keep thinking about everything that is going on recently. Poor Jakob. His hair is finally gone. His hair started falling out in little clumps a while ago. Dad called the Morgan ladies, Ms. Bonnie and Ms. Janine, Tara's moms. They said he should just go ahead and get it shaved off. They said it would probably be less upsetting to get it done at once instead of watching as it comes out little by little. He does like being allowed to wear a hat in school. Well, head scarf. But sometimes hats.
I'm really starting to like Tara. As a friend. Well, maybe a little more, but the guys at school would tease me. They're all still so interested in sports they don't have time for girls.
I wish my dad would go back on the road. I mean, I love having him home, but I know he loves the road and performing. I heard him and mom argue about it last night. I remember there was some cuss words thrown about- I don't get it, mom gets mad at me for saying 'Damn' or 'Hell' or 'Piss' but at least I don't say the G-D word or the F word. Or even the S word. And dad says a lot of worse things in his songs. And every cuss word out there last night. That's one of those 'Grown Up things that I'm too young to understand'...
Mom caught me rolling my eyes at her when she told me that last time I asked about it, when she got mad at me 'cause I said the F word when I stubbed my toe- might have been cause I shouted it in the hospital waiting room last time Jakob had a treatment.
Then there is the other F word- the one dad used in his song American Idiot. Mom always said that was a bad bad bad word and dad was using it only to make a point- a good point. Kids at school use that a lot for each other. Sometimes the teachers catch it but not often.
And the bad bad D word, used for people like Tara's moms. A lot of the boys call some of the girls that word. The girls who are kinda tomboyish. And I used to, until Mom told me it was a bad hurtful word. I apologized. I think Tara has the greatest moms. I don't want to think of them getting called a name like that.
I need to go to sleep. Dad says to count sheep, maybe I should try- 1 sheep, 2 sheep- hey wait are these sheep just hanging out, or jumping over something... I think they are just hanging out. 1 sheep, 2 sheep 3 sheep 4 sheep 5 sheep... 6 sheep 6 sheep... no, 7 sheep, 8sheep, 9 sheep...
