"Hey Auddie, how was school today?" Mom asked as I closed the door.
"Pretty good, I guess." I sighed, "I'm just glad tomorrow's Friday."
"Well, I think I know what will make you happy. There's a letter for you."
I snapped my head to the kitchen counter and found a letter from NYU waiting to be opened. Without hesitation, I ripped open the envelope, I skimmed through most of it until the very ending:
We are pleased to welcome you into our music program this upcoming year. You have shown much expertise as a musician in which we hope you can continue to excel as you join for you freshman year. There will be an orientation on the nineteenth of August and we hope to see you there.
Thank you,
New York University Music Program
My hands started to shake as I put the letter down. This was the best piece of news that I had gotten that April. Mom looked at me waiting for something to come out of my mouth. "I--I got in."
Mom threw the bills in the air and started to jump around, "I'm so happy for you, honey!" She gave me a hug, "I would think you'd be jumping around, too."
"I'm happy, it's just such a shock." I smiled.
"Oh honey, I'm so proud of you. Wait until I tell your father." Mom rubbed my shoulders before grabbing her phone.
AWalsh311: Future Bobcat! Can't believe I'm going to NYU! AH!!!
EleanorJCalder: @AWalsh311 Yay! I knew you could do it! xo
Louis_Tomlinson: @AWalsh311 Proud of you, love!
Real_Liam_Payne: Guess we'll have to visit New York more often, huh? :)
AWalsh: @EleanorJCalder @Louis_Tomlinson Thanks you guys! xo @Real_Liam_Payne You all better! :)
Saturday night, Evelyn and Josie decided to take me out for dinner to celebrate. They wouldn't even let me pay which was odd. Both of them knew I liked to pick out lots of food, but they wanted to treat me well that night.
"So are you going to get an apartment?" Josie asked.
"Probably just a dorm. Not too exciting." I shrugged. But at the end of the day, I didn't care. I wasn't going to NYU and that's all that mattered, "So have you gotten a call back from Julliard?"
"Not yet." Josie flipped one of her blond locks, "But they should be calling soon."
I smiled as I sipped my iced tea, "What about you, Ev?"
"Well, I went to UCLA last weekend for the interview. They promised me they'd tell me with in the next month." Evelyn responded.
"I can't believe it. One more month and then we're finally college students." I sighed, "I never thought this day would come."
Our waiter came with our food, "There you go, beautiful." He winked at me. I gave him a nasty stare in which his cocky smile turned into a scared expression.
Once he left, Josie said, "Wow, Auddie. Do you plan on being a nun? Because you keep chasing guys away who show some interest in you."
"You know, Josie, I have been considering that." I said taking a bite of my shrimp dinner.
"So I guess you and Jackson aren't going out?" Evelyn whimpered.
"Why does everyone think I need to have a boyfriend? I mean seriously, I have you guys telling me to go out with Jackson and then I have half the world begging me to be with Niall." Fury swelled in me. For once in my life, I wish people didn't always ask something of me.
Evelyn put her fork down and rubbed my arm, "We're not trying to tell you to go out with Jackson, we just don't want you to let go of someone you care about because you're afraid they'll hurt you."
Flashbacks of Parker and I ran through my mind. The way his green eyes pierced into my soul and how he caressed my face. The way Parker smiled struck my heart. Then I remember the smirk Parker had on his face when he said it was best if we broke up. It wasn't as if we were "doing anything" for each other. My eyes were shut until I fell someone shaking me.
"Auddie?" Josie's voice rang out.
I shook my head, "I'm sorry. I was just thinking."
"Parker?" She sighed. I nodded my head.
"He was stupid. All Parker wanted was to tell his friend he could get a girl to like him." Evelyn scoffed, "It wasn't your fault, Auddie. Don't take what he did to you to heart. A real guy wouldn't do that."
"I know." My eyes fluttered opened, "That's why I'm careful."
"There's a difference between being careful and completely closed out." Josie said taking a bite of her chicken.
I looked at her for a moment before I sighed and nodded my head slowly. It was easy for Josie to say that, she had never had her heart broken. Never had a guy pretend he cared for you only to dump you later. But then again, I couldn't spend my whole life hiding behind my imaginary wall.
