The Real World by Ana Suzanne W. (readnow .txt) 📖

something inside bubbling up and coming out in the form of a smile. She gave me an interested look, and then turned her attention back to her phone screen.

That night, I fell asleep thinking about the next afternoon.

 

 

 

 

 

The next morning, I dressed excitedly in anticipation of the coming coffee date. I was nervous, and fidgeted all day throughout all of my classes. It was all that I could think about, and my poor teachers’ patience was greatly tried. Finally, it was three o’clock, the time we had set to meet at the college coffee shop.

“Hello,” Felix greeted me as I entered.

“Hello, how are you?” I said in return to his greeting.

“Fine. Beautiful weather we’re having, isn’t it? The sun hasn’t shone so brightly in weeks!” he said enthusiastically.

“I don’t know. I usually tend to say that I prefer warmer weather, but the way you put it, the sun and all, I guess it is really beautiful for being so cold.”

“Would you like a muffin and some coffee?” he asked considerately after we were seated at a cozy and small table in the corner of the café.

“Um, I guess that would be nice,” I replied. We approached the counter and selected what we wanted. He stood at the register, ready to pay, and the cashier asked for his name and student ID.

“Felix Graceton, and my number is 197385.” Suddenly, it hit me. I knew who he was. I was sick to my stomach. Time seemed to slow down, and my past came back to torture me. He is the young Graceton who looked at me the night I hit Anthony Graceton on the tractor. Graceton. They must be related. I wasn’t sure I wanted to see him anymore. I have to get out of this situation before he asks for my full name. I felt as if I were trapped, and I gasped for air.

“Thank you, and are you paying for the nice young lady here,” she asked, motioning to me, “or will she be paying for herself?” Both seemed not to notice my situation. I had to think quickly and get out of this.

Yet, when we arrived back at our table, he surprised me greatly by saying, “Yes, I am a Graceton. I am his younger brother.” Upon his admittance of the fact, I burst into tears. The pressure that had been building finally burst the dam of my tears. I cried, sobbing in a way I hadn’t sobbed since the night of the accident. It may be called involuntary manslaughter, but I felt as guilty as if had been voluntary. He knew who I was. Finally, he placed his arm on my shoulder and said, “Liana, we all make mistakes. It’s in our past. I made the mistake of driving under the influence while in high school. It was shortly after my brother was killed. I severely wounded two people in the car, and killed the other. Do you think that your situation is entirely unique?”

I was very surprised, but managed to whimper, “No.”

He smiled and said, “I was the one that looked at you as you lay upon that lawn, crying and groaning and swearing. Little did I know that I would be in the same situation two months afterwards.” He smiled a sad smile. “Do you feel better now? I know who you are.” What he said next completely took my breath away. “We want reconciliation,” he said simply.

“I… I don’t know what to say,” I stammered.

“I want you to meet my family. They will accept you with open arms. It is much easier to forgive and reconcile when you have been in the same situation.”

I was more than at a loss for words, but somehow I managed to stutter, “I… You mean that they are willing to completely forget and move on?” The idea in itself was almost too much to think about.

“Yes,” Felix said. There were no words left. Nothing I could say would have been appropriate for that moment.

That was the moment that I began to move on. I may have only been nineteen, but that was the turning point. That was the pivotal moment where moving on was a necessity, not just an option. My fragile self could not have survived much longer under the strain and stress to which I subjected myself.

“So, when can you come, and meet my family?”

“Um, this weekend?” I said questioningly.

“Sure.” Little else was said. We arranged for him to pick me up on Saturday, exchanged farewells, and with that, we parted.

 

 

 

 

Finally, Saturday arrived. The sun shone brightly, and in my imagination I saw it completely melting the snow. Unfortunately, though, it was only my imagination. Felix arrived, and I silently clambered into his car, anxious yet decidedly excited. His home was only about an hour and a half from the college, and we spoke little on the way. The revelation that had came to me during the week that reconciliation was possible was nearly too much to think about. It was liberating to think that I would no longer have to live under the constant nagging of my past.

Felix’s home was large, roomy, and absolutely beautiful. His parents were excited to meet his new “girlfriend” even though they had no idea who I was anyway. I wasn’t his girlfriend; we were just friends, or at least that is what I told myself. As we pulled into his driveway, his parents were standing at the large picture window in the front of the house, waving frantically, and smiling cheesy grins. I had all that I could do to not laugh out loud.

“Hello,” Felix’s parents greeted us with smiles as we entered. “And just who is this gorgeous young lady?” Felix’s father asked. We were suddenly peppered with questions.

“Her name is Liana Williams,” Felix said.

His parents’ faces turned white, and they smiled a crooked, cold smile. My bottom lip quivered, and tears began to form in my eyes. Their eyes widened as the realization of who I was hit them. Mrs. Graceton sat down and began to cry.

Then she said, “You, we’ve wanted to meet you. To tell you – all’s been forgiven.” Her tears flowed down her cheeks and onto the flowered chiffon shirt that she wore. Her husband nodded in ascent. Never had I felt more whole.

Suddenly, there was a flurry of excitement, and suddenly I felt like I was the center of attention. They asked me to call my parents, who came later in the day. I shall never forget that day. The day I realized that it was time to come out of my shell, the day that I found out that not everyone pointed fingers, and that some people made the hard choice to forgive, even if it cost them something that was very dear to them. It was a celebration of reconciliation. Now, this is the real world.

Later in the day, Felix and I walked through the Gracetons' garden. The snow was melting, and the daffodils were just beginning to peek up through the layer of white fluff above them. Felix was quiet, and his manner greatly contrasted with that of his usual countenance.

We walked along silently for a while, until he broke the silence, saying, “You… Do you feel better?”

“Yes,” I replied. “A great burden has been lifted off of my shoulders.”

“Well, I was wondering…” It was so unlike him to stammer and be unsure of himself that I became exceedingly curious about what was on his mind. “Would you like to see a movie on Thursday night?”

“Sure, that sounds awesome.” I felt a bit unsure of myself, also, to be honest, but I’d play along.

“Great.”

“Is that all?”

He smiled and said, “No, we can do it again, if you’d like.”

I smiled back. Again, no words were necessary.

 

 

 

So, that is my story. It almost sounds like a fairy tale to me, because of the way it all ended. And yes, we did go to a movie on Thursday night, and then we went again, and again, and so on. And then he asked me to marry him, to which I said yes. So, here I am now, years and years later, and you know what? We certainly can’t change the past, but we can change the future. And that is just what I chose to do, and I think that is what I shall continue to do forever, until I die. After all, isn’t that the only way to survive in the real world?

 

Imprint

Text: Ariana W
Publication Date: 04-09-2014

All Rights Reserved

Dedication:
To the real people and events that inspired my imagination.