High School Has Its Perks

"So Leena, have you decided what you want to do in college?" her older brother Pierce asked.

"Not yet" she said. They sat around the thanksgiving table. She had her three older brothers around her while her parents were preparing desert in the kitchen. "Psychology is on my list, though"

"What else?"

"Maybe teaching" She said. "I'm not sure yet"

"I went undeclared for two years" Josh said. "No rush whatsoever"

"Not to Cal" Leena said. "He won't leave me alone about choosing a major"

"I'm just saying you need a plan!" Callum said. "Once you have a major you can pick a school that specializes in that topic"

"I don't really care" Leena said. "I just want to go to college. When in doubt, major in english"

"Damn right!" Pierce said. Callum chuckled.

"I don't even have time to think about majors and college. With all the school work I get plus ice hockey try outs PLUS trying to hang out with my insane friends, I barely have time to focus on that" Leena said.

"High school is not that bad" Callum said. "I think you're just not managing your time well"

"I am!" Leena said. "It's hard"

"Nah, it wasn't that hard" Pierce said. "it's alot of work, yes, but managing everything else wasn't hard. Once you take friends out of the equation..."

"Why do I have to take friends out of my daily life?" Leena asked. "They're my friends!"

"Yeah but you don't need to see them everyday"

"Yeah I do" Leena said. "Because they're insane like I said. We've spent almost every other day together since the summer" she said.

"Why?" Cal asked.

"Because we've been through a lot" she said. "High school is stressful"

"No it's not" Josh said. "New York University was stressful, high school was nothing!"

Leena rolled her eyes. "What makes your high school experience so difficult?" Pierce asked.

"Well first of all. You guys graduated high school like five years ago when our president was white redneck" she said. "Times have changed"

"Answer the question!" Cal said. "Just because I graduated high school in a cringe-worthy, 2004, doesn't mean I don't know the experience"

"Well" Leena started. "First of all, in April, I was in a life-threatening car crash and almost lost my leg. So now whenever it rains, It hurts like a bitch" she said. "Then one of my best friends and neighbors died in a car crash. Now I'm watching one of my best friends drink himself to death" she said. Josh and Pierce turned to each other. "I almost lost one of my friends to potential brain cancer" she went on. "Should I continue?"

"No, I think--"

"Well I have more to say" She said. "My friend who's an alcoholic? Yeah he's super insecure in himself, I wouldn't be surprised if he's clinically depressed. Another one of my friends deals drugs on the side. Sean, hasn't even been the same since Dakota's death this summer and probably will never recover" she said. "So yeah, high school was just soooo fucking dandy for me"

"Never mind" Callum said. "You win"

"I wasn't trying to win" she said.

"Would life be easier if we were around more?" Josh asked softly. I guess they felt kind of guilty going so far away from school leaving their only sister to struggle on her own. They didn't even call after Dakota's death.

"I'm fine" she said. "It doesn't really matter anymore, you guys are here all the time" Pierce smirked.

"Do you at least talk to mom and dad?" Leena shook her head. "Why not?"

"What are they going to do?" she asked. "They don't understand"

"I wish I could tell you that's not true" Cal said. "But parents just don't understand, it's like the law" Leena smiled.

"We're going to throw you a kick ass grad party" Pierce said. "It'll be awesome"

"It better be" Leena said. "I've been to three high school graduations in my life just wishing it was my turn. You guys have to scream when I get announced at graduation"

"Uh, excuse me?" Cal said. "We're making signs, we'll have streamers. Fuck, maybe we'll bring some blow horns"

"Group hug!" Pierce announced. He reached across the table and put his arms around the three of them.