Meant to Be
Chapter 6
I didn’t see Eric at all the next day; we had decided the night of the date to give each other a break today. I was relaxing in my room when Mom called me downstairs. “Jean! Mail for you!” she shouted up the stairs.
I was expecting letter from colleges about my acceptance, so I squealed as I ran down the stairs. “What’s for me?” I asked as I reached her in the kitchen. She handed me two large envelopes and one small one. The two big ones were from Illinois State University and Iowa State University, while the small one was from the University of North Carolina. I frowned looking at the small one; usually the small ones are rejection letters. That was my one chance of getting to be close to Eric after he left, and it was gone, I knew it without even having to open the envelope.
Without saying a word, frown still on my face, I turned and went back upstairs. When I got to my room I closed the door and sat down on my bed. I saved the North Carolina one for last; I wanted the happy letters first. Sure enough, I did in fact get into both Illinois State and Iowa State. I then went back downstairs, taking everything with me, to show Mom. “Well,” I said as I re-entered the kitchen, “I got into Illinois State and Iowa State,” I finished as I gave her both envelopes, both packed with housing and other information. “But I haven’t opened this one yet,” I said, holding up the North Carolina envelope with a frown.
She gave me a sorry look. “I’m sorry honey, I know how much you wanted to be close to him when you started school,” she said, squeezing my hand from her eat at the kitchen table. “Would you like me to open it for you?” she asked as she took the envelope from me. I nodded sadly, trying to hold back the tears. She then tore it open, making sure I couldn’t see what was on it. “Huh,” she said as she read it.
“What?” I asked nervously. She simply held the paper up for me to take from her. I closed my eyes as I took it, afraid of what it would say. I couldn’t believe my eyes when I read it: ‘Ms. Jean Komis, we are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted to the University of North Carolina.’ I read it over five more times before looking back at Mom. “I got in,” I mumbled, still in disbelief.
She nodded, a huge smile on her face. “Go tell him,” she replied, not even having to say who it was I had to tell. I shot out the front door and over to his house.
I knocked feverishly on the door when I got there and Linda answered it a minute later. “Hi honey. Here to see Eric?” she asked. I nodded, shit-eating grin on my face as I handed her the letter to see. “Oh congratulations!” she said excitedly, pulling me into a hug. “Eric is in his room,” she said as she stepped aside, and I shot up the stairs. “But he’s with someone!” I didn’t hear her shout.
I got up to his room and all but broke the door down. It was then that I knew I made a mistake; Eric had a girl in his room. “Jean! Holy shit you scared the crap out of me,” he said, shooting up from his spot on his bed. “What are you doing here?” he asked in an extremely nervous tone, eyes shifting from me to the girl on his bed. He then noticed that I noticed the girl. “No. Babe, no. It’s not what you think,” he tried to say quickly as I darted out of the room and out of his house.
He tried to chase after me, but I heard Linda stop him. “Give her some time,” I heard her say I as stormed into my house.
Mom heard the door slam. “What’s wrong?” she asked as I stomped through the kitchen and up the stairs.
I huffed. “Eric had a girl in his room,” I shouted as I slammed my door shut. I then heard her coming up the stairs, and my door opened again. “He had a girl in his room, on his bed,” I said again, dropping my head face-first into my pillow.
She sat down on the bed next to me and rubbed my back. “Did you see them doing anything?” she asked, and I shook my head.
“No,” I sniffled, “but he had a really guilty look on his face, and his tone was really nervous when he asked me what I was doing there. He was cheating on me, I know it. I’m done with him,” I said with absolute certainty, lifting my head up and looking up at her.
She gave me a stern look. “Alright; as long as you’re sure and know what you’re doing,” she said and kissed my head. “Don’t forget, Janie is picking you up at 3 to go dress shopping,” she said and left the room. Let me explain; my cousin, Janie was getting married next month, August. I was going to be her Maid of Honor, and her only bridesmaid, so we needed to find me a dress, and then another outfit to change into for the reception. I was the Maid of Honor because she doesn’t have any sisters, and we’re closest in age; me being 18 and her being 22.
I sighed and got in the shower; it was already 1:30. I took a good half-hour shower before getting out and getting dressed. There was a knock on the door just as I was finishing getting ready, so I grabbed my sunglasses and headed downstairs. Mom had went out, and Dad was at work, so I had to lock up. “Hey Janie,” I said happily, giving her a hug, when I was done locking up the house.
She squeezed me back just as tightly. “Hey girly! You ready to go dress shopping!?” she asked excitedly as we got in her car. “It’ll be easy to find your bridesmaid’s dress, because I know exactly what I want to put you in,” she said happily, making me laugh.
We talked about the wedding for almost the whole drive. “So, how are you and Eric?” she asked as we walked into the mall. There it was; the question I was dreading. I sighed. “Uh oh. What happened?” she asked. “Trouble in paradise already?”
“I caught him in his room with another girl,” I replied. “I didn’t see them doing anything when I got in, but it wouldn’t surprise me if they were; you and I both know how popular Eric is around here. So I basically, unofficially, broke up with him,” I replied as we walked into Macy’s. She didn’t want me to wear a traditional bridesmaid dress; she wanted me in a regular dress. Don’t ask me what the difference was; I had no idea.
She gave me a side hug as we walked. “I know, I know. But, please, don’t do anything crazy, okay? Just take some time to cool off. Think about the wedding and how sexy you’re going to look! You’re bound to meet someone there!” she said happily, trying to make me smile; and it worked.
