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Unique New York

College: Year Three Winter

"One grande, extra hot latte, for Lauren."

Sabrina set down an all too familiar white Starbucks cup with the iconic two-tailed mermaid on the front. She slips a sleeve on it before giving it to a black haired woman with a notepad on her arm. She was studying for something of some sort. She looked up from her papers and gave Sabrina a half-hearted smile. This sort of job doesn't get that much praise from the public, she thought. But in her deepest thoughts, Sabrina believes she deserves it.

She left home to continue her education. She wanted to learn how to become a journalist. Her excitement was contagious when she got her acceptance letter three years ago. She couldn't wait to start. Sabrina began right after high school, leaving almost everything she had behind to continue her education. Her parents, Mr. and Mrs. Summers, were sad to see her go, but she knew that it was what she had to do.

Sabrina's co-worker walked up to her and told her that her shift had ended. She handed the boy her smock and untied her brown hair, letting it fall around her shoulders.

"Do you have to do that here?" the boy asks. Sabrina blushed and went to the back to retrieve her things.

---
"Can anyone tell me what their story is?" Sabrina's professor stood at a mahogany pedestal in front a class of about thirty students. "No one? Oh yes you." He pointed at a younger boy a few rows behind Sabrina who stood up and shoved his hands in his jacket pockets.

"Well my name's Jason, and I'm from Everett, Washington, I went to Glacier Peak high school where I graduated with high honors."

"That's great Jason, but that's not your story. That is a summary of your location and what you've accomplished. Your story is what makes you, well, you." Everyone looked confusedly at the person next to them. Jason quietly sat down as the professor continued. "For your final assignment of the year, I want you to write a story recounting the moments and things which held the strongest emotional ties to your past through another character."

Sabrina was taken aback at the mention of such an intimate paper. As if in response to her question, her professor continued. "Now, if you all are too embarrassed or believe it is too personal to recount your past, even through another person, I completely understand. If you have chosen that path, I would like you to still write a story with a meaningful plot line, but it doesn't have to be directly from your personal experience."

This rose some questions for Sabrina. It may have seemed easy for most to remember something from their past, but when Sabrina left California, she also tried to leave behind herself. Or at least the self she used to be.

Back at her condo, Sabrina took out five large cardboard boxes, each filled with photo albums, picture frames, notebook papers, and old school binders. She walked about her condo looking in closets for more boxes. Opening her bedroom closet, she looked up and saw another box. Sabrina inched it over the edge of the shelf, but the contents of the box fell out, knocking her to the ground.

Sabrina moaned. There was a heavy stack of books tied together that had fallen on her head. Leaning against the side of her bed, she pulled the books on to her lap and untied the string holding them together. The book on the top was an old children's book her mother must have packed for her. Sabrina opened the cover and saw a note was written.

I know you're now a big-time New Yorker, but I never want you to forget the times you had back in California with your family and friends. I hope to see you soon because I love you.

~Mom

Sabrina paused when she saw the next book on the pile. It was her senior year book from back when she was in high school three years ago. She was hesitant in opening it, but she eventually swallowed her fear and opened the cover, revealing numerous signatures and notes from her high school classmates. The second page of signatures only held one; it was from her high school sweet heart: Anthony Tran. At the end of the long note was his signature, messy yet curly, and his contact information with a side note that said "just in case".

"Anthony," Sabrina whispered to herself. She thought she had buried her feelings for him deep inside, where they couldn't come to surface again. "No," she said to herself, setting down the yearbook. "There's bound to be something else I can write about for this paper." Sabrina tied the books back together and placed them back on the shelf with the other things which had fallen out.

For the next hour, Sabrina sat at her kitchen table, flipping through the dust-covered pages of her older works. She read multiple creative writes, along with journal entries she wrote for her future self to remember. In almost every document which came from her time in high school, the name Anthony appeared. He was sometimes referenced to as Tony though. Sabrina soon realized that it was time for her to grow up and face her past. She opened the year book another time and called the cell number.

The phone rang five times before redirecting her to his voicemail. Sabrina took a deep breath and answered. "Hey Anthony," she began. "I know it's been a while, but I'd like to talk to you. Just email me at this address."

She didn't know what she was so nervous about, but Sabrina found herself sitting patiently at her kitchen table with her hands neatly folded in her lap. Her phone buzzed and she pounced on it like a cat would a mouse. Her face fell when she realized it was a text from her roommate, Brooklyn.

Brooklyn: Where are you? It's movie night, remember? And you better not forget the coffee.

Sabrina thought about this for a moment and came to the conclusion that she couldn't just sit there all night waiting for Anthony to answer.

"He's probably not going to respond for another day or so. Go to movie night."

---

"Who's Anthony Tran?" Brooklyn teased, dangling Sabrina's phone in front of her face.

"Brook!" Sabrina dropped the bowl of popcorn on her lap and reached for her phone. She snatched it out of her friend's hand and checked the lock screen. There were three missed calls. One from her mother, and two from Anthony. At the bottom of the list, there was an email titled "Long time no see". It was from Anthony.

"Well?" Now the other people were all staring at them, and someone had muted the movie. It was too dark to tell who was holding the remote, so Sabrina couldn't tell them off. Though at the moment, she was distracted by Brook's violation of privacy.

"Maybe I should just leave," Sabrina said defiantly. She picked up her bag and walked out the door, leaving her friends in shock.

Back at her condo, she listened to Anthony's voicemail over and over and over. By the fifth recording, she had practically memorized it.

"Hey Sabrina, I didn't expect a call from you, it's been so long. I mean, I'm not upset you called, just surprised. But not in a disappointed way. Um." At each pause, she held her breath, ready for him to continue. "Well, I guess I'll just email you. Thanks for calling me- um, I mean. Bye."

She opened her email where she saw he had already sent an email.

Sabrina,

It's been a while hasn't it?
I was not expecting word from you.
Of course, not in a bad way, but a surprised way.
So what kind of project are you doing?
I know you're at college doing journalism so I suppose it's some sort of creative write, right?
I don't think I'll be much help to you, but I'll try.
Email me back and we can talk. Or, better yet, if you'd rather call me, just let me know when so you don't catch me during one of my classes.

Yours,
Anthony

By the end of the email, Sabrina was winded. It was as if she were getting to talk to a celebrity. But this was just Anthony. Just Anthony Tran: her high school sweet heart. Stretching her back and splaying her fingers, Sabrina placed her fingers on the keyboard and began to type.

Anthony,

It'd be great to talk to you again.
I honestly wasn't planning on emailing you either.
Not that it was a mistake or anything, just. Yeah.
So, about my school project. I have to write a story about my life. I was hoping you could help me with that.
My idea was to write about my high school experience, but for some reason I'm not able to remember much. I just need some things to remind me of our times in high school.
Please email me back some time, or just call me.

Sincerely,
Sabrina

She wanted to look over the email a few times, but she knew if she didn't send it that very moment, she would chicken out of sending it at all.