#03 - March Table of Doom
Title: Marvelous Things
Prompt(s) Used: Marvelous Things, Withered, Now You See Me
Style(s)/Genre(s) Used: 1st Person, Hurt/ Comfort, Fanfiction
Word Count: 673
Rating: pg
Original/Fandom: Switched at Birth
Pairings (if any): none
Warnings (Non-Con/Dub-Con/etc): none
Summary: After Bay finds out her injury is likely permanent, she is accepted to Pratt and must make a decision about her future.
“Hey Bay,” Mom was practically singing, smiling at me as I walked into the kitchen. “Look at what came in the mail for you!”
She held up a thick envelope from behind her back. I knew what was in it right away, before I even saw the return address. “Yeah, great.” I didn’t take the envelope.
“Oh come on, don’t you want to at least open it?”
“Not really,” I rolled my eyes. “It’s like they’re laughing in my face. Here, come to our school to study the only thing you love to do, even though you can’t do it anymore.” My voice broke. Even though the doctor said that therapy could help, I knew the truth. The surgery hadn’t really fixed anything. I tried to hold out hope, but I couldn’t. I felt withered, like I wasn’t whole anymore. I had lost too much already.
“Oh Bay,” Mom sighed. She pulled the envelope closer, examining it. “Can I at least open it?”
“Are you kidding me?” I glared at her, grabbed the envelope and went up to my room.
I let the envelope sit on my dresser for three full days while I organized my application for community college. That was my last choice, but it was just about my only option this late in the game. I could always transfer to UMKC after a semester. After a really rough day of school, the envelope caught my eye. I had to admit I was curious.
I sighed and tore it open quickly. The words mocked me. I quickly flipped through the pages. Suddenly, my mouth dropped open. “Oh my god,” I breathed. I looked around the room helplessly for a second and screamed, “Mom!”
She appeared too quickly. “What is it? What’s wrong?”
“They gave me a full scholarship,” I snorted and shook my head. “This is insane.”
“Well, you’re going, aren’t you? You can’t exactly turn down something like that.”
I shook my head. “How can I go? I can’t paint anymore, just in case you forgot!”
“Oh honey. Who knows? Maybe your hand will still get better.”
I just glared at her. I knew the more time that passed, the less likely it was that I would heal.
Mom just sighed. “OK, even if it doesn’t, maybe you can switch majors or something. Pratt has a lot of different programs.”
“Art is the only thing I want to do. You know that.”
“Here, let me see your ipad.” I sighed, handing it to her. I knew she wasn’t going to leave me alone until I at least talked to her. She pulled up Pratt’s website. “OK, what about graphic design? You can use a mouse with your left hand and that’s still creative, isn’t it?”
I had to hand it to her, she was really trying here. Still, it didn’t sound right. “Neh, I don’t want to stare at a computer all day. Besides, graphic design is so… commercial.”
“So? You’re gonna need a career, you know that, right?”
I chuckled. “Of course I do, but I don’t want to create things just to make money. I want to make marvelous things.”
Mom studied me for a long moment. “I understand, I really do. I realized when I was writing my book that sometimes you just need to be creative."
I had to smile. “Exactly. Now you see me.”
She smirked and looked back down at the tablet. “OK, so what do you want to do? Interior design, like Regina?”
“Look, we don’t even know if I can switch majors…”
“Bay, just go with me here. Oh, I’ve got it! What about film?”
“Film?”
“Yeah, you wouldn’t have to use your hand too much. Film is kind of like moving art, isn’t it?”
I considered that for a second. Finally, I looked up at mom and said, “Yeah, I think you’re right. I think I’ll call Pratt tomorrow and see what I can do.”
“That’s more like it. I’m so proud of you, honey.”
“Thanks,” I just had to smile.
Prompt(s) Used: Marvelous Things, Withered, Now You See Me
Style(s)/Genre(s) Used: 1st Person, Hurt/ Comfort, Fanfiction
Word Count: 673
Rating: pg
Original/Fandom: Switched at Birth
Pairings (if any): none
Warnings (Non-Con/Dub-Con/etc): none
Summary: After Bay finds out her injury is likely permanent, she is accepted to Pratt and must make a decision about her future.
“Hey Bay,” Mom was practically singing, smiling at me as I walked into the kitchen. “Look at what came in the mail for you!”
She held up a thick envelope from behind her back. I knew what was in it right away, before I even saw the return address. “Yeah, great.” I didn’t take the envelope.
“Oh come on, don’t you want to at least open it?”
“Not really,” I rolled my eyes. “It’s like they’re laughing in my face. Here, come to our school to study the only thing you love to do, even though you can’t do it anymore.” My voice broke. Even though the doctor said that therapy could help, I knew the truth. The surgery hadn’t really fixed anything. I tried to hold out hope, but I couldn’t. I felt withered, like I wasn’t whole anymore. I had lost too much already.
“Oh Bay,” Mom sighed. She pulled the envelope closer, examining it. “Can I at least open it?”
“Are you kidding me?” I glared at her, grabbed the envelope and went up to my room.
I let the envelope sit on my dresser for three full days while I organized my application for community college. That was my last choice, but it was just about my only option this late in the game. I could always transfer to UMKC after a semester. After a really rough day of school, the envelope caught my eye. I had to admit I was curious.
I sighed and tore it open quickly. The words mocked me. I quickly flipped through the pages. Suddenly, my mouth dropped open. “Oh my god,” I breathed. I looked around the room helplessly for a second and screamed, “Mom!”
She appeared too quickly. “What is it? What’s wrong?”
“They gave me a full scholarship,” I snorted and shook my head. “This is insane.”
“Well, you’re going, aren’t you? You can’t exactly turn down something like that.”
I shook my head. “How can I go? I can’t paint anymore, just in case you forgot!”
“Oh honey. Who knows? Maybe your hand will still get better.”
I just glared at her. I knew the more time that passed, the less likely it was that I would heal.
Mom just sighed. “OK, even if it doesn’t, maybe you can switch majors or something. Pratt has a lot of different programs.”
“Art is the only thing I want to do. You know that.”
“Here, let me see your ipad.” I sighed, handing it to her. I knew she wasn’t going to leave me alone until I at least talked to her. She pulled up Pratt’s website. “OK, what about graphic design? You can use a mouse with your left hand and that’s still creative, isn’t it?”
I had to hand it to her, she was really trying here. Still, it didn’t sound right. “Neh, I don’t want to stare at a computer all day. Besides, graphic design is so… commercial.”
“So? You’re gonna need a career, you know that, right?”
I chuckled. “Of course I do, but I don’t want to create things just to make money. I want to make marvelous things.”
Mom studied me for a long moment. “I understand, I really do. I realized when I was writing my book that sometimes you just need to be creative."
I had to smile. “Exactly. Now you see me.”
She smirked and looked back down at the tablet. “OK, so what do you want to do? Interior design, like Regina?”
“Look, we don’t even know if I can switch majors…”
“Bay, just go with me here. Oh, I’ve got it! What about film?”
“Film?”
“Yeah, you wouldn’t have to use your hand too much. Film is kind of like moving art, isn’t it?”
I considered that for a second. Finally, I looked up at mom and said, “Yeah, I think you’re right. I think I’ll call Pratt tomorrow and see what I can do.”
“That’s more like it. I’m so proud of you, honey.”
“Thanks,” I just had to smile.