DISCLAIMER- I DO NOT OWN CALVIN & HOBBES OR ANY BAND, SONG, PLACES, OBJECT, OR MOVIE MENTIONED IN ANY OF MY CHAPTERS IS ANY WAY SHAPE OR FORM AND I MAKE NO MONEY PUTTING THEM IN MY STORIES!

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Italicized Print – Narration and to set up the Scene.

(Text in Brackets) – What is going through the characters mind, or what it is they're seeing or feeling.

"Text in Quotes" – Characters Speaking to one another.

CHAPTER 1 – Predicament

As the sun shined down through the trees, the sunlight cascaded in through the window hitting the sleeping teenage girl on her face. The light was able to jostle Susie up before her alarm clock even went off on this beautiful May morning.

("When will I learn to pull that darn shade down at night?") As she climbed out of bed, she had on her long purple night gown. As hot as the days got, the mornings in the north-central part of the USA were still bitter cold until the 11 o' clock hour.

Susie began her morning routine as she usually did. She got a shower, groomed herself, got dressed, and headed downstairs. She never had the need to apply any makeup as she felt that she had a natural beauty. She looked at herself in the mirror to make sure she was presentable. Susie stood 5' 4" tall with short chestnut brown hair and an athletic build. It was a simple look, but one she could pull off well. As she approached the breakfast table, deep down she dreaded what her mother was going to say to her yet again.

Susie was more concerned about which college she was going to go to. All her choices have accepted her, and she was going to make an official decision after high school. She wanted to finish he prep career first, then make that big decision. However, it was getting harder and harder to avoid her Mother by pushing her to make another choice. A choice that she of all people, had no business being in her own little world In the first place.

"Good Morning my dear, did you sleep well last night?" Susie tried her best to avoid delving into her mother's trap of getting her to open up. This seemed to cause more arguments then pleasant conversations.

"I'm still breathing, so I guess it was good night." She then began to make her lunch for school. Once that was done, she approached the breakfast table to get a bagel and cream cheese for her walk to the bus stop.

Ms. Derkins could sense the sarcasm as well as irritation in her only child, and yet her only daughter's voice. Especially for what she was going to try and get out before her daughter left for the day.

"Susie please, do you have to be this way with me every day?"

"Mom, please I don't want to get into this now, I have a test today and a lacrosse game after school."

Mrs. Derkins just shouted right back at her daughter, "Susie will you just listen to me for a minute…"

Susie quickly cut her mother off before she got another word out, "Look, I'm not interested in going to my prom! I'm not interested in going out with any guy for that matter either! Why can't you just let me be happy?"

Susie then grabbed her backpack and lunch and stormed out the front door, on her way down the street to the bus stop.

Ms. Derkins just put her hands on her face and shook her head. "How can I get through to that girl?"

Susie walked faster than usually to the bus stop, her mother's rant still fresh in her head, "why can't she understand that I'm perfectly happy the way I am. I don't need any boy to justify my happiness. There are plenty of successful women in the world, and they did not need a man to get them there. Men probably would just drag them down or hold them back. Look at what Brad Pitt did to Gweneth Platrow and Jennifer Aniston."

Her mother's words however, did resonate through her mind. Here she is now a senior in high-school. She never went to any dances, football games, or any curriculum after school other than lacrosse. She did feel a little sad when no boys would ask her out. Maybe it was because of her above average intelligence. That might have scared them off.

Or maybe it was because she was too outspoken with her mind and opinions that chased them away. Nobody wants to go out with someone who is going to argue with them, and who is only one sided anyway, or who has to be right all the time and get the last word in.

Deep down, Susie really knew the answer why no boy would ever asked her out or taken a chance on her. It was because she wasn't easy or loose like the other girls in school. They would all wear short dresses and tight or low cut tops showing the goods, and here was Susie. Ol' Goodie two shoes Susie, dressed like the daughter of a preacher. She had on her Reebok plain white sneakers, with loose fitting Lee jeans and plain purple long sleeve turtle neck. What boy would find that attractive?

Susie's thoughts were then interrupted, when the bus driver blew the horn, "Hey, earth to Susie! Are you getting on?"

