Maria G.'s Short Story

College Catastrophe

“Jess, slow down!”
“No, Andrew! Superstar was a racehorse! He should speed up!” Andrew nudged Superstar and they shot forward.
“HA!” he yelled back. Andrew and Superstar slowed to a stop under a tree. Starlit and I quickly caught up.
Even though six years separated us, Andrew and I are as close as can be. He is like a priceless ruby gem. Well, he isn’t a possession like a gem, but I love him with every bit of adoration my heart holds. I know that I can always count on him to be there. He watches over me, and I adore that.
I slid off of Starlit. I let my whole body fall to the grass. I moved around until I found a comfortable spot. If you moved to Nantucket, the pinks, blues, and purples would hit you like a slap in the face. Not to mention the reds, oranges, and yellows, of course. Sometimes, if you make no noise at all, rabbits or chipmunks might come up to sniff you. Once, a deer actually sniffed my shoulder. Then, it licked my neck!
Andrew slid from his mount. He adjusted himself next to me. We seemed perfect and content. But, my gut felt twisted. It foreshadowed something terrible.
“I finished high school in June,” Andrew began. This can’t be good. “The next part of my life is college. Three different ones want to take me. UCLA,” cringe, “the University of Phoenix,” cringe, “and Duke. Thoughts?” None of them. Uh-uh. No. Massachusetts or bust. Somebody wake me up!
“Worst penny you ever spent. I got nothing.” Andrew laughed at that. Oh darn.
“Let’s head back.” Sure, Andrew. Act like nothing’s wrong. Everything’s just peachy! He was right though. The stars began to poke out. He and I walked back to the stable. We set up our horses for the night. Then, we went home-without speaking.
The next morning, only Mom sat in the kitchen. I asked were Andrew was. Maybe he hadn’t woken up yet. But no, of course not.
“He is in his room researching the college he chose to attend. Your father and I are exceedingly proud of him.” No! Why is she acting like nothing’s wrong? Won’t she miss him?
“Okay. Thanks,” I murmured. I slipped out of the kitchen and up to his-I can’t bare even thinking his name anymore-room. I thought, ‘Will I ever see him again? He’s leaving for…the c-word.’ The phrase burned. ‘The C-word.’ Mom told me he chose one of…’them.’ Ew. I leaned on his white wooden doorframe. He skimmed a page of text across the other side of the room. His back faced me; just like it would when he leaves.
“Dude, I can see you in the monitor. What’s up?” He seemed his normal self-cool. He swiveled around on his chair to face me. I need to ask now.
“Where is it?” He knew what I asked about. He knew why I refused to look at him, too.
“Phoenix,” he mumbled. This can’t be happening! I turned and bolted to the hayloft. As I climbed up each wooden ladder rung, tears fell from my sad, helpless eyes. I pulled my diary and pen from the bottom drawer of the worn out blue chest at the other end of the loft. I flopped on a blanket covered hay bail and started to write.

Diary-
I hate him! Why did he choose Phoenix? Why? He knows college kids can’t find

jobs often times. He knows airfare costs a lot of money. Why diary? Why does he

want to move so far away? Does he hate m

The pen broke. Ink splattered everywhere.
Mom reminded me that he’d leave tomorrow, too. He’d be in the air waiting to land in Phoenix. He would be excited.
“Starlit,” I called, “you down there, girl?” She nickered. She listened, waiting for my rant. “I’ll miss him. He can’t see me cry. I’m to narcissistic. There’s only one way,” I paused, “I can’t see him leave.”
I slept in the hayloft that night.
The next morning, I awoke to the sun glaring at me. It looked about ten, but I doubted myself. At noon, I’d never see Andrew again. I rolled off of the hay bail and stumbled over to the worn blue chest. I could feel the hard residue from crying on my cheeks. I found a picture of Andrew and me, my favorite one, and slid it into my pocket. I backed down the ladder near Starlit’s stall. I decided to ride her.
We were far out when the ‘worst case scenario’ happened. I tumbled from Starlit’s back and a jagged wooden peninsula hit me. Wham! Right in the face. Starlit whinnied for me. I reached up and patted her muzzle.
“Hey girl,” I muttered. I wished that Andrew wasn’t on that plane to Phoenix. I noticed a bloody gash in my left leg.
“Oh no,” I breathed. My shirt turned red, too. Am I going to die? My startled expression encouraged it to race faster down my chest. I willed myself to get up. Only one way home-to ride. I saw the stable perched on the horizon. ‘You have to get home!’ I thought. I crept up a large rock nearby and swung my unharmed leg over Starlit’s back. I pulled the rest of my body up. My right leg dripped my blood from the thigh down. However, my torso was much worse. I rubbed my hand across my body. Stomach-fine, chest-fine. My neck spat out more blood. I started to feel light-headed. The forest around me went in and out of focus. Starlit and I made it to the stable and I passed out.
Or died.
Or both.
“She’ll be fine, Mrs. Daniels. Make her keep those bandages on. She went out alone, right? Doesn’t Andrew usually go riding with her?” That doesn’t sound like an angel. More like Dr. George.
“Andrew went to college. At the University of Phoenix, Doctor,” pride was all I heard in her reply. She doesn’t miss Andrew. She’s not worried about me.
“Oh, good for him. I must be going.”
Great. Leave me alone with Mom. I’ll be given the gift of a grave! I heard footsteps coming up the stairs. Joy of al glorious joys. Help, oh help. Can I get eaten by a pack of wolves instead? Please?
“Hello, Jessica.” I must be in a lot of trouble. She used my full name.
“Hi?” It sounded more like a question. What did she want?
“That was a nasty fall-”
“I didn’t fall. A branch hit me in the face.”
“Oh,” was all she said. Right. But, she continued. “Well, I am going into town today. You could come with me. We’ll take the scenic route. See some flowers and birds?” Kindness? That’s her motive? I could try it.
“All right. I’d like that.” I started to walk to my closet, but Mom stopped me.
“I know that we don’t have the best of friendships. I want to forage what I can. Will you help me do that?” she pleaded for my help. Wow.
“Sure, Mom.” It hit me. She actually cares about me. And I was an individual person-Jess Daniels.