Destiny Brought Us Together

EMILY***“Make sure to read the next chapter before tomorrow,” the professor said to a crowd of students that were already making their way out of the class. I was writing down one last thing on my notepad and by the time I finished packing up my bag, the hall was empty, except for the professor, Mr. Thomas, who was cleaning the whiteboard.“I really enjoyed today’s class, Mr. Thomas,” I said as I walked to the front of the room. He looked up at me and smiled, and I could tell he needed to hear that today. I was glad I was the one who said it.“Thank you, Emily,” he said as he picked up his books, “have yourself a great weekend.”“You too,” I said as I walked towards the dorms.That was the last class of the week and I was glad it ended early because it gave me plenty of time to catch up on all the assignments I had before the new week. I hoped that I had not forgotten anything, any assignment that was due, or any group project. I never had, but I had never been able to fully trust

GABRIEL***“We don’t usually accept such late admissions but your application was simply spectacular,” the woman said. I was in the Dean’s office with my mom. It was always my mom and me nowadays.We decided to move after I finished high school. The divorce process had ended a whole year before but my mom didn’t want to uproot me when I was so close to graduating. We chose to wait until I was done and then we could go somewhere new and start a new life with new memories.I had taken everything in stride. I went along with all of my mother’s decisions because I didn’t know how else to cope. I felt mentally and emotionally exhausted and not having to make decisions for myself made the burden a little bit easier. I also didn’t want to disagree with my mom. She didn’t need that. She needed someone who would validate and affirm her decisions so that she could be sure that leaving her husband was the right one as well.And it was. I knew this, which is why I chose my mom. But it didn’t mak

(Bakersville Elementary, 1999)***“It’s reading time!” Miss Phoebe said, and all the kids groaned in disapproval.All of them except Emily and Gabriel. This was their favorite time of the week. They got to sit quietly for one hour and read as many books as they liked.Gabriel had been at Bakersville Elementary for two months now, and they had become inseparable. They had come to be known as the SmartyPants and they were yet to be offended by the nickname. They liked it, actually, being outcasts, because they could be outcasts together.They had settled into an easy friendship which was made much easier by the fact that they were also neighbors, and their mothers were friends. In those two months, they had spent countless hours at each other’s homes and they had practically become family.They sat side by side and while the rest of the class chose to spend Reading Time making spitballs and running around the class, they spent theirs doing what they both loved best: reading. It was one

GABRIEL***“It’s my first day of classes Mom,” I said to the phone as I put on my left shoe. I had taken to calling her every day so that she didn’t feel as lonely as she was. She was all alone. She was yet to make any new friends and I didn’t want to put her in a position where she had to call me instead of the other way around.“I know you won’t have a hard time catching up, but in case you do, please let me know. I know exactly who to call,” she said.“Really? Who?” I asked, genuinely curious. Who could my mother possibly know that could help me with my studies?“I didn’t want to bring this up until the weekend when we met but I met Terry. They moved here. Emily’s at Cresswell too,” she said.I froze. She confirmed what I knew but was trying to ignore. I had seen her a few more times around the campus and had taken to avoiding her because I knew that that was what she would have wanted. But more than that, I did it because I was also upset with her. She left without saying anythin

EMILY***“His name is Harry,” I said into the phone, ignoring the fact that Nila looked up from her books when I did.It was not yet time for our weekly phone call but I just had to call Julie and update her on what was going on in my life. It was exciting, after all. I had only ever had one other boyfriend and after things ended the way they did, Julie kept encouraging me to try and like someone else, or, at the very least, to try and not sabotage things when I actually did, but I always did.I was afraid. But there was something about Harry that made me feel brave. Maybe it was the fact that this was a new environment. Maybe it was the fact that even with Gabriel here, I felt like I could start afresh in some areas because at least here my reputation was not tarnished like the way it was back in Bakersville.Knowing people your whole life did have some disadvantages. I smiled as Julie squealed into the phone. I was just as excited as she was. I told him about our interaction in cla