One Step Ahead(One Shot)

It seems like everybody in school knows where they're going this spring break...except me.They all have perfect, ideal families, who care about them with every ounce of their hearts...except me. Even though he's never been around much, I long for him. He's the only thing that separates me from an average high school life. But he just had to leave my mom and I for a twenty year-old bimbo. He didn't even look back;just went forward.

Without me.

At the time, my seven year-old mind couldn't comprehend what was occurring to me when he left that night without even informing me or my mother. It was more like a practical joke. I had always thought he'd come running back home to his young, clueless daughter and beautiful wife. But he didn't. Now, at sixteen, his presence has been completely extracted. Gone from my dreams--more like nightmares--my head, and ultimately, my heart. The one thing I didn't figure out was that the brain has an impulse to save the most important moments of one's life, no matter how terribly horrible a catastrophe.

                                                              ***

"Hey Gabbs!"my best friend Lainey shouts in my direction.

Lainey has been there for me through thick and thin. She struggled to remove the terrifying scars of my father's abandonment. She's seen my calm demeanor explode into a thousand flickering embers. Even when my oblivious mother couldn't provide the comfort I needed, she would be there. Urging me on. I have always been grateful for her presence, because I know, in reality, it's rare to discover a friend like her, especially in the in-crowd.

"What's up, Lainey?"I ask while shuffling through the messy inventory of school supplies that decorate the interiors of my locker.

"Do you want to go to Adam Connors' party tonight? It's supposed to be epic.The party of the CENTURY,"Lainey exaggerates, waving her hands wildly in the air to emphasize her point.

"Sure," I answer her,"When is it?"

"Tonight at 8:30,"she exclaims happily.

"Transportation?"I question.

"I'll pick you up at 8:10, okay Gabbs?"

"See you then," I answer before hearing Lainey's swift footsteps making their way towards her mother's impatient form.

                                                                   ***

I glance at myself in the mirror continously. There are dozens of outfits scattered around me. After searching through my whole wardrobe, I finally had found an outfit that met my approval:a flutter sleeve blouse and dark wash skinny jeans with yellow vans. My hair was done up in a high ponytail, with my copper bangs swooping across the front of my forehead. I was wearing black eyeliner and a bit of blush. I didn't want to be caked in makeup like those popular girls in movies, even though technically, I was one.

As I placed the black eyeliner back atop my bathroom counter, my eyes caught a glint of shiny silver. The old owl bracelet my dad gave to me on my seventh birthday. Three weeks before he left mysteriously.

For some reason, I finally had gathered enough courage to pick it up from under my huge clutter of jewelery. Once I did, I could see the tiny diamonds that embellished it, and as I peered closer, the two words engraved on the owl's chest: forever together. I scoffed at the engraving. Look how well that turned out...

And then I put it back on the clutter of jewelry. My head swivels towards the digital clock. It reads 7:50 p.m., which means I have a complete twenty minutes to burn. I grab a random book from my shelf, with the tips of my manicured fingers skimming a little beforehand. I hold the hardcover book in my hand as I plop down on the comfy, plushness of my bed mattress. Though, before I can feast on the millions of intricate words and word lengths in this book, the phone in my jeans pocket starts to buzz. I expect Lainey's number to appear, but, out of my hundreds of known contacts, theres' an unknown one.

"Hello?"I voice out hesitantly into the phone.

"Is this Gabby Taylors?"a husky voice answers on the other end.

"Yeah...it is. Why?" 

For an odd reason, my heart starts to quicken its pace, my palms begin to sweat, and the perspiration on my face forms. I'm anxious, yet nervous. Could it be the moment I've always longed, yet dreaded for? But that's crazy...Right?

                                                     ...