“I think that’s what I’m going to do; take some time. I’ll talk to him eventually; probably right before he leaves. I just need to think about everything right now,” I replied. She then shoved a dress in my face and made me try it on.
I was expecting letter from colleges about my acceptance, so I squealed as I ran down the stairs. “What’s for me?” I asked as I reached her in the kitchen. She handed me two large envelopes and one small one. The two big ones were from Illinois State University and Iowa State University, while the small one was from the University of North Carolina. I frowned looking at the small one; usually the small ones are rejection letters. That was my one chance of getting to be close to Eric after he left, and it was gone, I knew it without even having to open the envelope.
Without saying a word, frown still on my face, I turned and went back upstairs. When I got to my room I closed the door and sat down on my bed. I saved the North Carolina one for last; I wanted the happy letters first. Sure enough, I did in fact get into both Illinois State and Iowa State. I then went back downstairs, taking everything with me, to show Mom. “Well,” I said as I re-entered the kitchen, “I got into Illinois State and Iowa State,” I finished as I gave her both envelopes, both packed with housing and other information. “But I haven’t opened this one yet,” I said, holding up the North Carolina envelope with a frown.
She gave me a sorry look. “I’m sorry honey, I know how much you wanted to be close to him when you started school,” she said, squeezing my hand from her eat at the kitchen table. “Would you like me to open it for you?” she asked as she took the envelope from me. I nodded sadly, trying to hold back the tears. She then tore it open, making sure I couldn’t see what was on it. “Huh,” she said as she read it.
“What?” I asked nervously. She simply held the paper up for me to take from her. I closed my eyes as I took it, afraid of what it would say. I couldn’t believe my eyes when I read it: ‘Ms. Jean Komis, we are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted to the University of North Carolina.’ I read it over five more times before looking back at Mom. “I got in,” I mumbled, still in disbelief.
She nodded, a huge smile on her face. “Go tell him,” she replied, not even having to say who it was I had to tell. I shot out the front door and over to his house.
I knocked feverishly on the door when I got there and Linda answered it a minute later. “Hi honey. Here to see Eric?” she asked. I nodded, shit-eating grin on my face as I handed her the letter to see. “Oh congratulations!” she said excitedly, pulling me into a hug. “Eric is in his room,” she said as she stepped aside, and I shot up the stairs. “But he’s with someone!” I didn’t hear her shout.
I got up to his room and all but broke the door down. It was then that I knew I made a mistake; Eric had a girl in his room. “Jean! Holy shit you scared the crap out of me,” he said, shooting up from his spot on his bed. “What are you doing here?” he asked in an extremely nervous tone, eyes shifting from me to the girl on his bed. He then noticed that I noticed the girl. “No. Babe, no. It’s not what you think,” he tried to say quickly as I darted out of the room and out of his house.
He tried to chase after me, but I heard Linda stop him. “Give her some time,” I heard her say I as stormed into my house.
Mom heard the door slam. “What’s wrong?” she asked as I stomped through the kitchen and up the stairs.
I huffed. “Eric had a girl in his room,” I shouted as I slammed my door shut. I then heard her coming up the stairs, and my door opened again. “He had a girl in his room, on his bed,” I said again, dropping my head face-first into my pillow.
She sat down on the bed next to me and rubbed my back. “Did you see them doing anything?” she asked, and I shook my head.
“No,” I sniffled, “but he had a really guilty look on his face, and his tone was really nervous when he asked me what I was doing there. He was cheating on me, I know it. I’m done with him,” I said with absolute certainty, lifting my head up and looking up at her.
She gave me a stern look. “Alright; as long as you’re sure and know what you’re doing,” she said and kissed my head. “Don’t forget, Janie is picking you up at 3 to go dress shopping,” she said and left the room. Let me explain; my cousin, Janie was getting married next month, August. I was going to be her Maid of Honor, and her only bridesmaid, so we needed to find me a dress, and then another outfit to change into for the reception. I was the Maid of Honor because she doesn’t have any sisters, and we’re closest in age; me being 18 and her being 22.
I sighed and got in the shower; it was already 1:30. I took a good half-hour shower before getting out and getting dressed. There was a knock on the door just as I was finishing getting ready, so I grabbed my sunglasses and headed downstairs. Mom had went out, and Dad was at work, so I had to lock up. “Hey Janie,” I said happily, giving her a hug, when I was done locking up the house.
She squeezed me back just as tightly. “Hey girly! You ready to go dress shopping!?” she asked excitedly as we got in her car. “It’ll be easy to find your bridesmaid’s dress, because I know exactly what I want to put you in,” she said happily, making me laugh.
We talked about the wedding for almost the whole drive. “So, how are you and Eric?” she asked as we walked into the mall. There it was; the question I was dreading. I sighed. “Uh oh. What happened?” she asked. “Trouble in paradise already?”
“I caught him in his room with another girl,” I replied. “I didn’t see them doing anything when I got in, but it wouldn’t surprise me if they were; you and I both know how popular Eric is around here. So I basically, unofficially, broke up with him,” I replied as we walked into Macy’s. She didn’t want me to wear a traditional bridesmaid dress; she wanted me in a regular dress. Don’t ask me what the difference was; I had no idea.
She gave me a side hug as we walked. “I know, I know. But, please, don’t do anything crazy, okay? Just take some time to cool off. Think about the wedding and how sexy you’re going to look! You’re bound to meet someone there!” she said happily, trying to make me smile; and it worked.
“I think that’s what I’m going to do; take some time. I’ll talk to him eventually; probably right before he leaves. I just need to think about everything right now,” I replied. She then shoved a dress in my face and made me try it on.
10/11/13