Phone Call

"Hi Jody, how's the family? I heard your mom picked up a bug."

"We are doing well Margret. Yes, she does not know where. How are you and your family?"

"Doing well, thank you. Who do I connect you with today?"

"Bonnie James please."

"Sure. You are in that spelling bee, right?"

"Yes."

"Well, good luck."

"Whoops, line is busy. Give it ten minutes or so and try back."

"Ok, bye." Ten minutes later.

"Hi Margret, Bonnie please."

"Ten minutes already? Ok. Good, the line is clear."

"Thank you."

"Hello?"

"Hello Mrs. Johnson. Is Bonnie there?"

"Hi Jody. How's the family? Is your mom doing better? We heard she wasn't feeling okey. There is something going around. Tell her to let me know if she needs anything."

"Ok, thanks, yes, something is going around. Mom thinks she caught something because she volunteers around town. She said other volunteers were sick, but she didn't think she would catch it. Also, the weather change. From warm to noticeably colder."

"Yes, you are right."

"Bonnie, Jody's on the phone," Mrs. Johnson yelled.

"She is upstairs. I'll leave the receiver on the table, bye."

"Bye."

"Hey Jody. How's it going?"

"Ok. Who was on the phone about ten minutes ago?"

"Hm? Oh, Jason. Some school sports stuff."

"Figures. I tried calling."

"So, how is your mom? Mindy, Jack and I are a bit concerned."

"Spelling bee?"

"Yup. We need you. The four of us just have to win this year. Two awards, one more than the other groups."

"I know."

"Stay healthy. Hey, maybe you can stay here. We could study and practice together. Maybe I can get Mindy to come over as well."

"I'm good."

"Just making sure," Bonnie said, still concerned.

"Excuse me ladies," Margret interrupted, "Dr. Michaels is wanting to talk to your mom, Jody."

"Ok, thanks. Talk later Bonnie. I'll give Mindy a call."

"Mom," Jody yelled.

"What?"

"Dr. Michaels needs to talk to you."

"Oh good. I took a lot of blood tests. We shall see. Probably a simple cold," Mom said with a scrunched-up face. Jody smiled.

"Hello Doc," Mom started as Jody left the room. Moments later mom hung up the phone. Jody walked out of the kitchen.

"So, what do you have and is it catchy," Jody asked. Mom smiled.

"It isn't catchy, so the family does not need to worry. That is the good thing. Just a passing thing. I got chilled, remember?" Jody smiled. Her mom usually got sick when she got chilled.

"Yes," laughing, Bonnie and Mindy will be very happy." Jody walked to her mom and gave her a hug.

"A relief to the spelling bee gang," mom laughed as she walked into the kitchen.

"Hi Margret, Mindy Miller please."

"Have to ask. All is well with your mom?"

"Yup. A passing cold thing, I guess. It got her good because she stretches herself so thin with her projects."

"Yes, she does. That will do it. Good to hear. Ok, Mindy it is."

"Hello?"

"Mindy, hey."

"Jody, hi, how is your mom?"

"She is ok, just a bad cold. She pushes herself a bit much."

"Right, just like her daughter," Mindy giggled.

"Hm, so, spelling bee What do we need to do," Jody asked?

"You keep doing what you do. If you find a word that is interesting, write it down with a definition. We have a week to prime up for this."

"Ok, and Jack and Bonnie?"

"Jack is a reading nerd," Mindy and Jody giggled.

"Keep Bonnie in the loop. Keep doing what she does."

"Jack is a loveable nerd," Jody said.

"Agree," Mindy replied, "I will call him later and get his words as well. We have study hall together tomorrow."

"That is usually when we do our homework."

"Well, we can do some homework," Mindy said.

"This spelling bee means a lot to you."

"Yes, it does. You, Bonnie, and Jack have a natural learning thing. I don't. The dyslexia keeps me back a bit.

"Right. I forget about that. We won round one, just one more. If Team B wins round two, a tie, then one more round," Jody said.

"Four males vs. three females and one male. We have something to prove to that smarty pants group," Mindy said.

"Oh. I don't think like that. We do our best, that is all we can do." A pause in the conversation.

"Call Jack and Bonnie and exchange our info with their info then call me back and we will coordinate what we will do in study hall," Mindy said.

"And don't forget that the term paper for English class," Jody added.

"Ok, I'll call Jack. I think I have a pretty good outline already, if I say so myself," Mindy said. "Dinner will be ready in a bit, have to go."

"Yup, here as well. Thank you, Jody."

"That's what friends are for," Jody replied, smiling, "stay healthy."

Jody hung up the phone and started walking into the kitchen. The phone rang.

"I'll get it," Jody yelled.

"Hello?"

"Jody, Jack. How's your mom? My mom picked up the same bug I think when she was volunteering with your mom."

"Yup. Germs everywhere. The Dr. called. Mom said it was just that something."

"Yes, my mom said about the same after her conversation the doctor. Did you talk with Mindy and Bonnie yet?"

"Oh yes." Jody giggled. "They are rather concerned that I will get sick. They don't know that your mom is sick as well. They would go off the deep end."

"Please do not tell them about my mom."

"Not a word. Mindy will be calling you."

"Why?"

"Something about your word information, so we can look it over tomorrow in study hall. That and the English term paper, and any other stuff we get."

"Info?"

"Mindy asked me as well. The words as well as their definition's. She said we read a lot."

"That's funny. I do that normally."

"So do I." They both giggled.

"I was taught that writing down the word and definition and use the word in a sentence was how you grew your vocabulary."

"Oh wow, yes, let me think...Oh yes, fourth grade English class, Mrs. Tunson, right," Jody asked?

"Yup. You have a good memory."

"Thanks, but I bet you also knew that." Jack smiled.

"There were some interesting new words I have come across, even for me." Jack said.

"Good. Oh, any thoughts about Team B?"

"They are good spellers. They must read a lot also."

"Yup. Oh, did you ever think about why we all never hung out together?"

"With them? Hm. No, never really thought about it."

"Well, we are all in the same classes. Mike moved here, what, last year sometime?"

"I believe so. Hm. And they are not in our clubs either."

"I know. Probably chess club," Jody giggled.

"Just because you don't play chess doesn't mean anything," Jack said.

"You are not in the chess club!"

"Didn't want to join."

"Right." Jody smiled.

"Hey, gotta go. Dinner is served," Jack said.

"Ok. Later."

"Later." Jack and Jody hung up their receivers.

Jody walked into the kitchen. The family was gathered.

"Well, my diagnosis, nothing serious. I'm pregnant."