THIS IS A STORY WROTE FOR ONE OF MY ENGLISH CLASSES IN 12TH GRADE. THE PROMPT WAS 'WHY NOT TO GET OUT OF BED: THE BEST REASONS TO STAY IN BED AND AVIOD THINGS' OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT...ANYWAY, HAVE A LOOKIE-LOO AND LET ME KNOW WHAT YOU THINK. THANKS!!
The sunlight had already made its way through the plastic slats of Amy Rangel’s window blinds, and had begun to crawl up the length of her double bed. It was eleven o’clock on a Sunday morning. Amy’s weekend had lasted two decades, each day dragging onward until she was able to go to bed, where she could sleep time into oblivion. There were times that she wanted to stay in bed, never emerging from the depths of the sea of blankets and pillows that anchored her to a dream world in which things could be manipulated until they were exactly the way Amy wanted them.
Her alarm clock had rung three and a half hours ago, at a time when she would have been able to attend church with her parents, had they any intentions of making her go. Instead, she snaked her hand out from the covers and threw the clock across the room with unexpected violence. Amy did not think that she would have been able to listen to a sermon about lying or adultery or any of those horrible sins that people she lived with committed; to sit in a pew between her hypocritical mother and sleazy dad made Amy want to melt into the floor, convinced that everyone knew just what kind of people the Rangles really were. Her mother, of course, didn’t come in to warn her that she better get her butt out of bed a dressed. They had given up on forcing her to attend church anymore, just like all their other children.
Amy pulled the duvet over her black head, after catching a glance of the stack of scholarship applications waiting impatiently on her desk, and stared blankly at the dark blue shadows cast over her bare arms by the filtered sunlight. She needed to fill out those applications if she expected to be able to pay for college, but Amy didn’t have the energy to set down to paper all the volunteer work she had done out of obligation. It made her feel slimy because she had to use the less fortunate to get what her parents wanted for her. She closed her eyes and heaved a sigh that held all the weight of her parents’ hopes and dreams along with her own ambitions. Her mother had bought the duvet for the guest room that Amy’s bedroom would be converted into once the girl went off to college that coming fall; Amy didn’t even like blue that much. Things seemed to be moving too quickly, without her consent, for a girl of only seventeen years.
It wasn’t until she was in eighth grade that her parents really took an interest in her course grades. Before hand, they had only wanted to make sure that all three children were mostly passing from grade to grade. That had changed when the eldest son, Matt, had gotten his on-again-off-again girlfriend pregnant and eloped with her up in the mountains. Amy had been the last person in the family to find out about the development. Uncle Robert, one of the only upright people in the family, had forced Matt to watch the birth of little Caleb after Matt had spent four months avoiding anyone that had anything to do with his wife. Since then, Matt had seen Caleb only on the baby’s birthdays; Amy had seen him little more that six times. Tony, the middle child, had spent most of his high school days skipping class, smoking pot, and generally being a “bad kid.” Their parents had tried grounding and threatening him, but all in vain; he was a hardheaded kid without any fears of prison or the “establishment,” as he referred to his parents. Tony still lived at home, though he rarely surfaced during the day to say two words to anyone. Amy had become the Rangels’ last chance to produce a decent human being.
Sounds of stirring came from down the hall, approaching Amy’s door. It was opened. Amy lay completely still, pretending that she were a heap of unfolded bedclothes like she had as a little girl playing hide-and-seek; if she couldn’t see them, then they couldn’t see her. This scheme rarely worked. A weight was suddenly added to the bed, behind her back, and was swiftly evened out to the length of a person. He shifted, and then encircled the area where Amy’s waist should’ve been. Amy didn’t want to be touched, but, out of apathy, let him have his way.
”They’re gonna be home in a few minutes.” Tony’s voice still held the sound of sleep. He cleared his throat; it was a course action that made Amy cringe. “When they get here, I’m gonna have to leave. The shit’s gonna hit the fan anytime now.”
It was the same story Amy had heard from Tony since she was little, yet he had come in her room, once again, invading her dark mood with his little dramas that never really added up to anything. She knew that he was going to try and get her to act as a mediator between himself and their parents, because they all knew that she had become the favorite. Amy made a noncommittal moan of sympathy. These habits were so tiring on the soul.
”Yeah, I’m gonna stay at Nick’s. I’m tellin’ you ‘case somethin’ happens. Don’t tell them, though ‘kay?”
Amy nodded her head, not caring whether or not Tony saw, still staying silent.
Tony tightened his grip and after a few minutes asked weakly, “What’s wrong with you?” Something in his voice made it obvious that he only asked out of politeness.
“Nothing.” Amy shrugged and curled into a smaller ball. She mumbled, “Everything.”
A door banged open on the other end of the rundown farmhouse; her parents were home. Her mother was laughing loudly and talking about “that red dress Samantha Hogan wore that makes her look like a complete cow.”
”Let’s pretend we’re dead for a while. Maybe they won’t bother us. Maybe they’ll forget that they even have kids to pretend to love.” Suggested Tony. His voice held resentment and hope all at the same time.
Amy whipped the covers off her upper body, and twisted around to face her brother. She stared into his mirrored brown eyes. They laid there in silence, staring back at one another. For just a moment, the siblings seemed to touch on the same issues and understand each other’s pain. Amy could not exercise the demons out of herself-the fears of college, parental requirements, and sibling ties. Tony seemed to be stuck in a rut of drugs, misdemeanors, and a future promising only disappointment for everyone involved. Though his question had been out of duty, it had hit a chord between the two.
Tony blinked twice and gave a little nod. “Do you wanna come? Nick’ll let ya stay, I bet. You could stay on the couch for a few days.”
Warmth spread over the girl’s body; it was the first time, in a long time, that she felt like anyone in her family cared a little about her mental state. Amy looked away, down to her fist of a hand and bit her lip. Now there were two clear paths set before her. Once, she could stay at home, finish her applications, and stick it out amongst her parents for a few months, or two, Amy could stay a few days at Nick’s, get stoned, ignore the present, and possibly miss her small opportunity in regards to being about to go to college. If she left then her parents, whose attention was hard to hold anyway, would slip away until they finally write her off their list of possibilities. How could such a small decision mean so much?
Ten minutes later, Amy watch Tony crawl off the bed and wave goodbye to her. She pulled the blankets back over her head, not sure whether she had made the right decision. She stayed in bed.
frustrated
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