This Year at Home (A Short Story) (4 page)
Read This Year at Home (A Short Story) Online
Authors: Sarah Bridgeton
It wasn’t until I got close to the cafeteria that I stopped thinking of my study-abroad friends.
They
were nearby. As always, their voices were loud and boisterous. My pulse remained steady as I continued on my way.
I spotted Derrick first, only he didn’t seem intimidating anymore. He seemed like a jerk, unworthy of my time or energy. He squinted when he saw me, but he said nothing.
Emmy was with him. She stopped talking, frowned, then turned to Derrick, as if I weren’t there.
Grace wasn’t with them.
~ * * * ~
Leaning against the school brick wall, I waited for Mom. My day had gone well. Paige had been in my lunch period, and I sat with her and her friends. For the first time in years, I wasn’t snubbed. Kids who used to ignore me said hello. Derrick had a different lunch period, as Principal Nelson had promised. Luck had been in my favor, and Emmy wasn’t in my lunch either. Even better, Derrick and Emmy had left me alone when I ran into them again after lunch.
The swish of shoes on slushy pavement neared me.
I looked around.
Grace paused for a moment when she saw me.
I was still torn. Part of me wanted to be friends with her again. She had been a big part of my life, and we had fun together. The other part wanted to keep moving on. Why try to repair a relationship that was over?
Her eyes didn’t look much better than they had at my house. Instead of being bloodshot and swollen, she had saucer-sized dark circles.
“Hi, Rebecca,” she said, voice wavering. "I just want you to know I’m no longer friends with Emmy or Derrick.”
“Oh?”
She took a deep breath.
When I didn’t see her with them, I had wondered if she had been absent. Narcing on Derrick could cause sudden illness. I had headaches and stomachaches after my first complaint.
As Grace stood there, waiting for me to answer, I thought of her crying at my house, asking if we could be friends again.
Her tears had been real. She couldn’t make herself cry. In first grade, we begged our moms to let us go trick-or-treating alone. She had volunteered to fake cry when I said they would probably say no. Grace practiced crocodile tears for days, but when the time came, she couldn’t muster anything besides a pathetic sad face. That Halloween, we dressed alike as rock stars, and our moms had walked behind us while we went trick-or-treating.
“When do you have lunch?” I asked Grace.
“Third period.”
“Me too! But you weren’t there. Where were you?”
“Library.”
Sympathy gripped me. I had spent many lunch periods in the library when I was the school loser.
Grace fidgeted. As usual, her nails were cut short, painted dark red, and she had on her favorite ring, the one with the garnet stone—a thirteenth birthday present from the Renaissance festival. After the jousting tournament, Grace’s mom had told her to pick out a present. The ring had immediately caught Grace’s attention, as the silver band had an etched design that resembled flames.
“You know,” Grace said. “I was happy for you when I saw you at school again. You look like a new you. Whatever happened in Israel must have been good.”
“It was an amazing experience! I made some really cool friends.” Those friends were unforgettable—Mia, Jake, Avi and Ben. Even Jordyn. They didn’t know it, but they had challenged me to become the person I was.
“I got a second chance.” I looked at Grace intently. “You should too.”
“Really?” The relief on her face softened her eyes, but there was still some doubt. “Does that mean we’re friends?”
“It means we’re talking to each other.” We probably wouldn’t be best friends again. Too much had happened. But it was an improvement over avoiding each other. Maybe our friendship would progress. Maybe it wouldn’t. For now, I wasn’t ruling it out. I only knew I would give it some time, and everything would be all right.
“Hey, girls.” Collin walked toward us.
Grace watched him for a moment. “Well, I gotta get home. I’ll see you later, Rebecca.”
“Bye,” I called, and as she walked away, I felt hopeful.
Collin stopped next to me. “So, you busy Friday night?”
“Not really.” Unless I counted talking to my study-abroad friend, Jake. Friday nights had been our catch-up night. He always called me. With the time difference between Boston and San Diego, it was around my dinnertime. But Jake and I could move our conversation to a different time.
I would be seeing him in two weeks, anyways. He had an interview at Harvard and was coming to Boston for a long weekend.
Collin smiled at me, reminding me he was there. “I thought maybe we could catch a movie.”
How could I not want to go out with him? He already knew one of my darkest secrets, my been-bullied past. But he also knew I wasn’t
that
girl anymore, how I wouldn’t let anybody treat me like a loser.
I couldn’t help but look into his eyes, and a shiver went up my spine. “Yeah, I’d like that.”
THE END
Also by Sarah Bridgeton
THANK YOU FOR READING
This Year at Home
. I hope you enjoyed it. If you’d like to read about Rebecca’s trip to Israel, check out:
Rebecca Levine is tired of being a victim, after years of being relentlessly bullied at school and after her loser-outcast image pushed her to a suicide attempt. Home from the hospital and determined to survive, she wants an emotional makeover, and a study-abroad program in Israel seems like the perfect place for it to happen. But when roommate issues crop up, Rebecca is convinced she’ll become the school loser again. Can she overcome her issues and make herself over?
A young adult novel of 55,000 words. Contains religious content from a Jewish (Reform) perspective. Also contains mild profanity, references to sex and drug use, and non-explicit sex scenes between older teens. May not be appropriate for younger, middle-grade teens.
For an Adult Audience
Jordyn Simmons has almost everything she’s ever wanted: a sexy live-in boyfriend, an adorable son, and a finished manuscript she plans to get published. The only thing missing from her life is a relationship with her estranged mother, Debra.
Debra Simmons wishes she could patch the relationship with her daughter but doesn’t know how. Her previous attempts to reconcile have failed, and Debra has given up hope of seeing Jordyn again.
When Jordyn searches for a publisher, her world collides with Debra’s. And both women are forced to make decisions that could change their lives forever.
A novella of 36,000 words for an adult audience. Contains mature themes and mild profanity.
For more information about me and my books, please visit my website at:
http://www.sarahbridgeton.com
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