The three of us enjoyed the rest of our night making as many memories as possible and promising each other that we would spend our last summer together happily without a care in the world. Giving them both a hug, I waved goodbye before making my way back into my house.
"Hey Mom! I'm home!" I yelled.
She didn't answer me. I walked around my house suspiciously as I noticed that the living room was slightly dimmed. This is not a horror film, Auddie. It's okay. Hearing footsteps behind me, I turned around and screamed. Then I noticed my brother's eyes, "Toby! For the love God! What are doing creeping on me?"
"Sorry." He whispered.
I searched his eyes, "Toby? What's the matter?"
His eyes turned away from me, "It's Dad."
Oh no. "What happened, Toby?" I whispered.
"That's just it. We don't know. They went on a protocol round to check the area and Dad's unit never returned." Toby said not taking a breath.
I found the wall behind me and slowly let myself fall before hitting the cool tile. This can't be happening. God, please tell me this isn't happening?! "MOM!" I screamed searching for her.
Running to the bedroom, I found her sitting on her bed staring into space completely numb, "Mom?" She didn't move a muscle. Mom just sat there. Tears began to run down my face, "Mom, please talk to me! Come on, stop it! You can't do this again! Stop it!"
I tried shaking her as my breathing began to get heavier and heavier. Trying to calm myself down, I felt my heart racing faster and faster. But I couldn't stop breathing hard. My lungs started to close up and I felt a bit winded. I tried taking a breath but something in my body wouldn't allow it. Black dots started to attack my eye sight when I finally felt the cool floor hitting my face.
Beep. Beep.
Where am I?
Beep. Beep.
I opened my eyes to find myself looking at a white ceiling. This wasn't my room. Turning my head to the left, I found a heart monitor and some liquid on a stand pumping into my veins. To the right, I saw Toby sitting on an old couch while Mom looked out the window. Was I in a hospital?
The last time I was in a hospital was when I was ten years old. I remember the cold sheets that tingled on my skin. The last time I was here, it was for one reason and one reason only: seizures.
A knock came from the door as I saw a tall man coming towards me, "Good, you're awake." Doctor O'Brian said. I remembered him when I was ten. He looked the same with dark eyes and blond hair, but I could tell he had more wrinkles and graying hairs.
Mom walked up to my bedside, "Are you okay, Auddie?"
"What happened?" I asked, still slightly dazed.
"You had a seizure."
"What?" No, it can't be.
Dr. O'Brian took out his medical sheets, "Tell me, Audrey, have you been feeling stessed out lately?"
I rolled my eyes, "Well, yeah. I've had a lot of stress lately, but not enough to give me seizures."
"Funny, because here you are. So you must've been extremely stressed."
Mom turned to me, "Auddie? Have you been taking your medication lately?"
"I....well...no." Honestly, I hated my medication. It always made me feel less hungry and just so numb.
"Auddie, how could you?" Mom scolded.
"That might be one of the reasons why you're here." Dr. O'Brian sighed before looking at his watch, "It's four thirty right now. I'm going to let you rest some more. I'll give you the test results later this morning."
My mother nodded as we watched Dr. O'Brian leave our sight. "We'll I should probably listen to the doc and take a nap. Night."
"Not so fast." Mom said, "Auddie, I know that you hate taking that medication, but you know how you get when you don't take it."
I rolled my eyes, "Look, it's not a big deal."
"Are you kidding me?! Look at where you are right now?! I know it's hard on you to have your father gone and now we don't even know where the heck he is or he's even alive! But you don't need to be so selfish all the time!" Mom screamed.
Tears began falling. Mom's eyes were bloodshot. I had never seen her so angry at me before. Her face slowly came back to normal before she said, "I'm sorry, I shouldn't--"
"No, you're right." I wiped the tears away, "I have been selfish lately. I'm sorry, Mom." Opening up my arms, Mom came into my embracing as we let the tears run down our faces.
I never thought I'd be back here again. Never thought that the possibility of never seeing my father again would actually come. Yet all of that was happening right before my very eyes, and there was nothing I could do about it. Not one thing.
A/N: If you noticed, I didn't put a picture of Niall at all. Just thought it would kinda be uncalled for considering this chapter has really nothing to with him. Anyways, tell me what you think! Comment and vote!
And take a listen to Coldplay's "Fix You." Probably one of my favorite songs.
xo AC Leon