The Rose & The Bell Jar

1

Amelia's POV

   I finish my jog and head inside my house. If I wanted to stay in shape, I needed to work for it. I pull out earplugs and go upstairs. I was in desperate need of a shower. I stripped off my clothes and opened the shower door. I quickly wet my hair and put in my shampoo. Then I washed my body and put in conditioner.

   I hop out of the shower and put on my towel. Then I comb my hair. I was too lazy to put on my robe, so I just kept my towel on. My long brown hair took about 15 minutes to comb through. Then I took out my contacts. I had forgotten that they were in. My hands searched the carpet for my glasses. They were thick rimmed and brown.

   If I had to have glasses, these were definitely the ones for me. They went well with my brown eyes and hair. Sometimes I even thought I looked cuter with glasses on. I walked to my dresser. I decided to have a lazy evening, and put my pajamas on. I decided on my yellow ones with white polka dots. They were cotton and very comfortable.

   I grabbed my kindle and went down my wooden stairs. Waiting for me downstairs were my purple fuzzy socks. I slipped them on. My dog greeted me in the kitchen. He was a French bulldog , named Archie. I got Archie for my 11th birthday. I am now 16. So he was about halfway through his life. I walked to the couch and plopped down on it.

  I turned on my kindle. I surfed the web for a few minutes with Archie on my side. Then I got back up. I had forgotten to get the mail when I was out. I opened the front door. The sky was getting ready for the night. I skipped down to my mailbox and then came back. It was August, but the wind tonight was pretty chilly. When I got back in, I sat on the couch with the mail.

   I flipped on the TV. Friends was on. I loved this show. I opened the mail as I was watching. Bill for my mom, bill for my dad. Coupon for the book store. Yes! I loved to read. Especially history books. Everyone thinks I am weird for liking informational text. But I find it very enriching. I saw a lavender envelope in the middle of the stack. I pulled it out. It was a small envelope.

  It had many stamps on it. I knew who it was from at once. It was my grandpa. He lived in California. He often sent letters. We were very close in relationship, but very far in distance. My family lived in New York. We visited them annually. I always loved seeing them. By them I mean grandpa AND grandma. Also known as Gammy and Pappaw. They insist that I still call them that. I tore open the letter with my long, red painted fingernails.

   It had stickers of US flags on it. Grandpa used to be in the military. He always had stickers and stamps with US flags on them. His hand writing was very neat for a guy his age. The letter read "Grandma isn't doing too well. She is in the hospital getting looked at. We aren't sure what is wrong with her, yet. We are at the California State hospital. We will keep you posted. Much Love, Pappy Joe." This would be a nice thing to call us about. I thought. I chuckled at my grandpa's lack of use with technology.

  He had a phone, but for some reason didn't like to use it. I picked up Archie  and went upstairs to show my parents the letter. I walked into their room. "I got the mail. Look at this letter from Pappy." My dad took it. After reading it, he shook his head. "That's terrible. I'm calling him."

   Grandpa picked up almost instantly. He loved being talked to. He probably waited by the phone for a call. "Hi, my son!" Exclaimed grandpa on the other end. "Yes, hi. Have you found out what is wrong with grandma yet?" There was a slight pause. "Not yet. I think the nurse is coming in now." My dad looked confused. "How long have you been there?" He asked.

   "A few days. We have been waiting for test results." Grandpa replied with a raspy voice. "Okay. I'll let you go." Said my dad. "Bye." "Bye" replied Pappy.  "That's strange." Said my dad, when the call had ended. "I wonder what's wrong with her."
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I didn't worry about grandma, too much. She was the toughest woman I ever knew. She was an inspiration. And though she showed tough love, she always came around. I know she loves me. And I love her. It would seem crazy for something to happen to her. It almost seemed impossible. That's why I didn't think about it.

   I decided it was time to go up to my room. I had had a good, long day. I sat on my bed and pulled the covers over me. I checked my phone and kindle multiple times. I looked at my schedule for the next day. It looked like I had PE for first period. Great. I thought. This was my worst subject. I often had to charm the teachers to get the grades that I wanted. However it did make me feel guilty.

   I had gotten new tennis shoes the week before. I guess I would finally get to try them. Hopefully they would have an impact on my performance. Thankfully we were starting the volleyball unit. At least I wouldn't be running around as much.

   I flicked my TV on. Archie jumped onto my bed. He decided on laying by my feet, tonight. You never know with him. Last night he was almost on my face. I texted my best friend, Lizzie, a pic of Archie. She wanted nightly pics of him. I added a text that said "Archies spot for the night." Before I could see a reply, I fell asleep, holding my phone.

  A/N: This is the longest chapter I've ever done! 1033 words! That might seem short to you, but it took a long time for me to get this the way I wanted. I think this idea could be really great. I would love for people to see this idea, so that it doesn't go to waste. Please tell people about. Vote and comment please. I will dedicate every chapter to someone who comments or votes! Ily ;))