MÁS RECIENTE

Fifteen minutes, even more snow shoveling, a serious arm workout, and a whole lot of cursing later I try the engine again. It still doesn’t start up. Less than a second after that, I completely lose it. “Fuck!!! Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuckity fuck!” I scream, banging on the steering wheel repeatedly in anger and irritation at yet another failed attempt. “You stupid, useless piece of shit!” I continue to yell, punctuating each word with another slam of my palm against the wheel, the dashboard, and any other parts of the… Leer más

I head into the kitchen and grab the lone, half-empty bottle of water from the fridge and take a sip, letting my lips linger at the mouth for a moment. And, for the billionth time today, I wonder why he asked me to drink so much water before coming. It freaked me out when I first read the text. Hell, it’s still freaking me out now. As much as I hate to admit it to myself, though, underneath all the nervousness and anxiety, there’s also…something else. Curiosity, maybe? I dunno…. Leer más

One Week Later…   Friday   My bare foot taps against the floor uncontrollably. My toes rise and fall against the anchor of my heel in rapid successions, as if they’re battery-operated. My arms have become so tense that I think they might snap right off my shoulders at the slightest motion, so I keep them crossed over my chest and stare at the old, washed-out duffel bag in silent resignation. “Ugh!” I’ve been at this practically all day and I still haven’t made any progress. Not even a little… Leer más

Two and a Half Weeks Later…   The steam whistle goes off, the makeshift bell blasting its signature roar all over West Campus, signaling that my last final is finally over. “Alright, time’s up everyone,” Mr. Belikov, my mechanical composition professor, says. “Stop writing and hand in your exams, please.” It’s been a tough week, but I’m just relieved it’s over and done with. I put my pencil down and look to find that I’m one of only five people left in the auditorium—including Mr. Belikov and his TA, Priya…. Leer más

I walk up to Bill as slowly as I can, feeling wary and apprehensive in every way imaginable about coming face to face with him after my last two encounters with his girlfriend. I tell myself to just act normal. “Hey, you,” I say, doing my best to forge a genuine smile as I go in for a hug. “I was wondering when you would show up. I’m like two seconds away from strangling myself and they’re already out of punch, apparently.” I seriously hope I sound a lot more… Leer más

The mingled, inharmonious sounds of over-enthusiastic claps, whistles, and general cheers burst throughout the reserved hall, signaling the end of the latest “dance to it” song by the sketchy looking band on stage. I can’t stop myself from rolling my eyes for the fifth time since we walked through the doors. Cheap, festive décor drape the walls and stage, and brown and orange tapestry lace the long table behind me. The floor is covered with a mix of red, orange, and brown leaves, and there are some sort of triangular… Leer más

For a split second—that, in a really strange, paralyzing way, also feels like a long stretch of eternity—I freeze in place, as if my entire system just shut down on me without so much as a warning. But then, just as quickly, a surge of energy shoots through me out of nowhere and my brain suddenly demands that copious amounts of adrenaline mix with every ounce of my blood, and without the slightest thought, my body lurches itself forward, moving on its own accord. Before I can stop myself or… Leer más

The doorbell goes off again, ringing sharply through the apartment and jolting me out of my morbid reverie. My eyes impulsively dart down the short corridor to the doorway, and then to the red digits displayed on my alarm clock next to my bed. It’s 7:30 PM on the dot. Shit. It must be Drake. I’d forgotten just how punctual he is. For someone so laidback and easygoing, he’s so damn keen on always being on time. For everything. If I didn’t know him better, I’d say he was borderline… Leer más

Two Days Later…   I let out a long, tired sigh. I’ve been trying to read the same sentence for the last half hour. I can’t focus. I can’t do anything but think about my life’s situation and what it really means in the long run; potentially die from cancer, or never sing again and give up any chances I ever had at pursuing my dream. I’ve always wanted to sing. That’s the only reason I even came back to finish college. The only reason I’ve been busting my ass… Leer más

He blinks once. Twice. Something unreadable passes through the icy blue of his eyes with each movement. “Excuse me?” Frost’s tone is incredulous, and coupled with the edginess of his deep voice, he sounds borderline threatening. His brow arches higher than I’ve ever seen it, his forehead creasing in a way it never has before. I never thought I’d see an expression like that on his face. This is the closest thing to surprised I’ve ever seen him in the time I’ve known him. But it only lasts a few… Leer más