Beautiful Monster Read Free Page A

all day there and not know? “But it was due any day now. And isn’t that why you were late? Students all checking the cast list?”
                  “The headmaster was going on and on about the use of so much red meat in food,” he replied, hanging up his coat. “These may be drama students, rising stars, but they are still normal kids who like burgers and fries. Geez… Anyway, what are you cooking?”
                  “Stuffed Peppers.” I had begun to set the table, wondering exactly how messy these peppers were going to be.
                  “Did you finish your assignments today, or do you need to continue to work?” He asked, and I nodded.
                  “No, I’m done. I’m so glad I don’t have to take calculus any longer.” Calculus had been the bane of my existence, and it was mandatory up until 10 th year. I wasn’t sure exactly what I was going to do with my life, but I knew math wasn’t going to be in it, so the moment it became optional, I had stopped. When I had math on my plate in 8 th and 9 th year, and had begun taking courses online by myself, I had spent about every evening in tears trying to figure it out. Dad had not been much help then, having stopped taking math in 8 th grade himself, to train as an apprentice chef. It hadn’t helped that he had told me, with a rueful smile, that math was also the bane of my mother’s existence when she was in school. I just felt more doomed than ever before.
                  “What did you do today, then?” he asked, reaching to pour himself a glass of water.
                  “English, mostly,” I replied. “A little French and world politics.” I took a breath before posing my next question. However, before I could ask him about colleges, he cut me off.
                  “And how are you feeling?”
                  “Fine,” I replied, a bit annoyed. This was his question every second moment of the day. I received two phone calls and five text messages a day from him, asking the same thing. “I even cleaned my room during lunch.”
                  “Are you sure you’re feeling fine, then? You cleaned your room?” He gave me a teasing glance. “Who are you and what having you done with my daughter?”
                  “Aliens,” I replied, as the oven dinged. “That’s what happens when you get left alone all day. You’re an easy target for abduction.” I pulled the food out of the oven, putting it on hot plates on the table.
                  “Tomorrow I’ll be late again,” Dad said, as he sat down, taking another swallow of water. “Possibly into the evening. In fact, it’ll likely be that way all next week”
                  “Oh?” I looked up, surprised. Tomorrow was Friday, and we usually rented a film and ordered in dinner. It had been a tradition since my childhood, and while the movies had changed from cartoons to dramas, the ritual remained the same.
                  “Next week they are having auditions for the winter semester, so they’ll have an overload of potential students flooding the school, which means the cafeteria will be extra busy. I need to make sure things are prepped and ready so we don’t get slammed. The last thing the headmaster will want is for us to appear as though we are not top quality. Even if that means we’ve just run out of fries and pizza.”
                  “Anyone interesting?”
                  “Just mostly potential transfers from that drama school down south,” he replied, chewing thoughtfully. “You practically have to have a pedigree to get into a school full of pedigrees.”
                  “Right,” I replied, taking a bite. “How is it?” I asked, alarmed, when he put his fork down after only one bite.
                  “It’s fine. Good herbs, not bad on the