Twisted Rope

Chapter -4 Anna

     Two weeks have passed since our amazing night together the night I have been waiting for a long time. Jack and I have never felt more closer; I feel like the giddy girl when I first met Jack and we went out on our first date. Jack left after graduation to head back to his grandpa's farm. The distance is hard when you're used to seeing each other everyday but we make it work between our phone calls at night a few messages throughout the day. I'm still trying to convince my parents that I still wanna go to the University of Kentucky and I will be okay on my own. They don't know I already applied to the University and have been accepted; I just found out yesterday. I plan to tell them tonight but I have put together a presentation for them to help them understand my case. I know they are worried about me and have expressed multiple times their concerns about living with Jack. They love Jack but they think I'm too young to be serious with Jack because high school relationships usually don't work out. Jack is my best friend I want to marry him one day; I know I'm young but me and Jack are ment to be.

     I'm headed home from the grocery store when I see Jack's name flash across the screen turning the radio done I swipe on the screen to answer the call. "Hello, beautiful" Jack says, I can feel his smile through the phone. "Hi! I'm on my way home to talk to my parents about school again, I really hope they can understand my point of view" I rant on for another few minutes telling Jack all about my presentation I have made for them. "You will do amazing and if they don't want you to go still have you talk to them, we will figure this out Anna; we always do", there he goes again being Jack. Jack was always seen as the tough bad boy at school, the captain of the football team and the life of the party but no one ever thought we would work out because I was just the shy girl, straight A student with no life. They don't know him like I do, no one has ever taken the time to get to know him like I do the caring and supportive side. After talking to Jack on the phone, I hang up as I pull into my driveway my mom is sitting in the porch in her usual spot drinking her tea and reading.

My mom greets me with a cheerful smile and follows me inside the house. My dad is already sitting at the kitchen table reading the newspaper paper as I place the bags on the countertop and put things away my dad clears his throat looking up at me over his newspaper, "Anna when your done with those groceries come sit down. Your mom and I want to talk to you". After putting the carton of milk in the fridge I make my way over to the kitchen table, my mom still seems rather cheerful for how this conversation is going to go; they are going to tell me I can't go. I start to open my mouth to speak but my dad raises a hand to stop me. "Your mother and I both have been talking, Jack is a great young man, but you are too young to think this is anything more than a high school relationship. You need to branch out on your own to grow as a person, you can't follow a boy to college. My head is spinning with emotions as they continue to talk to me like a child when they have no idea what I really want. It's always Jack; they think I'm only doing this because of Jack well they are wrong. "I am not.." I squeeze in as my dad begins to speak over me "Anna, would you please allow me to finish?". I listen on slumping back in my seat, "Even though, we both agree your to young to leave we only want what is best for you. Your mom and I will trust that you are making the right decision if you are doing this only for you". My brain is still processing what they just said to me, jumping out of my seat I run around the table to hung my dad and my mom thanking them for the support. My dad clears his throat "Anna, we do have one condition we would like you to follow" I look at them with a confused look on my face and sit back down in my seat. "Honey, your dad and I both have agreed to pay your tuition for the first year if you agree to live at the dorms instead of Jack's grandpas farm. We both think it would be better for you to have your own space that allows you to grow as a young woman, but still be able to maintain whatever relationship you have with Jack".

     I cannot say I disagree with my parents on wanting me to grow as an individual. I was looking forward to living with Jack, but if this will keep my parents happy I am not going to complain. "I can do that if it will make you guys stop worrying about me so much" I explain to  both of them with a smile on my face. My mom gives me a reassuring nod and my dad gives me a kiss on the cheek, "We love you Anna and we only want what is best for you". We finish out the rest of the evening enjoying dinner and talking about my plans for the summer. I'm sure going to miss family dinners when I leave and the peacefulness of our little town.

     After dinner, I walk out to the barn to do the nightly feedings. The wind blows warm air around me as the sun begins to set in the distance, the sky bright with color as it sets behind the barn. The horses are waiting patiently to come in as I open the gate the horses head straight for the barn and straight to their stalls. The horses know it's dinner time and they don't need me to lead them inside one by one. I toss a few flakes of hay in each of their stalls and top off their water before heading to the loft to call Jack. I'm so excited to tell him the news, I hope he doesn't mind that I have to live at the dorm for a year. I pull up his contact and hit the call button, the phone rings and rings reaching his voicemail. I dial his number one more time on the fourth ring, he picks up but all I can hear in the background is loud music and laughter from people. "Hello... Hello?" I say to no one but the sound of loud music the phone goes silent. I think he answered the phone by accident or there is bad signal. I send him over a text anyway:

Anna: Hi! Please call me when you can. I have exciting news!

I finish locking by the barn making my way back to the house. I let my thoughts wander about what Jack is doing right now. Jack has not been much of the party type since high school so I was surprised to hear loud music in the background or maybe he's just got with a few friends. I continue to get ready for bed and hear my phone ding on the night stand next to me:

Jack: I'm out tonight. I'll talk to you soon.

Weird. Jack usually is not very short with me and we usually call each other every night. I decided thinking too far into his message and I will talk to him tomorrow. I set my phone down for the night and drift off to sleep excited for fall to come.

———

Let me know what you guys think 🤔