The Girl Most Likely To ... - Part 45
by Barbara Lynn Terry

The next morning, Renée woke up to the sparrows chirping away. She wondered how come the sparrows didn't fly south, like the rest of the birds. She has even seen a few robins, or maybe it is the same robin, in the yard at the bird feeder. There was no bird feed in it, so she told her mother. The bird feeder was the first item in the yard that Gloria Richards attended to. She knew there were birds who didn't fly south, and there were even Canada Geese that stayed all winter, too. She looked out of her window, and there was still snow on the ground, but the bird feeder had been cleared of all snow and ice.

Everybody in the house did something to make this a wonderful home. A month later, they were still unpacking things. By the time Renée got her bath, got dressed and went down to the kitchen, Naomi had already been at work for two hours. Her mother was sitting in the kitchen with a cup of coffee. That means she was taking a break from unpacking the rest of the kitchen.

"Good morning, dear. What would you like for breakfast?"

"Mom, you just rest a bit. I can make my own breakfast. I'm just having cinnamon oatmeal, one slice of toast, and milk and juice. I can do all that myself. It looks like you have been busy this morning."

"Yes, I have. I'm still unpacking most of the dishes, and making sure the good china is not where it can get broke too easy. Come to think of it, the kitchen is the only room we haven't comlpetely unpacked, yet."

"Would you like some help? I'm not doing anything until tomorrow when we have to go back to school."

"Well, you just go and do whatever teenagers do. I can manage for another hour or two."

"Well, mother, teenage girls usually help their mothers, when they need help. Besides, I don't think the home is moving out of the county any time soon." They both giggled at Renée's levity.

"Well, all right, honey. You know how to separate the flatware. I want the good flatware put in to a separate drawer, and then we will mark it so everybody knows where it is. I will take care of the china."

They both set to work, and as Renée was separating the flatware, she came across a utensil she knew they didn't have.

"Mom, whose is this?" She asked, holding up a double wide pancake turner.

"That is Ruth's, honey. You will find some of her flatware and cooking utensils mixed in with ours. We all combined our flatware and cooking utensils. I don't think anybody is moving out anytime soon."

"Mom? I was thinking, if all the girls and their families move here to Pine Meadows county, what will the county be like in a few years?"

"Now that, my daughter, is the sixty four thousand dollar question. Right now though, I don't think there is an answer. I guess we will just have to wait and see how everything turns out."

"Thank you, mom."

"Honey, anytime something is on your mind, you can always talk to me. By the way, your father started his mechanic business today. Somebody brought their car to have the transmission looked at. Your father says it will cost the man about thirty five dollars just to look at it and whatever parts it needs for repair."

"Well, I can't wait to get back to school. I mean, this Christmas break was all right, but kind of boring at the same time. I mean, there wasn't really all that much to do. I can't wait to see the look on Rachel's face when I give her her ice skates."

"I am happy that you thought about Rachel. Since she was forced to come here, she has really turned her attitude around. I think she is going to be like my daughter, and be a wonderful woman when she grows up."

"Thank you, mom, I will be sure and tell her you said that. When we came here to visit her, and she called me her BFF, I was like, stunned. But I could see her tears were real. I guess the home can't just let her go without the judge's say so, but, I think she is going to be okay, too."

"That's my daughter, always thinking positive about others, even those that have wronged her. You are a blessing to me, Renée."

Mother and daughter hugged. They needed each other. Renée could see that after the kitchen was sorted out, there would be plenty of time to go in to town, go to the next county, where the closest shopping mall was. She thought about attending school at Pine Meadows Senior High. She would still be a freshman, but at least she would be in high school. Tomorrow would tell.

"Thank you, mom."

Gloria Richards thought to herself, that her young daughter showed responsibilities that you would normally see in a person twenty years older. Well, tomorrow, she gets registered for Pine Meadows Senior High. She had to agree with her daughter, this Christmas was boring, because of the moves, and the working to get the houses in order. Marilyn and Melanie still needed to get their house in order, and their furniture and things wouldn't be there until tomorrow.

Melanie was still registered for school at the home. Next fall, she will go to Pine Meadows Senior High, but right for now, Melanie, Rachel and Janice are on extended home visits, but are still residents of the Pine Meadows Home For Adolescent Girls. Renée couldn't help but feel, that this would be a family county and "it takes a village" will have more meaning than it does now.

"Well, anyway, it is time for lunch. So, let me see where everyting is, and make us a couple of salads."

"Sounds good, mom."

Renée had never been a big eater, and that is why she didn't have any excess pounds to shed, plus she was always active. Renée had always walked briskly when she walked anywhere; she ice skated, roller skated; she went to carnivals during the summer. Yes, you can even lose weight on the fast rides at a carnival. Besides, she loved the teddys and cute little Kermits you could get by throwing darts and breaking balloons filled with water. She had a lot of fun playing toss the ring over the bottle neck. But she never understood, that at thirteen, she still hadn't started to bulk out like the boys. Also, why did it seem her voice was getting higher, rather than lower? Maybe Dr. Nita can tell her.

She thought, too, that she needed a physical for school, but could get that tomorrow, after school was out. She wondered about physical education and would she be required to take it. There were a lot of things on her young mind, and that was enough to make her stop and look around.

"What's wrong, dear?"

"Mom, I just remembered, we haven't gotten my physical done, yet."

"You have an appointment to see a new doctor tomorrow, after school. Her name is Dr. Loretta Dankins and she is an MD not a DO."

"What is a DO?"

"It stands for doctor of osteopathy. Here I will write it down for you, so you can look it up. Just type this in to your google search and type find. I think you will find their "cure" methods a little strange. Anyway, I will pick you up after school, and take you to her office."

"Okay, mom. Mom, I'm finished putting the flatware and cooking utensils away. Do you need help with anything else?"

"No, dear. I am almost finished putting the china away. Just a few more things, like this platter and this gravy bowl. Then, young lady, our house is finally in order."

"It only took a month," Renée giggled, while she was saying that.

"Well, we did have other things to do, too. So, all things considered, I think we did very well. What are you going to do with the rest of your day?"

"I thought I would go over to the home, and visit a while."

"Get your coat and things. I will drive you. You don't want Sharon yelling at you again."

"She even took me by the fireplace and had me sit there until I was warm. It wasn't cold that day, it was definitely frost bite weather."

"Yes, well, this is the nothern part of the state. So, yes, it is going to be colder here. Not to mention, Pine Meadows is in the middle of nowhere and we live a half a mile outside of town."

After Renée got her purse, put on her boots and coat, and she said she was ready. Gloria drove her to the home.

"I will pick you up just before dinner."

"All right, mom." They hugged each other, and Renée went inside the house.

"Renée!" Exclaimed Joy, seeing her sister come in the house. "Are you staying for dinner?"

"You know, Joy, I do have a home of my own."

"Yes, well, if that one doesn't work out, you are more than welcome here."

"Joy, I think you were named wrong. Your name should have been nosy body." The two girls giggled, and then Joy and Renée went in the living room.

"I hope you didn't walk here, again!" Sharon exclaimed, when she saw Renée.

"No, my mom drove me."

"She better have. The last time I cudda swore you were trying for the job of an icicle." There were giggles. "So what are you doing here?"

"I came to visit with my sisters. Rachel isn't home, so I thought she might be here."

"No, I think she went to town with Darla."

"Oh, okay."

"Are you ready for school, tomorrow?"

"No, Sharon. I don't think anybody is actually ready for school." There were more giggles.

"You will like Pine Meadows Senior High...they have a lot of after school programs students can take part in. The football team is really cool, Tommy Barker plays defensive end on the varsity squad."

"I will have to get tickets to go to the games, then."

"Our team won our homecoming game, and they are going to win the next game, too."

"They are that good?"

"Yes, Renée, they are. We get to go to the games and have a lot of fun. You will meet a lot of decent guys at school, too."

"You mean, like Tom Bradley."

"Well, yes, as a matter of fact."

"I thought he was Rachel's new boyfriend."

"Well, Tom is sixteen, Rachel is only thirteen."

"I'm only thirteen, too."

"Yes, you are, going on thirty." The girls all giggled.

"Why does everybody say that?"

"In the short time that we have known you, you have given us some really good advice. When we went with you and Naomi to help you move up here, you were taking charge, as though it you had been doing that all of your life. Yes, Renée, you are thirteen going on thirty."

"I was always told that when something needs to be done, do it right away. That is all I do."

"Renée," Sheryl Adams added, "this is why it is important here to stand up for your sisters. If you see someone in trouble, go to her and sit with her. Many times, it just takes a comforting hand or shoulder to make the other girl feel safe and wanted."

Renée was learning a lot about her adopted sisters. She learned that they were responsible not only for themselves, but for the other girls as well. She thought to herself that these are the types of sisters she wanted, if her mother could have more children. But so far, she was the oldest of three. Se was going to make sure that Cathie and Daniel were well looked after. She thought about what Sheryl had said about taking charge. She hadn't realized that is what she was doing, until Sheryl said something.

Tomorrow, school starts for the second half of the school year. She is going to miss her friends in Forest City, but she will make new ones here. She knew Tom Bradley and Tommy Barker, and she knew the girls in the home that would be going to Pine Meadows Senior High School.
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This is a short chapter, because the next chapter starts the girls in school.