Why Me?

"Oh, why me?" Amara Jade muttered again, as she heard her mother calling her again.

"Amara Jade, what are you doing in your room all day? Come here, right now!"

Amara Jade was sulking, again. Nothing was the same any more. Her father had left her behind as he vanished one day. Now her mother had divorced him, and was working full time in a day care centre for preschoolers. She thought she knew everything about kids.

But Amara Jade was no longer her mother's little mini me. She was fourteen years old. She did not want to be in her new school in this poky town. Now Amara jade walked from class to class feeling invisible. No one said, hello, she had no one to have lunch with. She had not liked to tell her mother, but all her grades were no longer glowing.

Amara Jade heaved her sigh, and flounced off to see what her mother was getting her knickers in a twist about this time. Dramatically, she slammed her bedroom door behind her, and entered the tiny kitchen, "Yeah, what?"

Her mother also sighed, as Amara Jade seemed so hostile all the time. Still, her mother was not prepared to give up, so had an idea. "Look," she said, disregarding the teenage roll of the eyes. "The gym in town has three months free membership. We can get fit, and be exercise buddies. Be something to do, as well as the Christian fellowship on Monday afternoon.

Amara Jade said, "Why me?" Despite that, she went along with her mother to the gym, and quite enjoyed the treadmill, and a class in Zumba. Her mother paced along side of her, and introduced herself to some of the personal trainers,. She told Amara Jade that they were going to make time for getting fit, they both had to accept their future. Her mother had felt her own emotions, but her Lord planned her path in front of her..

Amara Jade was a bit embarrassed whan a boy from one of her classes came up to her as she was resting in the gym foyer with a cool drink. She sighed again, as the disabled boy said hello. His name was Wayno, he was an outcast in secondary school like Amara Jade. He even walked home behind her, as they lived in the same apartment block. Amara Jade tried to ignore him, he was a bit challenged.

But her annoying mother said hello to Wayno, and shared a hi-five with him for being friendly. Saying "God bless you" to Wayno, her mother waited five minutes, then said crossly to Amara,

"Amara Jade, I am not raising you to be an ignorant bully. You smile at friends, for that could be anyone with feelings. The Good Lord accepted everyone, and still does. True faith means showing respect and caring, starting right now and for always. Enough of this Why me? Syndrome, we belong together. "

Amara Jade tried not to roll her eyes, she knew what was going to happen next. Wayno would want to hang around with her at the gym, and even worse, in front of all the social queens at Secondary College. As they were leaving the gym, Wayno waved goodbye, and said happily, "God bless you ladies." Her mother said, "Always glad to be your friend."

Not half an hour after their trip to the local gym, there was a ding dong at the front door. Amara Jade let her mother answer it, as she knew it was never going to be her father back again. That family life had all been a lie, so why her? She heard her mother saying, "Adorable, puppies ring my bells. Amara Jade, come and look at this cute little guy!"

Amara Jade could not resist. Yes, it was Wayno. In his hands was a brand new baby chihuahua puppy, the cutest thing. Even Amara Jade smiled. Wayno told them that he had just now picked up his puppy, he was a companion dog, named Arnie, after Schwarzenegger. She cuddled him, and was soon laughing with Wayno at some puppy magic. The two teenagers spent some time on the weekend and after school, teaching the tiniest chihuahua how to walk on a lead. Wayno often went home from Amara Jade's apartment saying, "God bless you ladies, fun to be your friend."

Amara Jade was still keeping to herself at school, but did not feel quite as invisible. She masked her inner darkness very well. Her mother guessed they were both adapting to this family life with an absent father. He seemed to have opened a new page, turning his back on his first offspring, to dote on his next installment, a handsome baby boy his new blonde had birthed. Amara Jade was finding that very hard, wondering if her parents' divorce was secretly her fault.

One afternoon, she was wandering home, trailed by Wayno, who was singing some silly song he had invented. Then Amara Jade heard him yelling in fear, "No, get away, back off!" His gym pal and fur loving buddy turned around. Wayno was surrounded by some quite big boys in their class, all taking it in turns to grab his new shoes off his feet. They thought they were so hilarious, as they were planning to throw Wayno's joggers over the power lines.

Amara Jade got cross, so she raced back to Wayno, shrieking, "No, you don't! That's a dog's act. In fact, any dog is better than all of you lot. You back off right now, or I'll tell your football coach. You'll be kicked off the team for bullying. God did not want you to be cowards. Come on, Wayno, let's go home. Arnie's waiting. I am warning you lot, back off right away!"

Wayno had a couple of buttons ripped off his skirt, but he was so grateful. He finally had someone stick up for him, to stand up against injustice. He told her, "We belong together with Arnie, God bless you best gal pal."

Amara Jade smiled, and hoped those stuck up kids would leave them alone. Rude, ignorant cowards and bullies. "This is not your fault, let's go play with Arnie. He's so little, we should teach him to be an attack dog. His teeth are really nippy. And he loves his owner, Wayno."

Laughing now, the two pals ran home to spend some happy hours with a fur friend. Who can resist a cute puppy? Amara Jade somehow stopped sayinvg, "Why me?"

She suddenl realised she was blessed to meet her friend. They would stand up for each other, no matter what.