Well here is a little something I had worked on a long time ago. It would be great to get some opinions! This is a fantasy/ya type story I was working on.
I walked from the parking lot of the University toward the Doneley Building where my class was. It was nice being back in my seemingly human mode after this summer, the normality of it was soothing. Walking the campus that I was now familiar with felt like home, since now I really had none. My phone beeped with a text message:
“From: Layton
Want to meet up 4 lunch after ur class?”
I text him back that lunch sounded like a good idea. Get things back to what they were, I told myself. Just then I got another text from Layton.
“From: Layton
K, meet you @ Food Stop around 12:30″
Layton was a good friend and having lunch with him would get me in the direction of usual and routine. That was what I needed. I knew I would have to talk about my parents, but I would be able to keep the most hurtful things to myself. He didn’t know the complete truth, and that was a good thing.
I sat down in my Abnormal Psychology class. The professor came in and gave his welcome sch-peel that all professors give on the first day. Of course he messed up my name during attendance
“Ki-are-ah” Merser”
“It’s actually pronounced ‘Ke-ira, sir.”
It was boring and monotonous, but honestly that was alright with me. I kept to myself in the back of the room, taking notes of important dates and other information I might need to have for later. The hour went by quick and painless and a bonus was I was excited about the class. I was a Psychology major so this class was a class I wanted to go to and it was relevant to me.
I walked across campus to the Food Stop, the campus cafeteria. It was a great fall day in Maine, and I enjoyed the brisk weather because it kept me awake. I made my way inside the cafeteria, and looked around for Layton. I found him in a corner booth looking intently at what seemed to be a class schedule. As I headed toward the booth he looked up and gave a friendly smile . The smile brightened up his already brilliant blue eyes. I had to say he was definitely good looking, dark hair, pretty eyes, and an athletic body, what more could you want?
“How was class?” he asked.
“It was a typical first class, but the material is going to be good, so it should keep me interested.”
“That’s good, I have to take a Geology class that I’m not looking forward to.” I saw the playful disdain written on his face as he said it.
“You gotta love those gen-eds,” I said sarcastically.
“Oh yeah,” he said with a smile.
“So how are you doing with everything? I haven’t seen you since the funeral.” The concern in his voice was sincere and I knew an ‘I’m fine’ answer wasn’t going to be sufficient for him.
“It’s been rough, Lina and I had to go through my parents house and take care of their things. I think the worst part has been that Lina left. I need my sister with me now and she’s not here.” Talking about my sister, Emelina, made it hard not ball my eyes out. She was the older one, the strong one, and I needed her. I felt abandoned by her, though I know that’s not what she intended for me to feel. I hadn’t heard from her too much since she left for Europe on her crazy vigilante expedition. I think that was actually the worst part, she was purposely putting herself in danger after our parents died. Layton didn’t know why she was really there.
“That’s rough, but at least she is going on with her goals you know, working in London is a great opportunity.”
“I know, I just wish she would have waited a while,” I said trying to pull myself together mentally a little bit. Emelina left to find answers to our parents death, and I had no control over that. She absolutely refused to let me go with her, and said that she wanted me to get back into school and lived like it never happened. I listened to her out of respect knowing that even if I went it wouldn’t be any safer or have any more knowledge than the very little we both did. It was pure stupidity to do it alone, and I told her that, but dwelling on her decisions wasn’t going to change anything. I had done all I could.
“She’ll be okay, you’ll be okay. It’s just going to take some time,” he said obviously reacting to the concern written on my face, though what he thought my concern was and what it really was were two different things.
“I hope your right. Anyway what about you. How are you doing?” I asked trying to change the subject away from death and loss. He sighed realizing that was all he was going to get out of me on the subject at the time.
“Doing alright, trying to find a job. My mom says Freshman year was my freebie, now that I’m a sophomore I have to start paying for more on my own. I think I’m going to be working in the library. I had my interview and they called me yesterday to tell me I got the job.”
“Well that’s good, at least you won’t have to go far for work and you know they’ll work around class and everything.”
“Yeah it’ll be good to get some money for myself. I could see if I could get you an interview they’re still looking.”
“Actually that sounds good, I could use some extra money.” My parent’s life insurance wasn’t going to pay for much more than the tuition here so it was inevitable I would have to get a job, at least working at the campus library would be close and not too humiliating.
“Okay I’ll let my boss know that you’re interested, you should stop in the library and get an application.”
“I’ll go right after we eat.” We both stood up and went to get some food from the various options the Food Stop had. The rest of our lunch was on a much lighter note. We talked about our drunken escapades with other friends earlier in the summer. How our friend had almost gotten his ass kicked, because he had made-out with some guy’s slightly trashy, overly bleached blonde, girlfriend. Good times that seemed silly, unimportant now, but reminded me of a simpler time. Then we both said our goodbyes and went on our way. I was happy to have him as a friend, and every time I saw him, it reminded me of that.
I went to check my phone as I headed to the library, and I noticed had one missed call, from Lina. I stopped walking and called her back immediately, but of course all I got was her voice mail. “It’s Lina I can’t or don’t want to answer the phone so you know just do the message thing after the annoying tone.” That was Lina, always full of sarcasm even on her damn voice-mail. I closed my phone, there was no point in leaving her a message. I had left her a hundred messages since she left, and she never really returned any of them. She only called when she found the time, and only to let me know she wasn’t dead (yet). Hearing the voice mail for the millionth time in the past three months only made me more angry and bitter with her.
Cat Beeny 