Loyalty Makes You Family

Sorry, everyone, it's been a while since I've posted...I'm working on a end of semester post, but it won't be ready for a couple more days. For today, I'm going to be sharing a short story that I wrote a while back. I used this quote as a story prompt:

*Side note; I'm super excited to post this
picture because it is my second successful use of
a photo-editing software. And the first time
I've put words on a photo with it. :) 

Jane threw herself on her bed and burst into tears. It had been the worst day of her life. Her room-mate was out of town for the week, and her family was across the country…sleeping. There was no one to talk to, but Jane needed help…wait...she opened her eyes and reached for her phone. She dialed and waited. 

            Tommie picked up the phone. “Hello, Jane.”

            “Do you have a moment?” Jane asked, her voice quavering.

            “Sure, sis. What’s up? Are you okay?”

            “No,” Jane admitted. “I lost my job, failed my English class, and broke up.”

            Tommie was silent for a moment. “I’m coming to the college. Meet me at the gym.”

            “Thank you,” Jane whispered. She hung up and lay back on the bed for a moment, thinking about how thankful she was that Tommie lived nearby. 

            Her relationship with Tommie hadn’t always been this way. In fact, they had been arch enemies when they were growing up. She clearly remembered yelling at him, “I hate you” after he had broken her doll…on purpose. She had always tried to outdo him. If he won a baseball game, she HAD to be the star of her next dance recital. If he got an A in math, she had to get an A+. And he was always trying to one-up her. If she cleaned half her room, he tried to clean his whole room. He told all her secrets, and in turn, she made up evil stories about him. He ruined her garden one year, and she stole his wallet.

            But now, when there was nowhere else to turn, he was the one she called on for help.

            And this wasn’t the first time.

            It all started four years ago, in her senior year of high school, when her school had a prom. And EVERYONE was going. All Jane’s friends had been invited, but she was still the loner without a date. Three days before the prom, things looked hopeless. All the other girls were teasing her. Tommie picked up a sobbing sister from school that day. He wasn’t supposed to pick her up, mom was. But mom had got stuck in traffic, so there he was, picking up his sister. It turned out to be for the best.

            After driving a sobbing sister down the road for a few minutes, Tommie pulled over to the side of the road and insisted that Jane tell him everything. Though she resisted at first, Jane ended up telling him the whole story on the way home. He was sympathetic and quickly came up with an alternative. The day of the prom, the two of them enjoyed a nice dinner out together. 

            And when she didn’t get accepted by the college she wanted to go for, he was there as a listening ear. He drove her to visit several colleges and helped her find her social security number for the application. 

            To be sure, he had reciprocated his help. 

            He had asked her for advice when he started dating. She had helped him choose a suit for the big wedding day. She had celebrated when he had been drafted by the Padres right out of college. She had come to his major-league debut a few months later when the rest of the family was too busy. And she had been there for him when he and his wife lost their first baby.

            Now, when her world was once again crumbling down around her, he was there for her with a hug and encouragement. 

            And an extra ticket for tonight’s baseball game.