Chp. 9: Sylvia and Friends

As she approached her new neighbors on Sacrifice Ave., she couldn't help but feel the coldness of their stares. "Turn around Sylvia, Turn around!" She thought to herself as she smiled from ear to ear walking across the street heading towards the stepford wives. There were four of them, each wearing a different solid color dress, as if they were the mothers of the Power Rangers. Blue, Red, Yellow and Pink. They even had the hat to match. "HI!" Sylvia said finally reaching the super heros. They looked at her as she stood there holding her hands. Her cheeks were sore due to the prolonged smile. "HI..." said the mother of the red ranger coldly, looking Sylvia up and down sizing her up. "How can we help you?" she said, doing an exact mimic of Sylvia's smile and holding of hands. "Oh, um, well, I'd been in the neighborhood for a while now and I just thought it was time I met you guys." She replied. "I'm the new teacher down at the middle school." "Oh yes, we've heard about you. Your my little Brian's new science teacher." Said the woman in red. Her brunette hair was twisted in a ponytail and her teeth were so white, it seemed food never entered her mouth.



"Brian. Brian Goldstein. Oh, he's such a fantastic student." Said Sylvia, deleting her smile. "That kid is such an asshole. Now I see why." She thought to herself.

"You say that like you didn't mean it." said Mrs. Goldstein. "Why is that?"

" Oh i'm sorry, I didn't mean to sound that way. He really is a good student. He's odd at times, but he's ok I guess." Sylvia said wanting to kick herself. "What kinda stupid answer was that?." She thought.

"Odd! Did you just call my child odd?" Said the woman in the red dress as the other three moved behind her.

"What I meant to say, was..."

"What you meant to say was what?" interrupted the mother of the Yellow Ranger.



"It sucks being lonely" Sylvia said to herself sitting at her kitchen table, looking out the window seeing several woman gathering together across the street. They seemed happy in their pretty dresses, congregating with one another like friends should. "I hate being the new kid on the block" she continued to think as she looked down at the table, noticing an unfamiliar wallet laying there. Her daughter came into the kitchen attempting to storm out the door when Sylvia stopped her to question her about. After that short confrontation, She stood over by the door and continued to look across the street at the gathering. "What's the matter ma?" Asked her son, coming out to get a quick snack. She turned and glanced at her growing boy, now 5'8 and only in the 8th grade.

"I need some friends." She responded, smiling at the boy as she sat back down at the table.

"Then go make some. I'm sure those women across the street wouldn't mind meeting you." He said, slapping some roast beef on some potato bread.

"I suppose your right, kiddo. But look at em'. I should go put on some make-up and a Sunday dress before heading over there."

"Ma, it's not that serious. Just go introduce yourself. The rest will come natrual. I should know. I am one of the cool kids in school!"

"Yea, you sure are. And I hope your re-doing that term paper! I can't be pulling strings for ya like that all the time ya know!"

"Yes mom!" He said kissing her on the cheek and heading back to his room. She looked down at her faded blue jeans and white polo shirt with a NASA emblem on the left side and took a deep breath. "I hate making new friends" she said aloud. "But I can't sit in this house all the time like i'm in prison either." She looked in the kitchen mirror to make sure her brown hair wasn't as frizzy as it usually was. She let out a huge sigh and walked out the house smiling.



"I was trying to say he's odd in a creative way." Sylvia said, trying to re-jump her smile. The sky was turning dark and the street lights were coming on one by one. "Well, it's getting late" Said the woman in blue. She had a ponytail just like the women in red except her hair color matched Sylvia's. "I didn't catch your name." said Sylvia focusing her attention on the woman in blue. She received a sour look along with "That's because I didn't throw it at you." as a reply. Sylvia suddenly lost it. How could they disrespect her like that? She'd done nothing wrong to them. "Excuse me ladies! But may I ask why the rude behavior towards me? I just came to introduce myself to you all, I did nothing to deserve this ill treatment." She said looking around at them. The women looked at one another then looked back at Sylvia. "Let's just say we're not to fond of your curriculum." Said the woman in red. "What!? What curric... Evolution. So you have beef with me over what I teach?" "What you teach our kids." Said the woman in Pink. Sylvia stood there in amazement. "These are my neighbors?" she thought to herself placing her hands on her hip.



Suddenly a man appeared from the home of the woman in red. He looked terribly upset. Following behind him was an elderly woman who looked just as troubled. "Get in the car Anna!" he said quickly with power in his tone. "What!? What is it?" She asked him as he grabbed her arm and lead her to the passenger side of their burgandy 7 series BMW. "Brian's been struck by a car." Said the man. "What!!!!?" Replied the woman, pulling away from her husband. "Get in the car Anna! We have to go!" he responded while opening the door for his wife and mother. Sylvia stood dumbfounded as the car backed out the driveway with the woman crying hysterically from the inside. Although Sylvia couldn't hear her cries physically, her soul could feel them. "Oh my God, This is terrible" said the woman in blue. "Is there anything we could do?"asked Sylvia. They all turned and looked at her and said nothing. "Will you people grow up!" She said storming away from them.



She felt horrible about one of her students being in the hospital, but she couldn't get over the childish behavior displayed by those stuck-up women. She turned around and looked them for a quick second as she fled inside her home. "I know exactly how to fix these heartless creatures!" She thought to herself slamming the door behind her with an evil laugh...