Chapter 2 of "Some Changes Are Good"



Donna unlocked the front door of her three-story house and stepped inside. She threw her bookbag on the floor, and walked down the hallway towards the kitchen. She spotted a piece of paper on the kitchen counter and picked it up. "Donna, Have to work late again. Dad should be back from Chicago around 10 and I should be home around the same time. Make yourself something to eat and PLEASE pack. See you later tonight. Love, Mom"

Donna sighed. Her parents were both lawyers, and were hardly ever home. And since Donna was an only child, she was almost always home alone. Donna walked across the huge kitchen and opened a cabinet. She grabbed a bag of pretzels, and strolled into the family room. She noticed the answering machine was blinking, which meant there were messages. She pushed the play button and flopped down on the plush couch.

"You have one message," the answering machine said. Donna leaned back and closed her eyes. The machine beeped and the message started playing. "Donna? It' s dad. Change of plans. We're leaving for Oklahoma tomorrow instead of Friday, so please pack tonight. I'll see you around 10:00 k? All right. Bye."

Donna sat up and groaned. She still hadn't started packing, and they were going to be staying in Oklahoma for at least 2 weeks, which meant she had her work cut out for her.

Donna ran up the two flights of stairs to the third floor. The third floor was referred to as "Donna's Floor," since she pretty much had the whole floor to herself. The third floor consisted of Donna's bedroom, a bathroom, and a study which was never used. Donna walked into her huge bedroom and flopped onto her queen sized bed. She began to think about what she should bring with her to Oklahoma. She got up and walked over to her closet. Donna opened the door and pulled out her biggest suitcase. She threw it on her bed and turned back to the closet. She began pulling out clothes and tossing them on her bed. By the time she was finished, her bed was no longer visible and her closet was bare. Donna giggled to herself and said aloud, "Maybe I don't need ALL these clothes!" She tried sorting the pile of clothes and decided she could use some help. Donna walked across her room and picked up her phone. She punched in Lindsay's number, and let it ring. On the 3rd ring, Lindsay picked up.

"Hello?"

"Hey Linds. It's me. Could you come over and help me pack? There's been a change of plans ; we're leaving tomorrow."

"Sure Donna. I'll be right over."

Donna hung up and sat at her desk. She grabbed some paper and a few pencils and put them in her mini-backpack, which was hanging on the chair. She also added some candy from her candy collection, and her Discman. The plane ride from her town in New Jersey to Tulsa, Oklahoma would take about 4 hours and Donna was going to need something to do. Donna heard the front door open and close, then pounding footsteps coming up the stairs. Lindsay appeared at the doorway. She took one look at Donna's bed and burst out laughing.

"How long are you staying, Donna?" she asked. "A year?"

"No. I'm staying 2 years." Donna answered sarcastically. "Come on, help me."

"Okay, okay," Lindsay said as she walked towards the bed. Donna went over to her stereo and turned on the radio. She turned to her favorite station, 101.7. She turned it up loud.

"All right!" she yelled over the music. "Let's start packing!"

For the next hour or two, Donna and Lindsay sorted through Donna's clothes and gradually filled her suitcase. Finally, almost 2 and 1/2 hours later, Donna was packed and ready to go. The girls both flopped down on the bed, exhausted. They said nothing, just listened to the radio.

"Ok folks," the stations announcer Kool Kris said on the radio. "We have a new band on our hands and let me tell you, this isn't just any band. They are the youngest band to emerge in the US being 16,14, and 11. These guys are happenin' people. Here they are, from Tulsa, Oklahoma, HANSON!"

Donna sat up and turned the radio down a notch. "Did he just say Tulsa, Oklahoma?"

"Yeah," Lindsay answered. "Why?"

"That's where I'm going tomorrow!" Donna exclaimed.

"Well, turn it up!" Lindsay said. "Let's hear them!"

Donna reached over and turned the radio back up. The girls sat in silence while the song played. After the song was done, Donna turned off the radio. She turned to Lindsay.

"Didn't Kool Kris say they were guys?" she asked.

"That's what I thought," Lindsay replied. "We must have heard wrong because they sound like a girl group to me."

"Yeah I guess so," Donna said. "Hey! Now that I'm packed, we can go swimming!"

"Good idea!" Lindsay said. "You put on your bathing suit, and I'll go make sure it's ok." Lindsay bolted out of the room and back downstairs. Donna heard her slam the door behind her.

She went over to her dresser and took out her bathing suit. She put it on, grabbed a towel from the linen closet, and ran over to Lindsay's house. She opened the gate and saw that Lindsay was already in the pool. Donna dropped her towel and jumped in. She and Lindsay swam until it started getting dark. Then Donna heard a car pull into her driveway.

"Oops, one of my parents are home," she said to Lindsay. "I gotta go k? I'll see you in about 2 weeks!"

"Bye Donna!! And you better write!!" Lindsay said with a smile.

Donna grabbed her towel and ran back over to her house. She saw her mom was home, so she opened the front door and yelled, "HI MOM!!", then ran back up to her room and changed into dry clothes. She went back downstairs and found her mom in the kitchen.

"Hey mom," Donna said.

"Hi honey. Are you all packed?"

"Yes mom" Donna answered.

"Ok, good. Now I have to go pick up your father at the airport. I'll be home in an hour or so. Please go to bed early because we have to get up early tomorrow to leave," Donna’s mother said.

"All right mom. See ya later."

Donna said as she made her way towards the stairs. She walked upstairs and into her bedroom. She glanced at her clock and was surprised to see it was almost 10:30. Donna decided to go to bed. So she changed into a t-shirt and got into her bed. She quickly fell asleep.



Chapter 3: