Sophia Trejo, Something Blue

A hot tear slipped down Helen’s right cheek as she decided to check the console next to her again. Each time she was greeted with loose crumbs, a plastic straw, pens, sunglasses, and the owner’s manual. She thought that if she checked one more time, it would appear as if it’s been in front of her face the whole time. It was now 4:45 and Helen was still going through her search-cycle, her face completely wet with tears. The bleeding had now stopped on her thumb, and began to dry. Helen was getting tired, mainly from how hard she was sobbing. She finally ceased her frenzied search, and slumped herself over the wheel. Her heart was racing. She thought she was having a heart attack.

She had completely forgotten about Ben when she finally checked the time. She picked up her phone and saw that he had texted about five minutes ago. Helen wiped her cheeks with her right hand and unlocked her phone and opened Ben’s message which read: “Hey, I don’t think I can make it tonight. Sorry.”

Helen slowly lowered her phone and gazed out her open window. The sky was preparing for sunset as a plane flew across. The black arrow shape became a blurry dot as she continued to look up. The blue sky was a watercolor background and the plane was a drop of black paint that was accidentally spilled onto the canvas. Helen watched as the plane left her field of vision, and she slowly crept back to reality. She grasped her keys, turned the ignition, and left the parking lot—no music to accompany her.

The rogue singing bird continued its rhapsody as Helen lifted her head from her pillow. The room felt like it was spinning for a moment after she saw the notification from Ben, so she

had to rest. After speaking words of affirmation to herself, she mustered up the courage to look at the message. There, on her phone, the message, in all its glory, read: “Hi.”

Helen looked up and stared at her wall in disbelief. She began to feel her eyes muddy up, but stopped herself. She drew her attention back to her phone and deleted Ben’s contact. Right as she placed her phone on her nightstand, she heard her box fan slowly jump back into life. She heard Wendy’s joyful exclamations from down the hall. Helen smiled as she slowly slipped into a peaceful sleep.

Something Blue

SOPHIA TREJO The glowing red numbers on the digital clock read 2:27 A.M. as Jade shoves articles of clothing into a duffel bag. She moves silently and quickly as she goes around the spare bedroom collecting her things. The moon shining through the floor to ceiling windows acts as her only source of light. When she opens the doors to the walk-in closet, Jade uses her elbow to move the large, clear, vinyl bag that contains the white dress aside to retrieve the rest of her clothing.

Once the bag is zipped up, Jade pulls a black hoodie over her pajama shirt and ties her hair in a quick ponytail before her hands cover her temples. The cold metal of her engagement ring feels refreshing against her heated skin. The large rock on her finger serves as another weight on her shoulders. She looks around the large empty guest room as the throbbing of her temples only becomes more prominent. Jade catches her reflection in the large TV hanging on the opposite wall and she closes her eyes and taps her fingers on top of her head in contemplation. Before she is given another second to reconsider her options, the vibration from her phone on the bedside table snaps her back to the present. As Jade picks up her phone from the small, marble table, she sees a text message that reads: “I’m outside.”

Without a second thought, she brings the strap of her duffel bag onto her shoulder, and with her shoes in hand, goes straight towards the exit of the suffocating bedroom. Jade keeps her eyes on the white door to avoid looking at the perfectly white vanity with an array of wedding items as if they will look down at her in disgust. As she walks past the vanity, the corner of her duffel bag collides with the edge of the table and causes some things to rattle and fall to the ground. All her movements become frozen at the noise ripping through the room to mock her attempt at a silent escape.

Jade slowly turns around on her heel, believing that if she makes no sudden movements the damage won’t be as bad as it sounded. To her relief, nothing looks broken and only a couple items are on the floor by her feet. Jade drops to her knees to quickly pick up the items and put them back. The quicker she puts the things back, the quicker she’ll be out. In her hands she holds a small perfume bottle, a sapphire necklace, and her veil.

Something old, blue and borrowed. Jade looks up and sees the vinyl bag hanging by itself on the rod through the open doors of the closet. Something new.

