Page 291 - The Life of A Teenage Girl (Stories About Finding Your Way)

SHAUNA’S STAND–UP

“Uh…” I muttered.
“What’s going on, Shauna?” Mom raised one eyebrow.

“Well, it’s true. The club is going to perform on stage on

Wednesday.”
“And are you going to perform with them?” Dad asked. But I

wasn’t even scared or nervous to answer them because I was over it —
over the bad treatment they always gave me.

“Uh, yeah, I am. And this time, Mom and Dad, you can’t stop me,
because I already signed up and said yes to the performance.” I felt bold

when I said that.

“Well, it wasn’t like we were going to stop you, were we?” Mom
said, looking at Dad.

Dad just shrugged and said, “Yeah, I don’t even care about you
joining school clubs and learning about comedy anymore.”

He then stood up. “But what I do care about is your school learning
classes. I know sometimes you learn and sometimes you don’t. But I

want to make a deal with you — are you in it?”

Sometimes when my parents say they’re going to promise me
something or make an agreement with me, they lie — all the time. So

now my dad wants to make a deal with me, but I don’t think it’s gonna

be a good one. But anyway, they’re still my parents, so at no point can
I say no.

“What is it?” I said, still looking boldly.
“If you do well in the comedy performance on Wednesday, we will

consider you done with the school learning classes, and you can

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