Page 9 of Elmwood Inclusive Magic Academy
“April? Babe, that sucks…”
“I know, I know, but it’ll be ok. We can sneak out like this every night, it’s really not a big deal. I can even come around during the day a lot, we can make it work.”
“Do I have to drive over here all the time? Mags, I wasn’t planning on this for my gap year, you know. It might be hard for me to come over.”
I don’t know what to say to appease him, so I change the subject and ask him about his new gap year job.
After chatting for a while, he pulls the car over and we get in the back seat. Since I forgot my cardigan, I pretend to shiver in the late-August chill. He picks up an old blanket from the backand drapes it over my shoulders. We start to kiss, his tongue insistent and his stubble rough over my lips. Our usual ritual, things back to normal. The way they should be.
“I can’t wait to do this in Rome,” he says, his fingers creeping down my body.
“Oh,” I pause for a moment, trying to decide how to tell him I can’t go. But he senses my hesitation and pulls away before I can find the right words.
“What?” he says.
“Um…”
“Mags, you’re coming to Rome, right?”
“Well…”
He groans, shaking his head and pulling away from me.
“I really wanted to hang out with you in Rome, babe! That was going to be our gap year adventure!”
“Listen, I’m going to figure it out!” I plead with him. “I can take a week off of studying-”
“It’s three weeks, we booked the tickets already! That was all my summer job money.”
“Maybe we can do it a bit later, I get a break over the Christmas holiday-”
“Maggie, you know, this really sucks,” he complains. “And I’m sorry if you’ve got some program to do or whatever, but I want to have a fun time this year. We just graduated, we should be having all these experiences…”
“Iwantto have those experiences,” I say, meaning it with all my heart. “And we will, we can make it work! I just don’t know if I can go to Rome…”
“You know, I’m doing my best, being with you,” he says. “It’s not easy.”
My stomach drops. “What do you mean?”
“Well, honestly…”
I sit in the car, silent as he avoids my gaze. I don’t know if I want him to continue.
He sighs. “People talk, Mags, and you know, your family…I don’t know anything about your parents, I’ve never seen your house, and now you’re off to some random program where I don’t see you at all. It’s all reallyweird. I’m sorry, but there are lots of other girls in Cherry Creek.”
I’m breathing heavily, stress building up in my chest. I didn’t expect him to say any of this.
“Really, I’m doing you a favour, being with you…” he says.
I can’t take it any more. I shrug the blanket off my shoulders, open the back door, and slam it shut behind me. I’m not really angry, just upset and overwhelmed. Without thinking, I run into the woods.
“Maggie!” he shouts, but he doesn’t follow me. I know where we are from the academy and I’ll walk back if I have to. I start walking through the woods, parallel to the road, tears streaming down my face.
All I ever wanted was to have the life everyone else already has. Is that too much to ask for? Just a normal boyfriend, normal friends, a normal college experience. Not sneaking around, trampling through dark woods at night with bugs in my hair. I thought I was finally fitting in, but everyone still thinks I’m some loser weirdo because of my family. Once I’m out of this town, then nobody will ever ask about my background again.
I think of Timothy, probably out looking for me. How could I have just run off? It’s the middle of the night, deep in the woods. I shake my head at myself, and pull my phone out of my pocket to call him.
Shit, I only have one bar. I try to call him, but the line immediately disconnects. I flail my arm in the air, trying to get a signal. Then I hear a rustling sound.
