Life as a Lynch

Epilogue

Four years of college was definitely a life changing experience. I made some really great friends, learned even more about music than I already did, and I made amazing memories. When people say that college is a lot different than high school, they're not joking. It was so much easier being able to chose what classes to take and when to take them. I graduated at the top of my class; most people thought that it was just because I'm a Lynch and music is basically my entire life, and I can't say they're wrong. I was a lot more advanced on some topics than other students.

My mom and dad have been in New York for the last week helping me pack and get ready to move back to California. I really love New York, but I miss Cali in the worst way. Over the last four years, I have learned that I really hate snow. It's cold and can get hard to drive in and I really just don't like it. I now understand why my mom wanted to move to Cali so bad when she was younger.

"We just loaded the last couple boxes into the moving truck, are you ready to go?" dad asks me as he opens the door to my apartment. I shared an apartment with four other girls during my final two years in college. We were all from a different part of the country; the east coast, down south, central, and me from the west coast. It was interesting to learn how we all do things since we all did things differently. I look around my half of the room one last time.

"Yeah, I'm all set." I answer my dad.

"Then lets go."

The girls I lived with spent the day with their families since they knew I was moving out today. We all said our goodbye's yesterday and made plans to visit each other soon. Since I didn't really have much stuff at my place in New York, we hired a moving company to transport my stuff back to California so that the three of us could just fly back. I still have a bed and clothes at our house in Cali, so I can wait a couple days until my stuff gets back.

I look around my room one final time, then walk to the front door.

"It's been fun New York."

Two days after I arrive back in California, I meet Caitlyn and Olivia for lunch. Every time I came home for breaks or holidays, we met up and would hang out just like old times. Everyone always says that you lose contact with most of your friends from high school; but the three of us have never been closer. We met up at a little bakery type restaurant. It just opened and Caitlyn and Olivia say they come here all the time.

I was a little early, so I figured I'd just go in and get a table for the three of us. Once I was seated, I glanced through the menu. They have things like soup, sandwiches, salads, pastas, and little cakes and pies for dessert. Everything sounds so good.

"Can I get you something to drink while you wait?" A voice I haven't heard in years asks me.

I look up from the menu and I get a little confused.

"Jesse?" I ask him.

"Rhylee? I didn't know you were back in town." Jesse says to me.

"I just got back yesterday. How long have you been back?"

He nods to the seat across from me, silently asking if he could sit down. I nod yes, and he joins me at the table.

"I guess you haven't heard."

"About what?"

"Sophomore year I finally started a game. I was so excited. Everything I had ever trained for and prepared for was about to happen," He began. "After we broke from the huddle, the players took their positions on the field. The first play started and I got the ball, just as planned. All was going well, I started running the ball to the end zone. Then a defender tripped me and I lost the ball and fell, but I got back up, and we started the play again. Just like the first time, I got the ball again. I ran about fifteen yards, and then I got tackled. I felt something tear in my shoulder and it hurt really bad. You know how I am, I don't say when I'm hurt, even when it kills me, I don't complain; but this time I yelled out in pain it hurt so bad."