Hey! I'm going fast with these chapters!
Note to DS 16:
Sorry for not sending these for you to beta. I wanted this one to be a surprise for you!
Here it goes! The most dramatic chapter of Ribbons of Change!
Chapter 7
Sandy was eating her usual organic and healthy lunch consisting of a whole wheat sandwich, salad, and an orange. Sandy always had to have an orange. It was her only favorite fruit and she had it every sports game. Eating an orange here brought back the old memories of sports. Sandy never got to play sports anymore. No one from her classes would ever want to play against her since she would always win and they didn't know how to even play. She sighed. Sandy had only two friends at Osaka Junior High. Alice and Sydney were great. Alice liked to hear about Sandy's greatest sports moments and Sydney kept asking about Sandy's crush. But Sandy never told her the name, though she described him perfectly. Even if it was tempting enough to let his name slip through her mouth.
"Hey, Sandy."
Sandy looked up to find Alice and Sydney with a ball, bat, and glove. Sandy gaped and Alice said, "We want you to teach us how to play baseball."
"Its only the most popular sport in Japan," Sydney added. Sandy grinned and replied, "How about today after school?"
The two nodded and Sandy smiled. Those guys are such idiots. But they're my idiots, she thought as she peeled her orange.
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"Okay, we're going to catch first."
"Alright."
"Give me your best throw!"
Sandy, Alice, and Sydney were on the baseball field. Sandy had gotten two spare gloves and some new baseballs they bought downtown. There was a soft breeze and it was warm for late fall. Sandy handed each girl a glove and smirked as she saw them try to put them on. She giggled and said, "Here, let me help you."
Sydney gave a dirty look and tossed her nose in the air.
"I can put this on! Don't you dare think that I can't!" She continued to struggle on. Alice gave a pleading look at Sandy and Sandy trotted over.
"Okay, you put the glove on your opposite hand that you write with. What do you call that?" Sandy instructed.
"You call it a dominant hand. Geez, Sandy. I thought that you would know," Sydney said as she butted in. Sandy knew that she had overheard them and put on her glove the right way.
"Okay, whatever. Anyway, let's start catching. We'll form a triangle and start to through and catch whichever way. I'll start," Sandy announced. She made sure that everyone was in their specific places and had a few tricks up their sleeves.
"Hey! Alice and Sydney! Don't you think that you want to calculate where the ball will be and how much force will be put on when you throw it?" Sandy said. She tried not to laugh, but she knew that it was going to work as the girls' heads bobbed up and down.
"Okay, Sydney. Get this!" Sandy yelled as she threw the ball towards Sydney's face. Sydney's face scrunched up as she tried to predict where the ball would head. Just when you thought she had it, the ball smacked her chin, making the braided girl step backwards. Alice laughed while Sandy pretended to be angry.
"It curved," Sydney said plainly as if this was an excuse.
"But, your calculations were wrong!" Sandy pointed out, grinning in the process. Sydney picked up the baseball, rubbed her red chin, and was in position to throw it.
"Watch. I'll get my calculations right!" Alice exclaimed as she bent down, ready to catch. Sydney backed up her arm and focused on Alice's face. She threw it with all of her might, which Sandy noted wasn't very fast, but it was effort. Alice's face was still and the ball aimed towards her arm. She momentarily caught it, but the ball finally slipped out of her glove.
Sandy shook her head in shame while Sydney chortled. Alice grabbed the ball and frowned.
"But I'm one of the best students. I should have had that!" she said through clenched teeth. Sydney got on all fours and cackled even more. Alice tossed her head towards the girl and gave a glaring look. Sandy rolled her eyes as Sydney got up and saluted her, giggling.
"Anyway, Alice toss it over here." Sandy got her glove ready the way she usually did in the baseball games back home.
Alice threw the ball and to Sandy's surprise, it was curving. Fast. The ball spun as it moved to the far right and Sandy had the adrenaline rush that she had whenever a hit would come like this. She had always been shortstop, diving for the ball on the time, catching all of the outs. Sandy couldn't help but smile as she dived for the ball and the grass stained her outfit and her hair was all out of place. All that mattered was she had caught the ball and Alice and Sydney were in shock.
"H-How did you do that?" Sydney murmured.
"You didn't do any calculations!" Alice said, reading Sandy's mind.
"I was kidding when I said that you guys should use calculations!" Sandy laughed. Alice and Sydney looked at each other and glared at Sandy.
"You don't need to use your brain." Did it really take them this long to figure this out?
