Are You Sure This Is My Life We Are Talking About?
chapter five
Sara woke up in the early afternoon. Rays of sun were escaping through the slots in her black-out blinds. The clock read 11:13am. She stayed laying down, rubbing the sleep out of her eyes and waiting for the energy to get out of bed. Yes, Sara is a lazy person, she will be the first to admit it, but who actually likes to get out bed in the morning when you have nothing and no where to go and are comfortable as hell?
Oh, wait. I do have things to do today. She thought.
Memory, and reality, came flooding back, reminding her she had things to do before she for left for England to get married. Married. Sara tasted the word in her mouth, trying to figure out if she liked it or not. Sara might have only been 17, but she had always acted way older than she really was, and with the maturity came a different line of thoughts. Sara grew up always wanting a family of her own, a husband, and a house full of kids. But now that half of that dream was almost here, her brain wanted to rethink it all.
Dante’s was cool, from what she had seen of him. He seems nice so far, attractive, that’s for sure, and the fangs are a plus… But she just can’t picture herself being a wife. Being married to someone, at least not yet. Actually, she never really thought about this part of marriage, the whole you-kind-of-belong-to-someone-else part. It was kind of scary to think about.
Sara thought she heard a light knock on her door, but it was so light that she couldn’t be sure if she was hearing it or if it was just her imagination. Climbing out of bed and looking down, making sure all the important parts of her were covered, she walked to her door. Sara opened it and was bombarded with the afternoon sun. She quickly threw her hand up to block her eyes and started squinting. Her dad handed her an envelope, a big legal looking envelope, addressed to her, obviously, but the sender was none other than Oxford University.
Guess Dante` wasn’t joking after all. Sara thought to herself.
“Why don’t you come out and open it?” Joel said gruffly. I was obviously supposed to put on a show for the family.
Sara stepped out of her room and noticed her grandparents sitting on the couch with her mom and little sister, Mari. Everyone exchanged hellos and then Sara sat down in the recliner, sitting cross-legged on her feet.
Sara looked at the front of the envelope again, then turned it around and dug her finger in the tiny slit in the corner and tore. The whole thing was very legal looking, the whole bit, down to the expensive looking paper. Sara took the papers out of the holder and started to shuffle through them.
Congratulations!
You have been excepted to Oxford University.
The heading on the second paper said. Having to put on a show, Sara gaped her mouth in astonishment and blew out a breathe, continuing to read the papers. She gave a small laugh and looked up at her expectant family.
“I got in! Oh my god! I got in to Oxford!”
Sara scanned everyone’s face, looking for reactions. Her grandpa’s face was blank, if not a little annoyed, her parents were playing their parts accordingly, looking surprised and awed, and her sister just sat there. Sara's grandma though, she looked pissed. She had her lips pursed and her brows were scrunched in agitation.
“How- How did you get it though? You never applied there, you said you were going to go to the community college.” Sara's mom said.
“Umm… Yeah, actually, I mean, I figured it was a hell of a long shot, which was why I didn’t say anything, but I sent in a piece of my writing, and,” Sara held up the papers in her hand, “I got in,” She finished lamely.
“This is a really good opportunity.” Sara's grandpa voiced quietly.
Joel nodded his approval of the words.
“No! You are 17. 17! You are not going to England, especially not by yourself!” Sara's grandma practically yelled, her face beet red.
Sara sighed.
Here we go, She thought. Might as well say what I’ve always wanted to now… “You know what?” Sara said calmly, “I don’t really care what you think about my going to a once in a life time opportunity for my education. This is my life, and I can decided what I want to do with it, and how I go about getting there. You are not my mom, nor my dad, so you don’t have that kind of say in whether or not I go. I know this sounds incredibly rude, but I am not going to let anything slip away from me because you are scared.”
Sara's grandma stood up and walked to the front door, slamming it as she went. Everyone just looked at each other, not really knowing what to say.
