Free at Last


Violet


Stifling a yawn, I dropped my book bag at the foot of my bed and collapsed onto the soft mattress in a sigh. All my classes were done for the day, but I was far beyond the point of exhaustion. Chemistry gave my brain a massive headache, Economics wasn't so bad, but I've never been particularly good with numbers, and then there was European Exceptionalism, my favorite course yet. Professor Fletcher made a bold move handing out Macbeth on the first day. It isn't a book most English teachers would choose to start off the semester with, but I like the fact that he wasn't afraid to take a risk. His intrepidity is quite admirable.

I rolled onto my side and faced the door to my dorm with drowsy eyes, looking for any signs of my roommate. According to the Administration's office, I am supposed to be sharing a dorm with a woman named Esther Bixby, but I haven't seen her since my arrival on campus. Before another thought on the unknown whereabouts of my roommate drifted into my mind, I felt myself slowly start to give in to the temptation of sleep forcing my eyelids to close. Instead of focusing on the absence of a stranger, my thoughts centered around the idea that I am free from the confinement of a classroom and the subfuscous boy with the curly hair. I am free from the pointless lectures of unintelligent adults. Finally, I am free—free at last to do whatever I please, and the feeling of having complete control over everything is very invigorating.

With each second that passed by, the lines between reality and wonderland became a blur. They spun into a colorless shade that I could only see through the squints of my eyelids. My mind wished to surrender to fantasy and retire for the day, but curiosity beckoned for my attention one last time when I heard the faint sound of the door creak open. I rubbed the sleep out of my eyes and slowly sat up straight to see a girl with frazzled brown hair and tear stricken eyes enter the room in a haste. She raced over to the bed opposite of me and flung open the dresser drawer, ransacking its contents completely.


“Shit, shit, shit…” The woman repeatedly swore under her breath as she shoved the clothing back inside, “Where the fuck is it?”

“W-what are you looking for?” I spoke up in between a yawn.


A gasp left the female's lips as she whipped around to face me, surprise evident in her hazel eyes. “And who the hell are you?” Her tone of voice was incredulous, but she had every reason to be.


I would say the same thing if I saw a total stranger in my room.


“Violet.” I smiled lazily. “You must be Esther, and it looks like we're roommates,” I told her while standing up to stretch.

“Good to know. So Violet is there any chance you've seen a charm bracelet lying around here somewhere?” Esther asked me desperately. “It was a gift from a friend that I need to return.”

“Um…” I trailed off, trying to remember if I noticed any piece of jewelry lying on the floor near the dresser, but nothing registered in my mind. I needed more information. “What does it look like?”

“Nevermind. I'll look for it myself,” She huffed as she got down on her knees to check underneath the dresser.

“At least give me a colour. I'm not completely useless, you know,” I said while joining her search party on the floor.

“Red. The bracelet was red with silver charms hanging off the string,” Esther told me in a sigh. “Does that help?”

“No, I'm sorry. I haven't seen it, but I may have one that looks like it,” I informed her upon rising to my feet.

“What exactly are you saying?” she inquired.


I ignored her query and walked back to my side of the room, opening the drawer to the nightstand. I pulled out a handful of my jewelry and set it beside me on the bed. Most of these precious gems were gifted to me on birthdays and other special occasions, but the bracelet Esther described was one of a kind.


Flashback


I was going for a walk late one night on the quiet streets of Cheshire, England when I ventured into a small antique shop and fell in love. A ruby red charm bracelet was on display inside an ivory gold jewelry box with intricate designs decorating the top. The rubies were tinted by pale red hues and glistened under the fluorescent lights of the store. Its beauty was enthralling. I had to have it. I sauntered away from the paintings and headed toward the entrance of the boutique. Not many people were in the store, so I walked to the front desk and requested assistance.


“Excuse me, I'd like to purchase the ruby bracelet on display. Is it still in stock?” I asked the sales associate.


He was dressed in a black short sleeved shirt with a few buttons undone, revealing the hairs on his untrimmed chest. A name tag had been pinned to the left side of his shirt, but the font was so small that I didn't even bother trying to read what it said. This would most likely be the last time I'd ever see the man so learning his name wasn't as important to me as buying the bracelet.


“Well, today must be your lucky day because we only have one more of those in this store. Give me a minute,” The guy told me before turning around and sifting through the boxes of jewelry.


While he continued to search for the item, I pulled out my wallet and placed twenty-five pounds on the table. I wasn't exactly sure how much the bracelet would cost and wanted to be safe. I took another quick cursory over the shop and noticed people who hadn't purchased anything being ushered toward the exit. When the cashier turned around and placed the bracelet on the table, I flashed him a small smile and pushed the coins forward.


“To be honest, I was going to sell this to you for £15, but hey, I'm not one to turn down extra money.” A grin overcame his features. My eyebrows pressed together, creating a line across my forehead. I couldn't believe what I was hearing. The young man threw his head back in a hearty laugh. “Kidding. I'm only kidding miss. Please keep your ten pounds and have a safe trip home.”


I muttered a quiet ‘thank you’ before putting the change in my pocket and heading toward the door. The string of the bracelet was tightly wrapped around my left wrist, and it's stayed that way until recently. I haven't worn it at all since I transferred here.


End of Flashback


“Does your bracelet look anything like this one?” I asked her while showing off the charms.

“Um, yeah, actually it does. And if I didn't know any better, I'd say you were the one that had it all along.” Esther eyed me up and down suspiciously. It was hard to tell whether or not she was serious, but that only made my next move seem even more important.

“It's yours if you want it.” I tossed her the piece of jewelry, and she caught it with ease.

“Seriously?” she gaped, a small grin breaking out across her face. The smile was contagious because one formed over my lips too.

“Yeah, I won't be missing it,” I reassured her with a nod.

“Thanks I guess,” Esther said to me before walking toward the door. She was about to go out, but something seemed to be holding her back. “Hey, um, my friend is throwing a rave tonight at Delta Nu. You should come.”

“Okay, I'll think about it,” I said while laying back on the bed. The lock clicked as soon as the door closed, and I sighed before flipping over to lay on my chest.


Now maybe I can finally get some rest.

Notes

Hi everyone. Thanks for all the lovely comments posted so far. It really warms my heart to see the support for this story despite the negativity. Hopefully you will enjoy this update as much as I do. Can we try and reach 23 votes? :) My co-author will update the story next. We collaborated on the chapter she'll be posting, so look out for it.

Please continue to vote, comment, and subscribe to this story if you enjoy it. Also, feedback is highly appreciated <3

The italicized line at the top comes from Martin Luther King's Speech "I Have A Dream," and in case you were wondering, 15 British Pound Sterling is the equivalent of 22.62 US Dollars.

Love
-M

(Optional)Reflection Question: What do you think the significance of the red bracelet is?