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Chapter1
“Ihave an announcement to make,” I said softly and then cleared my throat dramatically for attention. No one in my family was paying any attention to me. “Ahem, I said I have an announcement to make.” I jumped up off of the navy pinstripe couch and waved my hands around. The only one that was paying any attention to me was my parents’ three-legged dog Harley, who also went by Bingo. I was pretty sure he was only staring at me because he thought I was going to give him a treat or take him on a walk.
“Be still my heart!” I exclaimed loudly, clutching my chest and falling to the ground. Bingo ran over to me and licked my face. I pressed my lips together in annoyance. I looked around the room to see if anyone had reacted.
My sisters Chelsea and Harriet were still sitting on the couch talking about Harriet’s new rich boyfriend Finn and some new car he wanted to buy her. My parents were sitting at the dining room table drinking tea and playing chess, and Harriet’s boyfriend Finn was standing in the corner looking at something out of the window.
“Hello, can anyone see me, or did I just disappear into another galaxy?” I got up off the floor and brushed dog hair off my new skinny jeans. I didn’t bother to complain because I knew that wouldn’t make my mom vacuum more often, and I sure didn’t want her asking me to come over and do it.
“What is it, Polly?” Chelsea finally asked in what I hoped was a curious tone. She was the only one that seemed to be paying attention to me.
“I said I have an announcement to make, everyone!” I shouted loudly and then whistled. “Can I get everyone’s attention, please?”
“Yes, dear. We’re listening,” my mother said as she looked at me with a sweet smile. As if she hadn’t just been ignoring me for the last ten minutes. “What is it?”
“Everyone come close because I don’t want to have to repeat myself,” I said emphatically and nodded toward the dining room table. I was slightly nervous and excited about what I had to say. Harriet looked up at me with expectant brown eyes as she and Chelsea made their way to the table.
“You’re not pregnant, are you?” she said in hushed tones, eyes wide. As if the hushed tones would stop my parents from hearing her. Was she crazy? Like I would announce my unwed pregnancy to everyone like this…if it was to happen.
I glared over at her, my eyes shooting invisible fire beams as she tried not to giggle. “I’d have to be getting laid to be pregnant, Harriet,” I said, rolling my eyes, and then I paused and looked at her wickedly. “Why? Do you have an announcement to make?” I stared at her stomach and then looked back at my parents as if to say, “Did you know your daughter is living in sin and now she’s knocked up?”
“No,” she said, shaking her head, glaring at me as she looked over at Finn, whose face looked as if he was unsure if I was just joking or not.
I grinned at her and wiggled my eyebrows before clapping my hands to get everyone to be quiet. My parents looked at each other as if to say, “What sort of daughters did we raise?” But they didn’t say anything to us. They knew better than to get in the middle of a sibling squabble.
Finn, Harriet’s billionaire boyfriend, came over and stood next to her. He put his hand on her shoulder and looked down at her lovingly. I tried not to be too jealous of their relationship. It was cute how much they loved each other. Finn doted on my sister, and she loved him just as much. Their relationship was one I hadn’t seen coming, seeing as he was a billionaire and they’d met because she had been his housekeeper. And she’d been a really bad housekeeper at that.
“I don’t have all day, Polly,” Chelsea said, looking at her watch. “What is this huge announcement?”
“I’ve decided what I’m going to do for a living,” I said and waited expectantly for everyone to express their excitement for me. As I looked around at their faces, I knew I’d be waiting all day.
“Okay,” Chelsea said. “And are you going to tell us what that is?”
“Of course I’m going to tell you guys. I just wanted to have somewhat of a reaction.”
“What reaction do you want, dear?” my mother asked softly. “You haven’t told us anything yet.”
“Well, I wanted people to be eager and maybe throw out a couple of guesses or something.”
“I have a guess,” Harriet said with a sly smile.
“Yes?” I beamed at my sister, happy that she was going along with it.
“You’re going to become an exotic dancer.”
My eyes narrowed as I looked at her. Both she and Chelsea started giggling like schoolkids.So immature.
“Very funny.”
“Or would you rather me use the street name for the job?” Harriet asked, continuing on as she laughed.
“What street name?”
“Stripper,” Chelsea sang out, and she and Harriet high fived each other.
“You two are so immature. Mom, Dad, really? Are you going to let them get away with talking to me like that?”
“Now, now dear,” my father said absentmindedly. “What is it you are going to do with your life?”
