From Here On Out

25

She felt as if a rock sat on her chest, and there was an unsettling in her stomach, one she knew wasn't because of the baby. She was sitting outside the registrar's office, waiting her turn to go in.

This was it, her last few days in the city. Her parents would be here soon, she just had to tie everything up. She stopped by Lora's office the previous day, in private, only to receive that same condemned look she could visualize from the phone call with her parents. Her dozen apologies were no match for the stern expression Lora saved only for times like this. "Thanks for letting me know. Now go, I have a show to rework," was all she said before Emmy exited the eclectic office space.

The meeting with Lora left her wiping tears all the way back to her dorm. A feeling she felt would be reciprocated soon. Although, this was different in that the person behind these office doors wouldn't know her story, or care to find out. To them, she would be another student they assumed couldn't handle the pressure. They would click their buttons and give her the documents she needed and send her off once more. She was the only one who would connect these documents to the end of a dream.

Her name was called and she entered the room. Step by step the registrar went through his routine to unenroll her. It was so simple, yet there was so much more behind this.

With papers in her hand, Emmy walked out of the building and onto the cold sidewalks. She tried to withhold from blanching the paper with her tears, the wind making that so much harder.

She entered her room, the room they had so thoughtfully curated not too long ago. It was perfectly them, and held promises of a dream they'd accomplish together.

It was a heavy feeling to think she wouldn't be in this room much longer.

She started to pack her things. Dresses she has planned to go out in, dance clothes, everyday outfits, and everything in between, all in a suitcase.

She gathered up everything, decluttering in the process, and deciding what she would just leave for Jasmine.

On her way to the bathroom, she stopped at the wall adjacent. They had framed their acceptance letters and hung them one over the other. She traced her fingers along the black frames, sighing as she went. She didn't move them, she couldn't bear the action of taking it down. It would be too much.

In the bathroom, she gave freedom to the bladder that was beginning to control her more and more. She moved to open the cabinet under the sink and grab her toiletry bag. She filled it with all she had scattered on the surface of the sink and walked out of the small bathroom once more.

Emmy placed the smaller bag next to her large suitcase. From behind her, she heard the locks twist on the door and the swivel as it opened. She turned around quickly and came face to face with Jasmine.

"Hey," Jasmine said cheerfully before noticing what Emmy had halfway blocked by her body, "What- what the hell are you doing?" she asked, tone immediately changing.

"Leaving," Emmy said, bluntly.

"No, no you are not?" Jas replied, looking around their room and taking in everything of Emmy's that was gone.

"Yes I am. I unenrolled this morning." she replied, that same sinking feeling dropping in once the words came out of her mouth.

"What? Why would you do that?" Jas asked once more, completely taken aback by what was happening in front of her.

"I told you my parents were coming. I have to go, I can't have a baby here. What did you think was going to happen?" Emmy asked, tossing a few more things in her suitcase.

Jas shook her head although she did remember their conversation. "I mean yeah, but we're best friends, you couldn't have been a little more open? You know, like i don't know, maybe we could've talked before you just dropped out?"