"Sports are not to have another math class." The same blank looks were on their faces. Sandy loved to say this. It reminded her of his wise advice.
"Sports are to lead with your heart." Alice's lips curved into a smile while Sydney crossed her arms in frustration.
"You don't use your brain in sports. You do what comes naturally. You use your heart," Sandy stressed. Finally getting the message, Alice and Sydney went into a full grin.
Suddenly, the song of "All Star" played through the sky. Sandy got out her phone to see a call that was sent by: Mom.
Sandy excitingly clicked a button and heard her mother's voice.
"Hello? Sandy?"
"Yeah, it's Sandy. Hey, mom."
"Oh, hello, sweetie! I've missed you so much!"
"I've missed you a lot too." It was the truth. Sandy always thought about her mom. It was pretty childish thing to think about, but it always comforted Sandy.
"Now, listen. Your father and I had a fight…"
Sandy listened, sort of happy for what was coming up.
"So, we divorced. He moved to America, honey."
Sandy could feel the leap in happiness in her heart. This was the dream of her life. Being free from her evil step father was the best for Sandy. But… Sandy couldn't help but fell bad for her father. He was just looking out for Sandy and it hit her that he actually did care about her. He might have not showed it… But… He was nice inside. Sandy's heart quickened and realized what trouble she caused. What trouble she always caused and it was terrible for her. No wonder her father hated her. She was a disgrace. She was awful. Sandy could never do anything right.
"Really?" Sandy squeaked into her red cell phone.
"Really. And Tokyo Middle School said that you could come back. Your grades are above a C, so you can come home and see all of us!" Her mother's voice shook with excitement. Sandy gasped.
"Uh, ok, Mom." Sandy didn't want to leave her friends. But, there were her other friends there. There was her brother. Not to mention him.
"Will you come home with me? I'll pick you up. In fact, I'm already in the car and Stan set up such a sweet party for you to come home," her mother pleaded. Sandy thought. She had to go. Stan was waiting with probably all the ham-hams and her mother's voice was begging her to go. How could she stay?
"Sure, mom. Come pick me up. I'll go get my stuff," Sandy replied, trying her best to sound happy.
"Okay, bye sweetie. I'll see you real soon."
Sandy turned to Alice and Sydney as she hung up. Her new friend's faces were in horror.
"You're going to leave us?" Alice squeaked.
"But, I thought that you liked it here," Sydney begged. Sandy looked away. She couldn't say it. Not to their faces. Sandy took a deep breath and whispered, "I have to go back. My family's there. My friends are there. My-"
"Maxwell's there," Sydney finished. Sandy whipped her head towards Sydney. Alice looked shocked herself.
"H-How-" Sandy stammered.
"You write his name in your notebooks. So your going to leave us for your more important friends, aren't you? You're going to leave us because your Maxwell is there," Sydney hissed.
"I can't believe you," Alice yelled.
"N-No! I-I…" Sandy didn't know how to say it. Alice gave Sandy a cold look and Sydney ran out of view. Alice didn't spare a glance at Sandy as she ran with Sydney. Sandy's heart broke into thousands… no… millions of pieces.
She walked home. Why did it matter to her? They were just some geeks who wanted to be popular like her. No, they're more than that. They are some of my best friends and they wouldn't do that to me. How could I have done this?
But Sandy couldn't turn back. Her mother was already on the way to pick up Sandy and Stan was waiting. Besides, Sandy had their phone numbers. She could get this straightened out.
Sandy ran to her dorm to find Sydney wasn't there. Sandy packed all of her stuff except a baseball and two gloves. She smiled when Sydney would be surprised to find Sandy's lucky baseball on her bunk. Sandy wrote a note, trying to make an effort to apologize.
Alice and Sydney,
Do you think I'm an idiot? I'm really sorry. I have to do this. You two are on the top of my list for friends. That can never change no matter how many baseballs you throw at me.
-A retarded idiot who can't see the good things in her life
Sandy taped it to Sydney's desk and left the dorm.
She was waiting on a bench where her mother said that she would pick her up. Sandy was waiting all the time. Waiting for her mom to pick her up. Waiting to get out of this place. Waiting for her sports dream to come true. Waiting to tell Maxwell her undying love for him. Waiting for something good in her life to show up.
It was getting dark out. A drive from Tokyo and Osaka couldn't take that long. It was about two hours away. (A/N: I don't really know. Let's just call it two hours.)