Susie just sighed and got on the bus, "Let the torment begin." As she then pulled out her iPhone and plugged her ear buds in to listen to her tunes.

A few houses down the street, Calvin was up and getting ready for school, "Yes! Only 36 more days left and I don't have to see another classroom again!"

The celebration was then interrupted by a voice high up on a shelf, "You know that's not true! Your parents said you're not allowed to move out of here until you brandish a college degree. And, if I'm not mistaken, you have to go to class AND pass it to get that ticket out of here."

Calvin stood there in his boxers with a sharpie marker crossing off the remaining days till freedom, when he looked up at Hobbes sitting on a shelf. Hobbes was still very much a part of his life still. He represented better days of when he could be creative and carefree. Many of times, his parents tried to get Calvin to donate Hobbes or put him in storage, but Calvin would have none of that. He was his best friend in the whole world. Plus, in a way, Hobbes was the brother he never had.

"Well, that is why you have on-line courses. You can take them when and where ever you want. So in short, I stand by my argument." Before Hobbes could get another word out, Calvin's mom called, "Calvin, hurry up and get dressed, or you'll be late for school."

Calvin rolled his eyes, and picked up some clothes off the floor. He sniffed them to be sure there was no funk to them, and then he got dressed. He then went to the bathroom to brush his teeth and spike his hair. After he was ready, he bolted down the stairs with his back pack over his shoulder. He then grabbed a piece of toast and began to eat it.

While he was gathering his things up to get out the door, his mom asked him a question, "So Calvin, did you ask anyone in particular to the prom yet?"

Calvin just ignored what his mother was saying, but if he didn't reply, he knew she would just keep pestering him until he gave her an answer.

"Not interested mom."

Calvin's mom pushed on, "What do you mean? You're not interested in the prom, or no girls are interested in you? I find that hard to believe. You are such a handsome young man."

Calvin did not want to let his mom know that he was kind of a social outcast. He didn't play sports, he ate alone most of the time, and what he enjoyed the most was doodling in his note book. Calvin became quite the artist, as he could draw almost anything. He was secretly working on his own comic strip. So he out right told his mom the truth.

"Mom…seriously, I'm not interested, so please stop pushing the issue, Ok."

And before she could say anything else, Calvin said goodbye, kissed his mom on the cheek, and jumped on his Vespa scooter and headed off to school.

As she watched Calvin ride off down the street, the phone rang.

As Calvin's mom picked up the phone she smiled as she heard the other familiar voice on the other end of the line. And then a conversation occurred.

"So has Susie picked a college yet?"

"No, she still is mulling that over. How about Calvin, where is he going after graduation?"

"Oh, he wants to be a cartoonist, so he is bent on going somewhere out west, I don't know where he has plans to go."

As the conversation between to two women continued, it seemed that the likes of an arrangement was about to be made.

"Hey, does Calvin have a date to the Senior Prom?"

"No, he does not want to go, and I have been trying to get him to do so. I don't want him to look back on his youth and regret not going. Why, does Susie have a date?"

"No, she too does not want to go either, and I said the same exact thing. I don't know how to get through to that girl."

Just then, the two moms came up with an idea. What might have seemed brilliant at the time; could possibly be like adding gasoline to a fire.

"Hey, do you think Calvin would mind taking Susie to the prom? They've know each other since they were in 1st grade"

"I think that would be a great idea. They can go as friends. How about I meet you at the Dunkin Donuts in the Village Shopping Center, and we can discuss this further?"

"Sounds great! I'll see you there in say…1 hour?"

"See you then."

As both women hung up their phones, they had a mild sensation of relief and hope. Both wanted to get their children out of the house and be more social with not so much each other, but with everyone else around them.

As Mrs. Derkins picked up her purse and keys, as well as hummed a little tune, she thought quietly to herself, ("Susie is just going to be so surprised when she finds out what I did.")

And with that final thought, she closed the door to go meet Calvin's Mother.

Does this seem like a good idea? Parent's poking their noses into their children's business, never turns out good…or will it. Stay tuned for the next chapter!

Coming soon: Personal Space