“When do you leave?” Mari asked.
Sara looked at the papers again. “I need to be there within the week, they want me to participate in a summer program before school starts.”
“I’ll look at plane tickets now then,” her dad said, walking to his computer and flicking it on.
Oh, wait. I do have things to do today. She thought.
Memory, and reality, came flooding back, reminding her she had things to do before she for left for England to get married. Married. Sara tasted the word in her mouth, trying to figure out if she liked it or not. Sara might have only been 17, but she had always acted way older than she really was, and with the maturity came a different line of thoughts. Sara grew up always wanting a family of her own, a husband, and a house full of kids. But now that half of that dream was almost here, her brain wanted to rethink it all.
Dante’s was cool, from what she had seen of him. He seems nice so far, attractive, that’s for sure, and the fangs are a plus… But she just can’t picture herself being a wife. Being married to someone, at least not yet. Actually, she never really thought about this part of marriage, the whole you-kind-of-belong-to-someone-else part. It was kind of scary to think about.
Sara thought she heard a light knock on her door, but it was so light that she couldn’t be sure if she was hearing it or if it was just her imagination. Climbing out of bed and looking down, making sure all the important parts of her were covered, she walked to her door. Sara opened it and was bombarded with the afternoon sun. She quickly threw her hand up to block her eyes and started squinting. Her dad handed her an envelope, a big legal looking envelope, addressed to her, obviously, but the sender was none other than Oxford University.
Guess Dante` wasn’t joking after all. Sara thought to herself.
“Why don’t you come out and open it?” Joel said gruffly. I was obviously supposed to put on a show for the family.
Sara stepped out of her room and noticed her grandparents sitting on the couch with her mom and little sister, Mari. Everyone exchanged hellos and then Sara sat down in the recliner, sitting cross-legged on her feet.
Sara looked at the front of the envelope again, then turned it around and dug her finger in the tiny slit in the corner and tore. The whole thing was very legal looking, the whole bit, down to the expensive looking paper. Sara took the papers out of the holder and started to shuffle through them.
Congratulations!
You have been excepted to Oxford University.
The heading on the second paper said. Having to put on a show, Sara gaped her mouth in astonishment and blew out a breathe, continuing to read the papers. She gave a small laugh and looked up at her expectant family.
“I got in! Oh my god! I got in to Oxford!”
Sara scanned everyone’s face, looking for reactions. Her grandpa’s face was blank, if not a little annoyed, her parents were playing their parts accordingly, looking surprised and awed, and her sister just sat there. Sara's grandma though, she looked pissed. She had her lips pursed and her brows were scrunched in agitation.
“How- How did you get it though? You never applied there, you said you were going to go to the community college.” Sara's mom said.
“Umm… Yeah, actually, I mean, I figured it was a hell of a long shot, which was why I didn’t say anything, but I sent in a piece of my writing, and,” Sara held up the papers in her hand, “I got in,” She finished lamely.
“This is a really good opportunity.” Sara's grandpa voiced quietly.
Joel nodded his approval of the words.
“No! You are 17. 17! You are not going to England, especially not by yourself!” Sara's grandma practically yelled, her face beet red.
Sara sighed.
Here we go, She thought. Might as well say what I’ve always wanted to now… “You know what?” Sara said calmly, “I don’t really care what you think about my going to a once in a life time opportunity for my education. This is my life, and I can decided what I want to do with it, and how I go about getting there. You are not my mom, nor my dad, so you don’t have that kind of say in whether or not I go. I know this sounds incredibly rude, but I am not going to let anything slip away from me because you are scared.”
Sara's grandma stood up and walked to the front door, slamming it as she went. Everyone just looked at each other, not really knowing what to say.
“When do you leave?” Mari asked.
Sara looked at the papers again. “I need to be there within the week, they want me to participate in a summer program before school starts.”
“I’ll look at plane tickets now then,” her dad said, walking to his computer and flicking it on.