The Loudest Silence

Isabella

I clasped my hands together and allowed them to dangle in front of me as fresh fallen leaves crunched beneath my boots. My eyes grazed over the tall buildings that littered the perimeter of the campus as a warm feeling filled my heart. Butterflies flew around my stomach as I heard the excited murmurs and chatters erupting from the crowds of people. The fuzzy feeling in my heart intensified as my eyes roamed over the campus I would soon be walking through. I continued walking through the long pathway as I admired the beautiful nature surrounding the buildings. Benches were scattered throughout the quad, beneath the tall trees that were shedding colorful autumn leaves. 

I was suddenly snapped out of the trance I was in by a rough hand that enclosed my elbow roughly. I lifted my now widened eyes towards my father  who stared down at me with nothing but resentment in his eyes. 

"If you weren't day dreaming of the pathetic life you'll never have, maybe you wouldn't have missed the sign directing us towards the office." He sneered as he looked at me in disgust. I visibly gulped as my eyes frantically looked around us to see if anyone had seen the altercation. I relaxed slightly as I realized nobody was looking our way and turned back towards him. His menacing stare burned hole in my head as he twisted my arm painfully. 

"I'm sorry." I muttered lightly as I squeezed my eyes shut painfully. I could feel a bruise approaching from the strong grip he had on my arm, and bravely tried freeing myself to cease the ache. 

He scoffed at my response and let go of me as I hastily began rubbing my arm to ease the pain. I pushed back the tears that threatened to fall out and put on a brave face to mask my weak and worn out one. He began walking towards the large building in front of us which had a large sign reading 'College Admissions Office'. Pulling a strand of fallen hair back behind my ear, I followed behind him into the office as I allowed my hair to curtain over my face. 

I was instantly met with a fresh minty scent as I entered the nearly silent office. I made my way towards the desk where my father stood sporting a fake smile as he chatted with the receptionist. As I approached the desk, she looked up and flashed me a friendly smile before she continued typing away. The strong scent of her perfume met my nostrils as I stood a few feet away from my father waiting information. 

"Alright, we have Isabella Wright listed here for an appointment in about 10 minutes. You folks can go ahead and take a seat right here and we'll let you know when she's ready for you to come in." She explained cheerily as she flashed her blinding white teeth at us. I flashed her a small smile and a nod before turning and making my way to a seat in the far corner. My father joined me, a seat away from me and ignored my presence as he flipped through a random magazine. 

As I sat there in the office, I looked around at the many things occupying the space. It had been years since I had stepped out of the house properly, and felt like ages since I had been anywhere beside my home or bedroom. I wasn't clueless on the life passing by me, I had tried to keep up with the world with as many resources as I could, but with the life I live, my chances for free time are slim. 

I let out a deep sigh and glanced over at the still beaming receptionist and studied her glowing features. Her strawberry blonde hair flowed down her back, clipped neatly with a pin. She looked to be in her mid thirties, yet a single wrinkle wasn't visible upon her face. The crinkles by the side of her eyes indicated that her cheery attitude wasn't just for the sake of her job and more so because she was an overall happy person. I let out a small sigh as I thought of the happy life I could've lived at one point. If I was ever granted the chance at that life, I would be cheery and happy too. Glancing to my right, I looked to see my father glaring angrily at his phone as he rapidly typed something. I turned away quickly, hoping he didn't feel my gaze upon him knowing he would cause a ruckus in the midst of the silent office. I could tell it took him all his willpower to not lay a hand on me any chance he got since we arrived on the campus, but he played his cards right,  never allowing another to see his true self under the mask he wore to the outside world.