Crush Vision

Chapter 5

     I grit my teeth as the door slams behind me. I can't believe I missed the bus for nothing. My footsteps echo in the empty hallway. It was supposed to work this time. They even said that— "Ugh!" I turn a corner. I'm too angry to even think straight. I'm mad at myself; I'm mad at them; I'm mad at the fact that it's the second time in a row and I still—why am I not good enough?! What even are their standards; nobody explained anything!

     I see someone coming towards me out of the corner of my eye, but I don't pay them any attention. I just want to get my stuff and get out of here.

     "Henry!"

      I keep walking. The person catches up to me. "Henry, wait—"

     Oh, it's Emmy. "I can't talk right now."

     "But I was waiting for—"

     "Emmy, I don't have time for this!" I yank open the door to the nearest classroom and dash inside, leaving her behind. As I look at the papers I've been carrying, something rises within me. I glare at them and rip them into shreds one by one. After mutilating a few, I toss them in the trash can and slump into a desk, leaving the rest of the pile. There's too many. It's pointless.

     Then it hits me. Emmy said she was waiting for me, and I just slammed the door in her face. Embarrassment and frustration explode in my thoughts. I just gave the girl I like the cold shoulder! I bang my hand on the desk and immediately regret it because it hurts now. But I regret more than that. I can't believe I treated her that way.

     I look at the ruined papers in the trash can and hang my head. Karma, much?

     The handle creaks as the door opens. "Henry?"

     My head jerks up and I meet Emmy's eyes. She steps in the room. My cheeks burn. I stare at the desk.

     She comes over to me. "What's wrong?"

     How do I answer that?

     "Are you okay?" She asks.

     "No," I sigh. I stand up suddenly, unable to sit still.

     "Do you wanna talk about it?"

     I reach for one of the papers again and start tearing it in half. "I don't know."

     Emmy stops. "What are you doing? I thought you needed those!"

     "Not anymore." I grab the next paper.

     "But the college program interview was today, right? You've been talking about it since school started."

     I nod, then pause. "Hold on; is that why you were waiting for me?"

     "Yeah, you were really nervous, so I thought I'd come support you," she tucks her hair behind her ear. "It's only fair, right? I mean, you've helped me out with this kind of stuff before."

     I stop and stare at her. "But the bus—"

     She brushes it off. "Oh, it's okay; I let my mom know ahead of time."

     She waited all this time just to cheer me on? My face flushes. I clear my throat. "Thanks."

    Emmy steps closer. "How did it go?"

     I gesture to the pile of papers. "Well, here's all my work," I crumple up the one I'm holding and trash it, "and there's where it belongs."

     "But you've worked so hard!" Emmy crouches down and reaches in the trash to get the paper. She takes it and smoothes it out.

     "I wasn't good enough for them." I snatch and tear another one. "They never bothered to tell me why though, not even the second time." My emotions rise to the surface, and I destroy more papers.