Sandy kicked a pile of leaves when her phone rang. She viewed the caller and her eyes widened in shock to find Maxwell was calling. Sandy never gave out her number to him… Although she always wanted to. She picked it up.
"Hello?" Sandy said into her phone. Sure enough, Maxwell's voice was speaking to her. But, it wasn't the calm tone like usual. His voice was stressed and worried.
"Sandy? Sandy? Are you ok?" he asked.
"Yeah, Maxwell. Why?" Sandy was a little worried that Maxwell was scared.
"Where are you?" Maxwell demanded.
"Uh, I'm at the school-"
"No! I mean what street are you on?"
Sandy turned her head to view the street sign.
"I'm on Osaka Way. Why?"
"Oh, ok. There was an accident on Boulder Street. Two cars were in a head on crash."
"Wait. When?" Sandy was a little worried, not for Maxwell, but for something else.
"About three hours ago." Oh. My. God. Mom should have been here about three hours ago, Sandy thought in horror.
"What cars got in the crash?" Sandy asked.
"Uh, a red SUV and a grey Acura," Maxwell said. Sandy grimaced. Her own mother had a grey Acura.
"I have to go," Sandy croaked.
"Ok, Sandy. Good-bye. I'm a the party so I'll be waiting," Maxwell said. Sandy hung up and ran towards Boulder Street.
The scene was crazy. There were about twenty police cars and people were still in horror at the two cars. They didn't even look like cars now. The SUV had clobbered the Acura, which was upside down right now. Glass was everywhere and car parts were scattered around the entire area. Then, Sandy saw it.
A little red keychain was on top of the steering wheel that rolled to Sandy's feet. It said: Gymnastics Mom.
Sandy gasped in horror and ran past the yellow tape. The police officers ran to hold her back, but held back after Sandy's words screamed in horror.
"That's my mom's car!" Sandy cried. All heads turned to Sandy as she picked up the keychain and cradled it in her hands. The police officers ran to her and all Sandy could do was stare at this keychain that her mother always had with her.
"Is this yours?" one officer asked, pointing towards the keychain. Sandy shook her head.
"It was a birthday present to my mom. Please, just let me see her," Sandy begged. It worked. Soon, she was riding in a police car and fiddling with the keychain in her hands. She was then escorted to a hospital room with her mom in it. Sandy gasped. Her mother looked to have many broken bones and the gashes on her face scared Sandy. Blood stained her clothes.
"Mom?" Sandy choked. Her mother turned her head to view her daughter and she tried to smile. Sandy smiled back and pulled up a chair.
"Sandy…" her mother said before drifting off.
"Yeah, its me!" Sandy said. She smiled and the doctor came in.
"Is she going to be alright?" Sandy asked. Please say yes. Please!
Instead, the doctor looked at the ground.
"Her chances are surviving are slim…" the doctor stated. Sandy just stared.
"B-But-"
"She has seven broken bones, bleeding, and her skull is deeply cracked," the doctor whispered. Sandy's eyes widened in horror.
"No! Please! She has to survive. I don't believe you!" Sandy cried. The doctor didn't say anything. He headed towards the door and before he left, he said, "We've tried everything. I'm sorry."
And Sandy was left alone with her dying mother. Suddenly, her a hand touched her shoulder.
"Don't believe him. We're going to be a happy family," her mother said. Sandy held her hand and smiled. Her mother retracted her hand back and rested. Sandy enjoyed smiling at her mother when it was ruined by a sound that would haunt Sandy for the rest of her life.
BEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEP
Sandy turned her head towards the monitor that showed the heart beat. It was a straight line. Sandy looked at her mother in horror. Her eyes were half closed and her face was pale white.
"Mom?" she squeaked. She couldn't believe it. She wouldn't believe it. She immediately pressed a red button.
"Help! Please! We need help!" Sandy said frantically into the microphone. Instantly, nurses and doctors came running in to see a ghost white Sandy. They looked at the straight line on the screen and their faces fell. They all looked at Sandy and one stepped up.
"I'm sorry. We can't do anything," a nurse said.
"NO! What do you mean that we can't do anything!?" Sandy yelled.
"We can't do anything, Sandy, because she's go-"
"SHE IS NOT GONE!" Sandy screamed. She ran over to the equipment, trying to find a way to bring back her mother. About three or four people had to hold her back.
"SHE CAN'T BE GONE! GOD, NOT AT A TIME LIKE THIS! PLEASE, GOD, NO!" Sandy yelled through clenched teeth.
And the tears started to pour out.
