The Journey of a Thousand Miles

Cordelia was taking the train home from her final day of high school in a jovial mood. No more of those standardized exams and bathrooms that were always locked. No longer would she have to deal with lunch that remained a mystery to everyone and running around a smelly gym in order to fill the state physical education. Come September, Cordelia would be attending Tufts University near Boston and life would be grand. To make life all the more amazing, Amber had been accepted to Boston College so the two would be in the same city for school. For some reason, fourteen years of friendship was difficult to be rid of.

It felt rewarding, knowing she was a high school graduate. She let that notion sink into her mind as she walked the New York City streets on an exceptionally warm day. There were actual birds chirping as Cordelia left the grimy subway station in Brooklyn and began walking toward her Bay Ridge home. It seemed that everything was calm, an oddity for the busy city of New York. However, all calm and peaceful notions left her mind as soon as she walked up the porch steps of her home. Her brother Seamus was running out of the door as Kellan ran after him.

“Seamus, give me my Xbox remote or I’ll rip your face off!”

Cordelia rolled her eyes before entering her home.

“Mom, Kellan’s planning on ripping Seamus’ face off. They’re fighting out in the yard.” Cordelia said as she placed her messenger bag on the floor next to the stairs.

“Cor, could you be a dear and break them apart. I need to finish dinner before your father comes home.” Her mother responded as she moved around the kitchen in a flurry of movements.

“Yes, Mother.”

Cordelia walked outside to see Seamus climbing the tree in the yard as Kellan yelled at him from below.

“Seamus, I’m gonna climb up and we’ll both fall and then I’ll kill you!” Kellan yelled.

“Kellan, you will do nothing of the sort. Seamus Oliver, you come down from that tree and give your brother his remote or I won’t give you the cupcake I bought for you.”

Hearing the name of a dessert, Seamus’ blue eyes lit up and he quickly began making his decent. Cordelia turned to Kellan and said,

“Don’t say anything to him. You take your remote and go back inside. If you do as I say, I’ll take you to the movies tomorrow night.” Kellan nodded his head and grabbed the remote from Seamus’s hand when he reached the bottom. Being Kellan, he could not help himself and so he shoved Seamus on his way back into the house.

“Don’t you retaliate, Seamus! This is your fault.”

Cordelia walked back into their home to see her mother slaving away at the stove.

“Crisis averted.” She told her mother. Clarisse merely nodded her head and told Cordelia to set the table as she stirred the pasta sauce.

“You’re welcome.” Cordelia muttered under her breath and immediately wished she could take back. Her mother had enough on her plate, working late hours at the hospital and dealing with three children. The least Cordelia could do was help her out when she could.

Cordelia set the table and then got her younger brothers cleaned up and once their father was home, the O’Sullivans began dinner while Cordelia walked down the street to Amber’s home. If Cordelia’s home was a wild jungle with monkeys running about, Amber’s was the polar opposite. Amber was an only child and it was almost always quiet at her house.

“Amber, I brought Aladdin.” Cordelia said with a wide smile when Amber opened the door.

Amber let out a squeal as the two quickly ran to the living room and put the movie in the DVD player. Aladdin was showing Jasmine a whole new world when Amber took a deep breathe and blurted

“I invited Ryan.”

“But Amber, I thought this was a movie night with just us.”

“No, I don’t mean just that.”

“Well, then what” Cordelia asked as she examined her perfectly painted red nails.

“Ryan is coming over today and I kind of forgot to tell you. But, that’s not what I want to talk about.”

Cordelia looked up and locked her blue eyes onto Amber’s hazel ones. “Then what exactly is it?”

“I was talking and I didn’t mean to but you know how I trail off and I ended up talking about the road trip and…”

“No, don’t tell me, Amber.” Cordelia said with wide eyes.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to.”

“Amber, if Ryan comes…”

“Yes, I know, Jace comes too. I’m really sorry.”

“Fucking hell.” Cordelia said.

She took in a deep breath before shaking her head. “No, it’s fine. I’ll ignore him. It’s not your fault that you can’t keep your mouth shut and it’s definitely not your fault that I’m spending my summer with the guy I hate.”

“Lia…”

“It’s ok. Seriously, I’ll just ignore him. It’s fine.”

“You’re not mad?”

“Of course not. I’m a little annoyed but it’ll pass. It’s fine. I promise. If I was upset, you know for a fact that I’d let you know.” She said, giving her friend a smile.

“Maybe he’ll even be civil.” Amber said hopefully.

Cordelia sent her friend a disbelieving look. “Are you kidding me? We’re talking about the same kid who put glue in my hair, last year. We were seventeen! He’s never going to grow up. Civility and Jace Michaels don’t go well together.” Cordelia said with a frown.

Right then, the doorbell rang. “I’ll get it.” Amber said as she got up and headed to the door. Cordelia curled into a ball and tried to disappear before Jace appeared. Unfortunately, a familiar mop of brown hair came into view followed by an annoying voice.

“Did you hear, Cordelia? You, me, the open road and good ole route 95.”

“Fucking hell!” Cordelia repeated.