Mathlete to Beauty Queen

OPERATION MATHLETE TO BEAUTY QUEEN

"Ashlyn?" Jamie knocks on the door of her guest room. 

"Come on in." 

  I am currently in the process of unpacking my things. When my mom told me I had to go last week, I didn't waste any time. I like to think that If I didn't have Jamie to go to, she wouldn't have made the same decision, but I find it hard to believe. 

  I know that she blames me. I suppose she has a right to, but I can't understand how she could side with my dad.

"Do you want any help unpacking?" Jamie asks cautiously. 

I shrug, "I guess so, thanks."

  Jamie lets out a small smile and begins to unpack one of my boxes. I've been with her for the past two days, and I haven't spoken to her much. Don't get me wrong, I am extremely grateful for her, but I just haven't been in the mood to talk to anyone.

  I figure that I should at least make an effort to be nice, so I attempt to start a conversation, "So, how's work been going for you lately?"

"Great actually, I got promoted to manager! You know, you really should come back to work with us. We've missed you over there," Jamie refers to the Humane Society.

I turn to her, "Jamie that's amazing! Why didn't you tell me?" 

Jamie has deserved this promotion forever.

She looks down, " With everything that's been going on, I figured I would just leave you be." 

Jamie returns to unwrapping breakables and I place my hand on her shoulder. 

"I'm so sorry that I've ignored you these past few months. I know that this has been hard on you too. I just- I didn't want you to hate me too." 

She furrow's her eyebrows, "Does this have to do with what we talked about the day of Bryn's funeral?"

I was hoping she had forgotten about that.

I nod my head, "Yeah. . . And before you ask, I still don't want to talk about it. All you need to know is that it's the reason I was kicked out . . . And It's the reason Mom and Dad hate me so much."

Tears begin to brim my eyes and Jamie pulls me into a hug.

"Whenever you're ready, I'm here for you. I promise that nothing you can say will make me hate you."

I pull out of the hug, "You don't know that." 

Before Jamie has time to respond, the sound of the doorbell rings in our ears.

"I'll be right back," Jamie assures me before leaving the room.

  I plop myself down on my bed. This past week has been extremely stressful. I've been so focused on moving out, and what Camie and I talked about, that I've almost forgotten about how this all started in the first place. 

I miss my sister. 

"Guess who!" A voice causes me to jump up from my bed.

"Gez Camie, way to give someone a heart attack." 

My best friend invites herself into my room and takes a seat on my bed causing me to roll my eyes. 

Jamie's head pops out from behind the door, "Hey girls, I just got a call from work, one of the birds is sick. I've got to go."

This news makes me stand, "Which one?" 

When I worked at the Humane Society, the avian department was always my responsibility.