Once she’s back on her feet, as quickly and quietly as she can with shaky hands, Jade arranges the items back on the vanity. She puts a picture frame right side up again but does a double take at the photo inside.

They’re standing in front of the Eiffel Tower, one arm around each other while the other is extended beside them in a grand gesture. His smile in the photo seems bigger than the landmark itself. The thought of knowing he’s sleeping peacefully right at this moment at her parent’s house, no doubt in his mind he will become her husband in less than 24 hours makes Jade’s stomach turn with guilt. He deserves better than this. Pushing her feelings into the back of her mind, she puts the frame face down on the vanity without a second thought and returns to her mission out of the door.

Out in the hallway, Jade tiptoes her sock covered feet past the door where her hosts are sleeping, careful to have one hand tightly gripping her shoes close to her chest while the other around her bag to avoid another mishap. She looks over the banister at the spacious living room below; it is certainly bigger than the closet of the apartment she had before meeting him. The couch wraps around the perimeter of the room, the amount of decorative pillows almost makes it impossible for anyone to sit on it. The TV takes up a third of one of the walls and below it is a fireplace adorned with family pictures. Was it odd to wish that she would have had a picture of her and her fiancé on there one day? Her face scrunches up every time there is a creak in the hardwood floor boards as she continues her way down the hall. Jade lets out a breath she didn’t know she was holding in once she’s successfully past the door.

Once she’s made it downstairs, Jade pushes past the door that leads to the massive kitchen and lets it swing behind her as she makes headway to the back door of the house. As she reaches for the handle, her hand hovers over it for a second before retracting her hand back as if it was a burning flame, scared to get burned. She reaches for it again, but this time only goes halfway. Jade closes her eyes and takes a deep breath.

“You know,” The voice behind her makes the hand that was out in front of her fly straight to her mouth. “The front door makes less of a squeaking sound when you open it.” Jade quickly turns around to see her future mother-in-law leaning forward on her elbows on the island counter in the middle of the kitchen. “Been meaning to call someone to get that fixed.” From what she can make out from the moonlight, Carol is dressed in a baby blue robe and a coffee mug to her lips. Her gray hair is slightly messy from sleep and her facial features relaxed. Jade’s anxiety grows at her calm demeanor. Her eyes widen in a panic as she tries to think of something to say to her.

“Carol,” Jade swallows harshly to try to control her breathing. “I was, um, going for a late-night s-stroll. The m-moon is very beautiful tonight-” She is silenced by Carol’s hand being raised to dismiss her excuses and gives Jade a pointed look. “No need for any of that.” Carol sets down her mug on the counter and straightens her back. “Coffee?” Carol nods her head over to the coffee pot on the counter.

“No, no thank you.” Jade wonders if the older woman could hear her heart beating out of her chest. “So... what are you doing up at this hour?” Carol sighs before she brings the mug back up to her lips for another sip.

“You know, Jade. I somehow had a feeling I would find you in this position.”

“I’m not sure what-”

“Don’t play stupid.” Carol’s ceramic mug makes a loud noise as she brings it down onto the marble countertop. “Money won’t buy you happiness, Jade. Neither will marrying into the upper class make you upper class. The sooner you realize that, the better.”

“I’m not marrying into your family for the money if that’s what you’re implying.”

“Oh, please.” Carol let out a scoff. “A young woman with your background? I don’t buy it for a second.”

“My background?”

“Do you really expect me to believe that you’re marrying my son for any other reason than money? He said he met you while you were working at a bar for crying out loud.” Jade looks down at the engagement ring on her fourth finger and notices how it is still able to sparkle from the minimal moonlight through the kitchen window.

“I love your son.” Jade says in a whisper, as if she was saying it more to herself than to his mother.

“And yet, here you are. Bag in hand the night before your wedding, leaving him at the altar to look like a fool. Does that really seem like something a person who loves him would do?”

“I’m doing it because I love him.” Jade looks up and sees Carol with her eyebrows furrowed, clearly not expecting that answer. “He loves me, I know that for sure, but I can’t compete with his family, with you. You clearly don’t like me, let