Gross Negligence

I know, I know, I've been neglecting the blog. Grossly neglecting it. I'm in the midst of applying to graduate school. Three apps are finished and I have three more to go. I have a million and one blog entries in my head but no time to really get into everything that's been going on with me in the last month or so. I swear I'll get to it as soon as I'm finished with the last application. In the meantime, I'll post some more of the short story I've been working on recently. Hope you like it. And if you have any feedback, that's even better..............


“I’m sorry,” I whispered. “I wish...”
“I know you do, Jaelyn.” She smoothed a hand over her hair, securing several stray tendrils behind her ear. “But anyways, how’s school?”
Goose bumps rose on my skin. I ran a hand up and down my arm with vigorous strokes in a vain attempt to create the heat the room lacked. “It’s cool. Just a bunch of exams, papers, and group projects that I don’t have any interest in doing.”
“Hey, don’t slack off now. I don’t care what anyone tells you, senior year grades are important so you’ve got to stay focused if you want to get into med school.”
I rolled my eyes.
“Don’t roll your eyes at me! I’m serious. Look, I’ve been there so I know.”
“Yeah, I get it. You’re an expert on everything. Can you spare me the lecture?”
“What’s your problem?”
I chewed the inside of my lip and shook my head. “Nothing. I just don’t feel like talking about school, that’s all.”
“Alright,” she said slowly, “what do you want to talk about then?”
“I don’t know. Don’t really have much to say.”
“Then why are you here?”
“What do you mean, why am I here? Obviously, I’m here to see you.”
“So you can take up space then tell yourself you’ve done your good deed for the day? Don’t do me any favors, Jaelyn.”
“You are so ungrateful!” I paused for a moment to gather my thoughts. “I got a question for you. Who else has been up here to see you? Christine? Nope. How about your best friend, Devin? Not so much. Oh, and all your fellow attorneys at the firm? That’s right, you haven’t seen them either.”
“Thanks for the reminder. I really needed that,” her voice dripped with sarcasm.
I leaned my elbows on the tiny table top in front of me and stifled a yawn. “I’m not trying to make you feel bad. But I woke up at the butt crack of dawn, suffered through a two hour bus ride with the world’s grossest scumbags, and damn near had a body cavity search just to come and spend some time with you. The least you could do is appreciate that.”
“Do you want a medal? I’m your sister, that’s what you’re supposed to do.”
I opened my mouth to fight back, but thought better of it. Changing the subject was easier.
“What have you been up to since the last time I was here? Started dealing cigarettes yet?”
She cocked her head to the side and furrowed her brows. “Where would you get an idiotic idea like that?”
“Lifetime Movie of the Week, of course.”
A smile teased the corner of her lips until it exploded into a full grin. “You’re a damn fool.”
Laughter erupted from the pit of my stomach, a pleasant distraction from our concrete and steel surroundings.
“On the real, if there’s one thing I miss since I’ve been in here it’s Lifetime. Brendan used to make fun of me all the time for watching it, but that man just didn’t know. Those movies are good as hell!”
I stared at my sister in shocked disbelief. She had said his name.
“Has anyone from his family…?” Her voice trailed off as I shook my head.
“Give them some time,” I reassured. “It hasn’t been that long. They could still come around.”
“No. I killed him. Ain’t enough time in the world to get over that.”