A Missed Chance {Part 3 of 3} - Short Fiction

*Disclaimer: This a short story that I wrote for my English 203 class. The story has been submitted and graded. I decided to share this on here because I am proud of the work. If you missed the first three parts you can read them here and here. Enjoy the final installment!***

   The day that Eli will never forget is the day she came to say goodbye before she left for law school. He remembered every detail of that day, it was a rainy Tuesday in late in summer, she walked in around 3 o’clock, and her normally smooth hair was frizzy because of the rain but he didn’t care, he still thought she was the most beautiful girl in the world.

  

  “You ready to go?” he asked as they sat at table and split an order of the restaurant’s top rated bacon cheddar cheese fries.

    “Yeah, I’m terrified to go. You sure you don’t want to drop everything and run away to New York with me so that I won’t be out there all by myself?” Sami laughed; it had become a running joke between the two of them, that Eli would just drop everything and go to New York with her.

    Eli laughed too, but his was more halfhearted because he wanted nothing more than to do that, but he knew that if he loved her he had to let her go. “You’ll do fine, and if you hate it, you can come home, and I’ll be right here waiting.”

    “Good, I think you should audition for some shows in the city. That way I can see you perform, and you might get noticed by a label, you’re good enough to be.”

    “I’m not that good; I’m thinking it’s time that I start looking for something real, maybe music should just be a hobby, instead of a career.”

    Sami shook her head, “You need to stop selling yourself short; you are way too good to hide your music in dive bars and your basement. And you are too passionate about music to call it a hobby. Trust me Eli, you’ll regret it if you don’t chase after your dreams.”

    “I don’t know maybe I'm realizing that I have other dreams too,” Eli said.

    “Go after all of them, who says you can only live one dream?” Sami had always been Eli’s cheerleader and even on the day that she needed him to give her a pep talk here she was giving him one.

    “What am I going to do without you?” he asked.

    “You’ll be fine, and when you need me I’m only a text, tweet or phone call away, I promise,” Sami said with a reassuring smile.

They talked a little bit longer but soon it was time for Eli to clock in for his shift. Sami started giving hugs and saying good-bye to her other co-workers. But finally it was time for her to really leave and say good-bye to Eli. She went over to him and melted into him as they hugged. Tears ran done her face, and she whispered, “I love you, Eli.”

Eli couldn’t muster up words without giving away the fact that he was moments away from tears himself, so he kissed her on her head. She then walked out of the restaurants door, and all Eli could do was stand there and watch.

    But now 12 months later, here he was looking at the girl he always loved. “Hi, Eli,” Sami said the smile plastered across her face, “Come here, after a year, I think I deserve a hug.”

    Eli walked over and pulled her into the tightest hug. “God, I’ve missed you? How’s school, do you love it?”

    “More than I ever thought I could! How have you been? How’s your music?” She asked her eyes filled with questions.

    “I’m good; I’m actually the manager here. As for my music hasn’t really changed, I’m still playing gigs, but now I’m also in school so I can teach music to kids.” Eli explained, after watching Sami, leave he decided to take his future more seriously too.

    “Wow,” Sami said and part of Eli felt as if she was disappointed, like she had expected more from him.

    Then he saw him, another man, wearing khakis, and button-up shirt came up wrapping his arms around Sami’s waist. “Hey Babe.”

    “Hey, so this is my best friend Eli, Eli this Clark, my boyfriend.” And just like that Eli realized that the girl he loved didn’t love him. To her they would always just be best friends, because it was true he wasn’t what she wanted. His heart felt as if it had been ripped out of his chest, but he stood there with a smile as he met the man that took his place.

The Missed Chance {Part 2 of 3} - Short Fiction

*Disclaimer: This is short piece of fiction that I wrote for my English 203 class, it has already been submitted for grading. I decided to share it because I am proud of it. If you didn't read the first part you can here, now enjoy the next part.***

The first several months that they worked together they didn’t really talk to each with the exceptional “Hi” and “Bye”. But one night he was playing at a local run-down bar as he finished his favorite, self-written song he saw a long haired blonde girl walk up to the bar. This time she stuck out; she didn’t look like she belonged in a rundown bar, more like dance club where the alcohol was disguised with bright colors and in test tube. 

    After his set he went out into the audience and asked if she wanted to get a drink with him, she agreed. They then sat there for hours talking and laughing. She was nothing like the girl he had built up in his head. He learned that she wasn’t the spoiled little brat that could just grab Daddy’s credit card and buy whatever she pleases; she didn’t even know who her dad was.

    The bartender called final call and Eli finally asked the question he had been dying to know since he saw her walk into a bar. “Why’d you come? You don’t seem much like punk rocker fan.”

    “I had the coolest aunt in the world who used to be a groupie for the band, NOFX and then when I was like thirteen she got diagnosed with cancer. She last only about 11 month after diagnosis, but for her whole hospital stay she insisted that punk music be played. And after she died it felt like punk was the only connection I had with her.” She said with a small smile.

    “Is it just you and your brother now?” Eli asked.

    “Yeah, my mom wasn’t exactly maternal, she spent more time nursing a glass of rum and coke then she ever did taking care of us. When my younger brother graduated high school we moved out, it’s hard at time but we make it work.” While Sami told that story her Eli notice how there was pain behind her confident exterior.

    That night was the beginning of everything, over the next year they learned everything about each other and his feelings started to blossom. He told her details about his life that he had never told anyone else. Like the meaning behind his favorite song, about how he feels like his parents look at him a like a failure. She was always there to talk; she’d smile and made him feel like he was worth something. And the day she told him she got into law school he felt his heart fall knowing that

everything was about to change.  

Short Fictions: That Night - Part One

Hello All,

Today I want to try my hand at short fiction again. You can read my story here. 

***

They grew up down the block from each other. He was two years older but she was still his best friend, or maybe she was just in love with her.  

She didn't look at him in that way, in fact it was the complete opposite, he was just her friend. At least it was until that night. 

She was sitting on the curb outside the high school, the snow was falling and so were the tears from her eyes. Lights pull into the school driveway and his hunter green Jeep Wrangler pulled up next to her. Leaving the car running he gets out of the jeep walking around and hugging her.

Source

He smoothed down her auburn hair and kissed her head and she starts to cry harder. They stood there embracing has the snow piled up around them. He whispers in her ear, "Let me get you home." She nods her head reluctantly.

He helps her into the car and walks around. By the time he gets back in, he has her head leaning up against the window. For a while they sit silently as he drove along.

Her voice quietly comes out of the silence, "Why? Why doesn't he love me?"

He looks are her from the corner of his eyes, "I wish-" . As if in slow motion the car spins out of control and it all goes black. 

To Be Continued...

Make sure to come back in the next few weeks to find out what happens next in this story.