Fate's Twist

Chapter 1

"Teacher's Pet!"

"Teacher's Pet!"

The cries followed a brown-haired girl running down the sidewalk as fast as anyone carrying 3 college classes' worth of books could run.

"Hey, Madison, did you and the Professor hook up? He must only be thirty years older than you. How was it?"

She shut the door to the bright yellow farmhouse she had walked into just in time to hear the rest of the cries agreeing with that remark become quieter. A policeman was driving by. She locked the door and went around the two-story house, locking all the doors and windows, and ended up in her bedroom. She turned and rested her hands on the windowsill. Madison looked into the room she had lived in her whole life.

Madison flopped down onto her bed and sighed. Why MUST they do that? She thought I'm just smart. I had to work hard to get into one of the top vet schools in North America. I don't get all A's because I am the teacher's pet. I have to study AND work very hard. She lifted herself onto her elbows to look out the window to see if her classmates had left. They had not. Now, they were throwing carton after carton of raw eggs at her house. She knew she should call the police, but that made things worse last time.

"LOSER!"

"UUUGGGGHHH!" Madison flopped back down onto her bed. Kobuk bounded in and immediately started to lick her face.

"Kobuk, stop it!" she said, laughing, "Kobuk!"

Madison flipped over, hugged Kobuk, and sat up. She walked over to her window and closed the blinds.

"If they will not leave or stop, I have to leave... right?" She said to Kobuk.

Madison walked over to her desk and sat down. She started to rifle through her desk drawers for her stationary box. She found it in the bottom drawer shoved in the way back- she only wrote letters occasionally. She chose the most regal-looking card and envelope set with decorative corners colored brown and cream. She started to write. In her letter, she wrote:

"Darling mother, I will miss you. I must go for your safety and mine. I have Kobuk with me. He will protect me. I have taken the emergency money and will pay you back soon. Please don't follow me. Also, please don't be mad. Lots of love, Maddy."

She tucked it into the envelope, sealed it, and addressed it to her mother. She darted into her mother's room and set it on her dresser. She zipped back into her room and checked her watch. It was 2:47. She finished her last college class about 20 minutes ago. Her mom would be home at 5:30. She could make it.

She flung herself onto the floor and started groping around under her bed. After a minute she finally found all she was looking for; her traveling suitcases. She filled the checking luggage, two carry-ons, the duffel bag with her clothes, and the last carry-on with most of Kobuk's things. She rechecked her watch. The timing was crucial. It had only been an hour. She zipped up the bags and lugged them downstairs to the door leading to the built-in garage. While downstairs, she grabbed her electronics, vet books, chargers, and textbooks. She ran back upstairs, carefully dumped these on her bed, and grabbed her travel cosmetic bag and backpack. Madison put the book she was reading- Remarkably Bright Creatures, her laptop and charger, and a spare change of clothes into her backpack and the rest in her messenger bag. She then brought these bags downstairs and put them with the rest of her bags.

She headed down to the basement. She found some nice, sturdy, decent boxes and bubble wrap. She trudged up the cellar stairs with her findings. She packed everything special, meaningful, and necessary into the boxes and sealed them with lots of packing tape. Madison put the boxes with her bags. She glanced at her watch again. 4:45 p.m. She called Kobuk over and put on his harness. She sat on the couch, downloaded the Uber app, and created an account. Madison then called an Uber to take her and Kobuk to the airport. When she finished, she walked around her house, looking at her childhood home.