Sleeping With the Professor

1

A few tears slip out of my eyes as my fingers run through Sarge's fur. My german shepherd best friend looks up at me innocently, not knowing that I'll be gone at this time tomorrow. "Hey bud," I hug him and he wrestles me to the ground, licking every inch of my face. "Sarge you're breath stinks!" I giggle and sit up, his yellow eyes peering into my own.

My mothers voice breaks the silence and Sarge's ears perk at her tune. "Lillian! Dinner!" I hear the patio door shut closed. I lean on my elbows and peer up at the setting sun, it's orange and purple haze easing my pain. Looking to my side I notice that Sarge is gone. His bark resonates from far away and he is scratching the glass door that my mother called out from.

I flick off the stray pollen that landed on my shirt and stand up. Admiring the wildflowers one last time emits one last tear. No more! My feet grudgingly head towards the house and Sarge runs to meet me, walking me back the rest of the way. He's been there for me in my darkest times. He is my guard dog. After the incident I desperately needed one. They're still after you.

Visibly shaking my head to get rid of the thoughts, Sarge rushes past me once I slide the door open. "Sit!" My mom scolds at him as he tries to prematurely eat his dinner. He knowingly looks back at me. If he were human he'd be rolling his eyes.

"What's for dinner mom?" I take a seat at the table as she places the dishes on the wooden surface in front of me.

"Look for yourself," She says impatiently whilst rushing to her bedroom to retrieve my father from his cave.

Grilled chicken, wild rice, corn, and yeast rolls decorate the plates. Licking my lips, I grab plentiful helpings and slather butter all over my food. "Easy Lil," my dad chuckles and kisses the top of my head.

"You don't need those extra carbs," my mom chimes in annoyingly.

Damn.

The rest of dinner goes by with minimal discussion. My parents only child is leaving for college in less than 12 hours and they don't know what to say. I wouldn't know what to say either. "May I be excused?" They nod in unison.

After I bring my plates to the sink, I whistle for Sarge and walk towards my room. The door shuts with a click and I plop down at my desk as Sarge lays at my feet, licking my exposed ankle. I grab my pen and glance at the paper in front of me. It's my bucket list for college.

So far I've written:

• Make at least one friend
• Have your " first" alcoholic beverage
• Go to a club
• Ride on a motorcycle
• Have your first kiss

I tap my pen against the desk for a while before adding a few more points.

• Get a boyfriend
• Join clubs
• Find a job
• Finish writing my book
•

Leaving the last bullet point blank, I shove the paper away and swivel my chair so that I'm facing the center of my room. The once lively room filled with knick knacks and junk I didn't need or use is now packed away. The light blue walls are barren besides a few pictures I didn't have space to pack. I look towards my closet and within it only a few coats and extra shirts hang.

All but one of my three suitcases are packed and ready for the drive tomorrow. Nevada to California. Boy am I ready. The anticipation of what my life is to become is eating away at me. My fingernails turned into small nubs from my constant picking and biting, and I swear a bald spot is forming on the side of my head from pulling at it so much.

I pick up my phone and unlock it. Of course no notifications. If I ever get notifications they're from my parents. Everyone else chose to ignore me in high school. I kept to myself, avoided talking too much, and read. All I did was read. I was known as the "weird nerd" but look where it got me. I was able to get a full ride to the university of my dreams. Whereas the majority of the popular kids are stuck going to the community college in Fallon, Nevada.

UCLA. The beautiful campus was not the only thing to win me over. But the professors, the admissions counselors, other students, and atmosphere were equally engaging to me. The shirt sprawled on my bed for wear tomorrow is showcasing UCLA's mascot. The brown bear smiles at me and I'm overcome with emotion about how close I am to achieving my dreams.

The sound of Sarge scratching at my bedroom door snaps me out of my daydream. I get up from my seat and open the door for him. Sitting back down, I check my phone once more, 9:38.

Knowing it was going to be a long day beginning at 4am, I stripped out of my clothes and walked into my bathroom that connects to my room. I turned on the shower and a few icy water droplets land on my hand. I dramatically shiver and wait for the water to get to the right temperature, scolding hot. Once steam begins to arise from the top of the shower curtain, I know it's ready. My tense muscles relax as the water caresses my skin. I squeeze my eyes shut and run fingers through my hair to rid it of the pesky knots. I can't help but continue thinking about tomorrow.

I must plan each hour.
Each minute.
Each second.
Nothing can go wrong.
This is the moment I've been waiting for.
This is the beginning of the rest of my life.
A fresh start.
My chance to prove myself.
Nobody will stand in my way.