Average
Time
Bethany sat in her last period class, Chemistry. It was Friday, at last. The clock read 1:57. Three minutes to go, then Alex would pick her up. Three minutes to go, then they would drive home. Three minutes to go. Three minutes that could possibly be her last three minutes at Harford Tech. It all depended on her decision. The decision could manage her entire future, her family status, and her life. She still hadn’t made up her mind yet, it was too soon. She had a whole forty eight hours until she had to decide. Forty eight hours, then she would know her future. The clock on the wall ticked, Bethany looked up at it. It read 1:58. Two minutes to go. Two minutes of her last possible day at this school. Two minutes that depended on her decision making abilities. Everything in her life seemed to be controlled by time. Time was wasted, time was not gained. She had wasted, sixteen years, three hundred sixty four days, twenty three hours and three minutes of her life being cooped up inside a house. Bethany has fifty seven minutes, and one day until her seventeenth birthday. Everything was controlled by time.
2:00, the bell rings. She shuffled slowly out of her seat, grabbing her binder, folder and textbook. Bethany walked at a remarkably slow pace, everyone trailing in front of her. She had no where to be, she was in no rush. All she was doing was wasting more time. Stopping at the scratched up yellow locker, she spun the dial. The lock creaked. It opened. She grabbed her book bag out, shoving her books inside. She had a total of two binders, three text books, two folders, a pencil pouch and a planner. Everything fit snugly in her Roxy backpack. She threw the bag over her shoulders, shutting her locker. Then, she walked into the lobby of the school. Bethany sat on the bench, where she would await Alex’s arrival. The clock read 2:10. Alex would be there at approximately 2:17. Another seven minutes of Bethany’s life were wasted. She took out her cellular, and began pounding random buttons. She went through her texts, her contacts, her photos and videos. The clock read 2:18. Alex was late.
She sent him a text, asking where he was. He’d be there soon, he promised. He had a surprise. Bethany sighed. She lied down on the bench, looking up at the ceiling. Moments passed until she felt someone above her, staring down. She opened her eyes. Aaron Peterson. He smiled down at her. “Mind if I sit down?” Beth shrugged, moving her feet to the side. He sat next to her, not speaking a word. Aaron Peterson, let me explain. He was the captain of the varsity lacrosse team, very well built, very sporty. At the same time, his grades were out of this world. He was in all honors classes, a pure genius. Aaron was a completely kind, and would never hurt a fly. Well, as Bethany had heard, of course. She’d never gotten the chance to talk to the gorgeous, adorable, brilliant senior. And why should she? She was a nobody, and well he was, something else. “So, what are you doing here after school? Haven’t the buses left already?” Aaron questioned.
“Waiting for a ride,” she informed him. “What about you?” He held up his lacrosse stick. “I’ve got a game.” Bethany nodded understandingly. “So, this may come off a little strongly, considering we’ve never talked, but what’s up with you these days?” Aaron asked. Bethany stared at him, a confused look on her face. “What?” she asked. Aaron spoke. “Well, I’ve always seen you from afar. Don’t get all freaked out here, but you aren’t as quiet and not known as you think you are. Actually, unknown is an understatement. Everyone knows you Beth. So, what I’m wondering is, what’s with the sudden change? You were quiet before, sometimes happy quiet, sometimes upset quiet. Now you just seem, I don’t know, anxious. Like you’re always waiting for something.” He kept shooting the young blonde questioning glances, as he awaited an answer. “Maybe I am,” Bethany finally told him. Aaron lifted an eyebrow. “You’re very mysterious,” he told her. Bethany grinned.
They stayed put on the bench until Alex drove up, honking his horn loudly. “That’s my ride,” Bethany shyly told him. Aaron nodded, standing up with her. “Good luck at the game,” she said. Aaron’s smile got wider, as his brain began thinking of ideas. “You should definitely come,” he told her. “I’d love to see you there.” They smiled at each other. “Kay,” she told him. “I’ll definitely look into it.” Alex honked louder. “Looks like your boyfriend is getting a little angry,” Aaron told her. Bethany laughed, “Alex isn’t my boyfriend.” Aaron’s smile got even bigger, if it were possible. “That means you’re single?” Bethany returned the smile, opening the door. “You’re catching on Peterson.” Aaron chuckled, holding the door for Bethany. “The game’s here tonight, at seven. Hopefully, I’ll see you here.” Bethany smiled, “I sure hope so.”
With a parting glance, she jumped into Alex’s car. He shot her a disappointed maternal look. “What?” she asked him. He shook his head, and then blasted Every Avenue. Bethany rolled her eyes and turned down the radio. “Alex, what were you talking about when you said you had a surprise?” The singer fumbled in his pocket, finally pulling out an envelope. Bethany opened it suspiciously. ‘Happy Birthday’ the card read. ‘May all of your wishes come true. Love, Alex.’ was written inside. Taped to the back were two tickets: Two tickets for tomorrow night at seven, at Rams Head Live. Alex would be taking her to see The Maine. Bethany shrieked, attacking her best friend. “Thank you, thank you, thank you. I love you, I love you, I love you,” she repeatedly told him.
