Offbeat

Offbeat — page 7 — Wait says Shilo Does that mean that some lucky someone gets to perform their own little mini concert I think so I say So we need to practice I’m going to sign up tonight I need to win that spot Shilo has a solo in our performance because she also plays the Irish flute I really wish I had a solo too I want to push myself to see what I can do I want to be heard We play until just before dinnertime and then Anna offers to give me a ride home Do you have your key Anna asks I can tell by her voice that she’s not exactly comfortable dropping me off at an empty house I do thanks I say with my parent-winning smile back on I don’t want her to feel bad about not inviting me for dinner She knows my mom works late And thanks so much for driving me You rock I hop out and wave my grin still plastered on key in hand I walk up the three steps to our townhouse and don’t look back 6 MEGAN CLENDENAN

Offbeat — page 8 — Two Good morning my mom says as I enter the kitchen She looks over her laptop and stops typing as my toast pops up She noticed me She even made me toast I’m surprised Sometimes I’m halfway through eating before she looks up usually with a confused face like When did Rose walk in Hi Mom I say crashing down into the padded kitchen chair Hey can you pass me Just give me a second to finish this email she interrupts and is once again lost in elec tronics She is dressed in her usual navy suit her hair perfectly straightened She just made partner in her law firm Apparently law-firm partners need to keep three times as many stacks of paper on their kitchen tables There’s barely room for 7

Offbeat — page 9 — my plate and glass of orange juice I reach over and grab the peanut butter What were you going to ask she murmurs as she types away on her laptop Never mind I say I got it myself Okay I’ve got about five minutes before my next conference call starts and I’ve got all my material prepped So I’d like to give you your birthday present now I munch my toast and don’t bother answering I don’t want to waste my five minutes of scheduled time with questions As you know your father had a beau tiful violin What you don’t know is that in his will he asked that it be gifted to you when you turned fourteen My mom is using her lawyer tone serious and flat I grip my toast suspended halfway to my mouth We sit silently the only sound the chickadees singing outside our window Mom that’s amazing I finally sputter My dad died two years ago He was the one who always got me the perfect gift Most of the gifts I can remember my mom giving me seemed like they were bought for another person Like the leather jacket with the frills on the bottom that I got for my thirteenth birthday I hate frills Or for 8 MEGAN CLENDENAN

Offbeat — page 10 — my twelfth birthday the party at a pottery studio even though I don’t give a crap about art I turned fourteen last week and wasn’t at all surprised when she wished me a quick Happy birthday on her way out the door and said she would give me my present later I just assumed that meant she hadn’t bought it yet Where is it I’ve put it in the den It’s yours now to take to the festival I can see her grinding her teeth But Here we go There’s always a but My mom hesitates I know you’re going to this music festival And I hope you have a good time But the Celtic group isn’t the youth symphony And the symphony is where you need to be to prepare for getting a classical music degree at university We’ve had this conversation about a jillion times If I tried to figure out how many more times we’ll have this fight before I actually go to university I think my brain would overheat You would learn all the classical sympho nies Bach Mozart Beethoven You might even make some new friends As my mom gathers steam her eyes look like they’re about to pop out 9 OFFBEAT

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