Chapter 3

Julie:

This morning, I woke up feeling much better than last night. After a refreshing shower and getting dressed, I joined my family downstairs. My parents, sister, Alex, and my grandma were all in the living room. Excitement overcame me as I ran to my grandma, embracing her tightly.

“Omg grandma, I have missed you so much.”

“Oh, hey there, princess. I’ve missed you too. How was Miami?”

“It was great! Everyone there was happy to have me around, I made some wonderful friends, and it was the best experience of my life.”

“I’m glad you loved it over there, but right now, we’re going out for breakfast. Do you want to join us?”

“That is if the rest don’t mind me coming along.”

“I’m sure they don’t. Go put on your shoes, and let’s hit the road.”

After putting on my shoes, I hopped into my dad’s car, while my sister and grandma rode with Alex.

We all sat down at a large table in the restaurant and started ordering our food. My phone buzzed a few times, but I assumed it was just a text from a friend. As our food arrived, our conversation shifted to my sister’s wedding plans. I wished I could escape; the round table left me little space, sandwiched between my sister and mother, who couldn’t stop discussing dress shopping. My phone continued buzzing.

“So, Julie, are you coming dress shopping with us?” my mom asked.

At that moment, my phone started ringing. My mom gave me a disapproving look and said, “Julie, have you forgotten the rule about turning off your phone during important conversations?”

“No, Mom.” I checked the caller ID; it was unknown. “Hmm, sorry, Mom, it’s an emergency.” I picked up the call while still sitting.

“Omg, Julie, I’m glad you picked up.”

“Hmm, who is this?”

“Julie, it’s me, Mary.”

“Omg, Mary, how are you? Is everything all right?”

“No, Julie, everything is not. Angel has been admitted to the hospital. She’s terribly sick, and the doctors don’t know what’s wrong with her.”

My eyes welled up with tears. “Okay, Mary, thank you very much. I’ll be there as fast as possible.” I hung up, wiped my tears, and looked at my dad.

“Dad, can I please have your car keys? I need to be somewhere, and it’s really important.”

“Sorry, princess, I need it to drop your mom, sister, and grandmother at the shop, and I have an appointment in half an hour.”

“Maybe Alex wouldn’t mind dropping you off since he has to leave anyway,” my sister suggested. I looked at him, and he gave me a sad smile.

“I would love to, but I have to be on my way to Texas in less than an hour. If where you’re going won’t take more than that, I’ll bring you.”

I smiled. “Would you mind taking me home first? I need to pick up something.”

“Sure,” he said. Alex kissed my sister on the lips, my mom and grandma on the cheek, gave my dad a handshake, and we left. The ride home was quiet. As soon as we entered the driveway, I opened the door, causing Alex to pull over as fast as he could. I ran upstairs to grab my emergency suitcase and returned to the car. When I got back, Alex looked upset.

“Do you want to get hurt? Didn’t your parents teach you not to jump out of a moving car?”

“I’m sorry, Alex, but I really need to get to the airport right now. I’d appreciate it if you didn’t tell my parents.”

“I got inside the car and closed the door. “So, are you running away, or what’s going on?”

“Look, Alex, I’m not running away. I just need to get to Texas before nightfall, and it’s a matter of life and death. I don’t really know you that well, so I can’t tell you why, but please promise me you won’t tell my parents. My friend’s mother passed away, and I really need to be there for her.”

He nodded, and we continued to the airport. On the way, I was nervous.

“Alex, why do you have to go to Texas?”

“Well, one of the reasons is work, and the second one is to find a place to live. Then I’ll see my sister before coming back.”

“Wait, are you and my sister going to live in Texas after your marriage?”

“No, she doesn’t want to, but it’s a place I can go to relax and be closer to my sister.”

“How long does it take to drive from Louisiana to Texas?” I asked Alex.

“Let me see, I think it’s about 6 hours, 54 or 55 minutes, let’s say 7 hours.”

“Wow, that’s like a whole school day.”

“Yeah, I know, right.”

“And how long is it by plane?”

“I think about 1 hour and a half.”

“Thank goodness,” I sighed. We parked our car, bought our tickets, and hit the road. I hadn’t seen Angel for almost three months, and I was planning to visit next week, but I guess things sometimes change. Sitting in the plane, I was incredibly nervous. After the plane landed, Alex and I said our goodbyes, and he promised to call to check on me later to see how my friend was doing. I took a cab to the hospital where Mary was supposed to be. The drive felt excruciatingly long, and I didn’t realize I had arrived until the driver pulled out my bag and I ran inside the hospital.

Mary was talking to a doctor and crying, and my heart raced as I approached them.

“Mary, what’s going on?” I asked.

She hugged me and smiled. “Hey, Julie, I’m glad you’re here. They wouldn’t let me see Angel because I’m not family.”

“It’s okay, Mary, I’m here now.”

“And you are?” the doctor inquired.

“I’m Julie Sintclare. I’m Angel’s mother.”