“Bethy, calm down. I love you too. But, I do need to drive,” Alex told her. She let go, falling back into her seat. Alex turned the radio up, once more. Every Avenue’s lyrics blasted. Bethany sighed. The clock caught her eye. 2:30. Four and a half hours until she’d see Aaron again. Twenty Eight and a half hours until she’d see The Maine. Twenty four hours and twenty five minutes until her seventeenth birthday. Forty eight hours until she’d have to make her decision. Bethany Sanders had a life that was controlled by time.
2:00, the bell rings. She shuffled slowly out of her seat, grabbing her binder, folder and textbook. Bethany walked at a remarkably slow pace, everyone trailing in front of her. She had no where to be, she was in no rush. All she was doing was wasting more time. Stopping at the scratched up yellow locker, she spun the dial. The lock creaked. It opened. She grabbed her book bag out, shoving her books inside. She had a total of two binders, three text books, two folders, a pencil pouch and a planner. Everything fit snugly in her Roxy backpack. She threw the bag over her shoulders, shutting her locker. Then, she walked into the lobby of the school. Bethany sat on the bench, where she would await Alex’s arrival. The clock read 2:10. Alex would be there at approximately 2:17. Another seven minutes of Bethany’s life were wasted. She took out her cellular, and began pounding random buttons. She went through her texts, her contacts, her photos and videos. The clock read 2:18. Alex was late.
She sent him a text, asking where he was. He’d be there soon, he promised. He had a surprise. Bethany sighed. She lied down on the bench, looking up at the ceiling. Moments passed until she felt someone above her, staring down. She opened her eyes. Aaron Peterson. He smiled down at her. “Mind if I sit down?” Beth shrugged, moving her feet to the side. He sat next to her, not speaking a word. Aaron Peterson, let me explain. He was the captain of the varsity lacrosse team, very well built, very sporty. At the same time, his grades were out of this world. He was in all honors classes, a pure genius. Aaron was a completely kind, and would never hurt a fly. Well, as Bethany had heard, of course. She’d never gotten the chance to talk to the gorgeous, adorable, brilliant senior. And why should she? She was a nobody, and well he was, something else. “So, what are you doing here after school? Haven’t the buses left already?” Aaron questioned.
“Waiting for a ride,” she informed him. “What about you?” He held up his lacrosse stick. “I’ve got a game.” Bethany nodded understandingly. “So, this may come off a little strongly, considering we’ve never talked, but what’s up with you these days?” Aaron asked. Bethany stared at him, a confused look on her face. “What?” she asked. Aaron spoke. “Well, I’ve always seen you from afar. Don’t get all freaked out here, but you aren’t as quiet and not known as you think you are. Actually, unknown is an understatement. Everyone knows you Beth. So, what I’m wondering is, what’s with the sudden change? You were quiet before, sometimes happy quiet, sometimes upset quiet. Now you just seem, I don’t know, anxious. Like you’re always waiting for something.” He kept shooting the young blonde questioning glances, as he awaited an answer. “Maybe I am,” Bethany finally told him. Aaron lifted an eyebrow. “You’re very mysterious,” he told her. Bethany grinned.
They stayed put on the bench until Alex drove up, honking his horn loudly. “That’s my ride,” Bethany shyly told him. Aaron nodded, standing up with her. “Good luck at the game,” she said. Aaron’s smile got wider, as his brain began thinking of ideas. “You should definitely come,” he told her. “I’d love to see you there.” They smiled at each other. “Kay,” she told him. “I’ll definitely look into it.” Alex honked louder. “Looks like your boyfriend is getting a little angry,” Aaron told her. Bethany laughed, “Alex isn’t my boyfriend.” Aaron’s smile got even bigger, if it were possible. “That means you’re single?” Bethany returned the smile, opening the door. “You’re catching on Peterson.” Aaron chuckled, holding the door for Bethany. “The game’s here tonight, at seven. Hopefully, I’ll see you here.” Bethany smiled, “I sure hope so.”
With a parting glance, she jumped into Alex’s car. He shot her a disappointed maternal look. “What?” she asked him. He shook his head, and then blasted Every Avenue. Bethany rolled her eyes and turned down the radio. “Alex, what were you talking about when you said you had a surprise?” The singer fumbled in his pocket, finally pulling out an envelope. Bethany opened it suspiciously. ‘Happy Birthday’ the card read. ‘May all of your wishes come true. Love, Alex.’ was written inside. Taped to the back were two tickets: Two tickets for tomorrow night at seven, at Rams Head Live. Alex would be taking her to see The Maine. Bethany shrieked, attacking her best friend. “Thank you, thank you, thank you. I love you, I love you, I love you,” she repeatedly told him.
“Bethy, calm down. I love you too. But, I do need to drive,” Alex told her. She let go, falling back into her seat. Alex turned the radio up, once more. Every Avenue’s lyrics blasted. Bethany sighed. The clock caught her eye. 2:30. Four and a half hours until she’d see Aaron again. Twenty Eight and a half hours until she’d see The Maine. Twenty four hours and twenty five minutes until her seventeenth birthday. Forty eight hours until she’d have to make her decision. Bethany Sanders had a life that was controlled by time.
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cate.&I apologize that I never reply to anyones comments. Sonya & I appreciate it sooooo much! We love you guys, thanks for reading. I'm gonna start working on replying. &again, thanks for reading(: