Alyzabeth woke up to her phone vibrating beneath her pillow.
She pulled it out and hit her alarm and groaned. It was going to be a very long
day. She stretched out and sat up in bed. She looked at the time on the clock. 6
am. Ugh, she thought too early. She tapped the photo frame with his naval
picture sitting on the night stand and smiled. At least there was a reason to
this insanity. She would finally get to see him again.
She
pushed down the covers and threw her feet over the side of her small twin
bed. Careful not to wake her mother she
quietly pulled her suitcase from beneath her bed. She opened the lid and walked
to her closet. Finally finding some outfits worth wearing that would keep her
warm, she pulled them off the hangers and started folding them into the
suitcase. She walked over to her cherry wood dresser and opened the bottom
drawer. Lizzie dug through until she found enough undergarments for the week
long trip. She threw them into the suitcase and shut the lid. She zipped it and
stood it up straight. She looked around her small room to remember what she was
forgetting. After grabbing a scrunchie off her bed post she pulled her black
curly hair into a pony tail and made her way to the bathroom.
Even at
a different time this morning, her routine was the same as every morning. She
used the toilet and brushed her teeth. She washed her face and headed outside
to start the coffee pot. Within a few
minutes the coffee was done brewing. She poured out the coffee into her red mug
and sat down on the porch swing carefully sipping the steaming coffee. Although
spring was underway, the morning was still crisp outside. She curled her legs up under her on the porch
swing with her huge coffee cup cradled in both hands. She looked up to the sky
watching as the pinks slowly turned to blue. She inhaled deeply and breathed
out.
The door opened and her mom stood
there. She cocked her head at her daughter and stepped out. “What are you doing?”
“Drinking coffee.” She took a sip
before looking up at her mother.
“Outside?”
“You don’t like the smell of
brewing coffee. So I’m just following the rules,” taking another sip.
“Why are you up so early?”
“Carrie is picking me up. I have a
few things to do at school before my flight. “
“Lizzie”
“Mom, don’t start.”
“But honey?”
“No. I’ve followed all your rules.
All of your wants. I got a bachelors degree, a masters, and in a few weeks I’ll
graduate with a law degree. I’ll pass my bar because you wanted me to be a
lawyer. You wanted me to stay in town so I’ve attended St. Mary’s for the last
eight years. I’ve kept all my curfews. I
joined a sorority. I’ve done everything you have asked. I’m going to go see
him.” Lizzie took another sip of coffee
and turned her body to her mother.
“You’re still after him.”
“I dated others like you asked me
too. I love him. I didn’t leave like he
asked. You can’t keep this up.” She finished off her coffee and sat the mug on
her lap.
“No, you can’t.”
“We love each other.”
“Really?”
“ What? Now your going to try and
convince me that I don’t know what love is?” She put her legs on the ground,
then stood up.
“Lizzie, you are not being fair.”
Her mother pointed at her.
“No. Mom. You’re not.”
Her mother stood looming over her
in the doorway, hands across her chest. Her hazel eyes searching her
daughters. She dropped her hands to her
side. “Lizzie, just stop.”
“No, I wont. I love him and I miss
him. Everyday. I don’t want to fight with you anymore. So if anyone is
stopping, it’s going to be you. Enough is enough. You need to get over your
issues with this relationship. It’s not your choice and you don’t have a say in
it anymore.” She walked around her mother, and into the house. She washed her
red mug in the sink and slipped it on to the drain board to dry. She headed to
the small bathroom closing the door behind her. She looked into the white
mirrored cabinet and saw tears start to fill her eyes. She undressed throwing
her clothes into the hamper. She moved the rubber ducky shower curtain out of
the way and leaned over turning on the water. She stepped into the shower
letting it heat up enough to steam the bathroom and let the tears fall.
She pulled the scrunchie out of
her hair and slid it on to her wrist. After soaping and washing everything, she
turned off the water. Lizze took a deep breath, slid the curtain open, and
grabbed the towel off the back of the toilet. She dried her body then stepped
out of the shower wrapping the towel around her body. Lizzie brushed her hair out, using the
scrunchie on her wrist, combed her hair into a ponytail.
There was a soft knock at the
door. She pulled it open and looked at her mom. “You wont be back before I get
off school?”
“No, my flight is at 1:15.”
“Be careful. Text when you’re
taking off and when you arrive.”
“Of course”
“I love you.” Her mother pulled
her into a hug, kissed her cheek, and left. Lizzie dropped the towel in the
hamper. In her room she pulled a light sundress with white daisies and pulled
on her white wedges. Her phone buzzed and she picked it up off the pillow.
“Hey girlie, are you ready?”
“Yes ma’am. Just gotta grab my
purse.”
“Okay, I’m outside.”
“Be out in a minute.” She stuffed
her white cardigan into her purse, slung it and her back pack on her shoulder,
pulled the handle on her suitcase and walked out to the pink prius that was
waiting outside in her drive.
She heard the trunk click, so she
opened it and tossed in her suitcase. She walked back around and opened the car
door. She flopped her bags off her shoulder on the car floor and slid into the
seat.
“Hello Alyzabeth.”
She smiled at her sorority sister.
“Hello Casey.” She leaned over the middle console and hugged her.
“Bad morning?”
“Wouldn’t expect a good one.” She
looked at her friend and smirked as Casey pulled on to the street. She was an
exotic beauty. Her dark olive skin with ice blue eyes and long straight brown
hair.
“She loves you.”
“I know,” she said placing her
hands in her lap. She stared out in the window. Her neighborhood passing by.
The highway and the familiar neighborhood surrounding her college passing in
the window. They pulled into the back entrance and Casey stopped by the curb.
“Just block it out for now and get
some studying done.”
“Okay”
“I’ll be back at 1130.”
“Thank you” She grabbed her purse
and backpack off the floor of the car. She throwed them over her shoulder.
“Anytime Big” Lizzie closed the
car door after the words and headed onto campus. When she reached the door of
the Law library and stopped. She felt
the vibration in her purse. She searched for her blackberry and found it at the
bottom of her purse.
“Hello?” She answered quickly so
she wouldn’t miss the phone call.
“Hay sweetie.”
“Hi, sweetie.” She looked at her
watch. “ Why are you calling?”
“I just got ouuta a meeting. I had
some free time to talk. How are ya?”
“I’m good. I just got to the
library."
" Are ya going to study?”
“Yes.”
“Okay, well I just wanted to call
and say I mess you.”
“I miss you too.”
“I will see ya tonight?”
“Yes”
“Alright, I’ll be at the airport
at 6.”
“Okay”
* * *
She went and sat at the
benches outside. She knew she was too
anxious to see him to get any studying done. She should have just stayed home
then neither would have had to get up early. She grabbed her bags and headed to
java café.
She stood in line behind some
juniors.
“I can’t believe he’s still so
hard on you”
“ I know, it seems the tapes are
just getting worse.” She knew all to well which professor they were talking
about. She had had him for two classes during her undergrad and three classes
during her graduate study. He has also become her advisor. During the classes
she despised him, but he was the one professor she had searched for graduation
day. He was hard because he expected the best from his students. He also had to
fight against this technology steered generation to have them understand the
techniques and beauty of the written word.
“What can I get you?” She stepped up to the
counter and ordered a chocolate chip muffin and a Java Chip. She would be wired
by the time she got on the plane, but she
didn’t care.
Hey grandbig! I turned behind me
to see my sorority sister, Katrina.
Hey Katarina. What are you doing here?
Well, carrie said she would be on
campus to pick you up so we decided to meet up with the family for lunch. Jessica couldn’t do lunch so we opted for
breakfast. I was on my way to meet her.
That’s great.
COuldn’t study?
No, I smirked, not really.
Too excited?
Honestly, yeah.
Do you want to join us? WE can
hang out and watch everyone after she leaves for class.
Yea, I would love that. I
remembered that was how I met Katarina her first week of school. I would sit on
the grassy knoll beneath the large oak tree with my books stacked next to me
and watch the bustle of the freshman. Katarina had tripped on the uneven
patchwork squares that made up the campus quad and dropped her books. She sat
on the floor tearing up. I got up from my spot and walked to her to help her. I
gathered all of her books up and held out my hand to help her up next. Comeon,
you need to chill.”
“What?”
“Come on, “ I pulled her up and
led her to the knoll. “When’s your next class?”
“Um, thirty minutes…” she
stuttered after checking her watch.
“Where?”
“In the science building.”
Ok, so just sit here. I pointed to
the ground next to my books.
Are you a freshman?
I laughed, no.
What are you?
A junior.
Oh. Um. Why are you sitting on the
grass?
“It’s relaxing. I can sit here
between classes and relax while everyone else is rushing around.
So you just watch.
Yep.
Are you a psychology major?
Nope.
Criminal Justice.
No.
I don’t get it.
What?
If its not part of your major and
why are you being so nice.
Isn’t everyone nice to you here?
Well, yeah, I guess.
Relax.
I am
No, youre fresh out of highschool
full of mean girls, new to campus trying to get your bearings and worring why
an upperclassman is being nice to you. You are not relaxing.
Sorry.
I wont bite. Just breathe. You
only have fifteen minutes before class. What’s your name?
Katarina
Nice to meet you.
Ugh classes today suck. Carrie
walked up to us and dropped her book bag.
Too much homework?
No,they are just inside. Today is
beautiful. I don’t want to be cooped up inside.
I know the feeling.
Oh, Big convince the professors to
teach outside today.
Big?
Hi, I’m Carrie.
Katarina, Whats a big?
Oh you know, the most amazing
person in the world that love me so much she’ll convince our art teacher to
teach outside.
Oh
I’m her big sister in our
sorority. No promises, but I’ll try.
Try now please. Hi Professor
Cowen.
Hello ladies.
Hi Professor Cowen, Beautiful day
out. A great day to see art in its true beauty.
Very suttle Miss Porter.
Yes Sir.
Well you have five minutes to walk
me to class and convince me.
Okay. That also gives you five
minutes to get to biology.
How did you know? The girls rose
and picked up their bags.
I smiled at her, “ Science
building for a freshman.”
Oh of course
See ya later She waved to the girl
as she strode off with the professor. Well, you said we were going to review
architecture today. We have so many examples that we can see on campus.
Why is there a table on the knoll?
Well, I ate my lunch out here
everyday. I think the grounds keeper felt sorry for me. So he put one high on
the hill tthat we still have your spot on the grass to sit.
You came here everyday?
Yea, she did. Now I do.
Hi Jessica, its good to see you
again.
You too.
So what else have I missed since
getting stuck in the law library?
Well, thanks to you the knoll and
its inspiration has been passed through the family.
Yea, Katalina gave me the same
speech you did and I honestly don’t think I would be so level headed and close
to graduation.
That’s amazing.
Oh my god Jessica, its official!
Joyce came running up the knoll.
What
This is officially our spot!
Lizzie this is Joyce. She is the
Greek Life intern. She’s my newest grand lil, Joyce this is Lizzie, my great
grand big.
It’s so amazing to meet you.
You too.
Okay so this summer they will redo
quad and we all put bids in for our spots when they showed us the new outline. I put our bid in to have our letters in front
of the knoll on Fridays.
So first Friday of school next
year we will be set up right here.
That’s amazing girls! Katarina
said
Oh. So sorry I missed the lil
Ceremony.
It’s okay we know your super busy.
And I have your gifts here, Lizzie
said digging through her purse. She pulled out two James Avery boxes. One is
for you and this one is for your big.
Joyce opened the box and pulled
out the material envelope. Inside she shook out the silver Alpha Phi drop into
her palm. Thank you so much!
Thank you for choosing our family.
