When Water Turns To Ice | REWRITE AVAILABLE

t h r e e | "I'm Not Afraid To Do What I Want"

  "You really didn't tell him you already submitted your application for the art school?" Cliff asked.

  I sighed, shaking my head as my friend. Cliff was a skinny Korean boy with a strong accent. Our friend group was big enough consisting of about twelve people that all just packed together. But I was closest with Cliff and Mina.

Mina gave me a smile. She was quiet and one of the sweetest girls you'll ever meet. She was an average height but since I was tall for my age she was a head smaller then me.

She adjusted her floral hijab. "Are you afraid?" She asked softly, that was Mina for you, always knowing exactly the right question that somehow offered support as well.

  My hand automatically reached to twirl a chunk of my hair, the shorter piece that always fell over the right side of my face. It was a nervous habit.

  "Maybe I am." I admitted, my light green eyes flicking to the ground. "I just...don't want to disappoint my dad I guess."

"Tell him." Cliff told me. "And if he starts swearing in Spanish then you're screwed."

I laughed. "You're still scarred by that?"

Cliff shuddered. "I didn't even know what he was saying but it was scary."

  "I don't know..." I said getting back on track. "I probably won't even get in."

  Mina pressed her lips together but didn't say anything. Simply looking at me with her deep brown eyes and saying;

  "Do what is best for you."

******

   "GWEN THERE'S MAIL FOR YOU!"

  I snatched the envelope from my brother's hand before he could destroy it. I gently opened it and peeked inside.

Oh. My. God.

  "What is it?" He asked.

  Before I could answer he had snatched it from me. His eyes widened. "You're trying to get in an art school?"

   Crud. I bit my lip.

  Then nodded.

Riley's mocking look had disappeared. An unreadable expression on his face as he read it over. For once I didn't see him as the nine year old he used to be that would pick on me and destroy my stuff. But I actually saw him as a young man. How did he get so tall? When did his voice deepen? What happened to that baby fat around his jaw?

  "This is awesome, Gweny." He said softly, handing it back to me.

  I took it. "I'm just worried...."

  He nodded understandingly. "Yeah." I had forgotten about how he had wanted to try become a professional baseball player. Or at least a coach. He used to chatter when we were younger about it. But then dad's expectations ruined that.

   "Want to watch a movie?"

  I raised an eyebrow, stuffing the letter in the waist band of my shorts. "YOU want to watch movie me?"

  He gave an embarrassed grin. "Yeah, why not?" He suddenly looked less confident the he always seemed.

  "Sure." I said quickly before he got the wrong idea.

  Our parents couldn't hide their surprised looks when they saw us lounging in Riley's room watching a movie on his laptop.