Story Contest - Voting Thread

Dory Drake tapped her thumbs against her phone and typed the word in a blank text message. Of all the ways the 20-year-old co-ed could use to describe death, she at last decided that inconvenience is the more appropriate. Death is often heartbreaking, depressing, devastating, but never ‘timely’. Then the car edged onto the road’s shoulder, and the passenger-side front wheel scattered some gravel on the single lane country road in Bend, Oregon behind them. It was enough noise to snap Dory from her daydream, the phone almost popped from her hands. She clapped her palms shut as she sat upward.

“Sorry about that.” Amber Barrett said as she eased the car back between the lines. She adjusted her steel-plated glasses and tucked the long-straight blonde strands behind her shoulder. She stole another glance at her passenger, the fair-skinned brunette, just as tall and lanky as she.

“It’s okay. I just dozed off.” Dory faked a smile and settled back down. She pulled her knees up and curled herself into the deep seat of Amber’s Toyota Camry.

“Dory,” Amber voice grew stern. “Rest. Sleep even.”

Dory sighed. She mashed her thumb behind her heel and pulled off her blue low cut canvas sneaker. Then the other until her mismatched white and grey socks showed just how disheveled she’d become. She cradled her neck across her seatbelt and closed her eyes.

‘At least it was during spring break.’ She thought to herself as the car edged against the sidewalk. Up to this point, Dory refused to look at the little beige rancher that belonged to her family. When she set sight on the modest house, faded aluminum side and brick red trim windows, her piercing blue eyes welled with tears.

Amber’s palm eased the stick into park, but she kept the motor running. She scanned her friend’s guarded composure and sighed. “You sure you’re going to be okay, Dory?”

But Dory sucked back the incoming wave of grief and faked another grin. “Thanks so much for taking me home, Amber.” She watched Amber’s incredulous reaction as her golden crown glowed in the setting sun behind her. As their silent staring game lingered, her smile became more authentic. There was always something about Amber’s Hellenistic features that put her at ease—even though it also stabbed a tinge of nervousness in her stomach.

“And hey Dory,” Amber leaned toward the window. She waited under Dory leaned her knobby arms on the car door. “I know it's none of my business and I was happy to do it, but your girlfriend has a car. Did Emily not want to bring you?” She watched Dory’s expression deflate, eyes trailing off. Dory said nothing, but Amber understood its totality. “God, I’m so sorry, Dory. I didn’t know.”

“No, it’s okay.” Dory snapped her head up, “I haven’t told anyone. I don’t think it’s really hit me yet.”

“Do you need me?”

“What?” Dory recoiled. She took a step back and stumbled against the curb.

“Do you need me to help with your mother’s arrangements?” Amber finished, her face flush with sympathy. She sucked in a terse breath before hanging onto Dory’s next words.

“Um, no that’s okay.” Dory finally blurted out. “I’ve got Anna, she’ll be a big help.”

Amber rolled her eyes and countered in a flat tone. “Anna is a child. She’s barely in high school. I don’t think your sister is as stable as you’d like me to believe.”

“Yeah, you’re probably right. But still,” Dory’s voice wavered and cracked. She couldn’t resist falling into Amber’s deep brown eyes. It was a treat to see her old friend and schoolmate without makeup. The young woman’s natural beauty and messy bedhead blonde locks made it appear as if she had just woken up. Dory just wished she’d been there sleeping next to her.

“Still what, Dorothy?” Amber gave a sly smile. She cocked an incredulous brow at Dory and dug deeper. Her voice was low, edging sultry. “You scared of me, or something.”

“Oh, shut up.” Dory chuckled. Her heart pounded as the urged to run soared. Her face burned with embarrassment over Amber using her real name. That was the last straw. She needed to leave. “I gotta go, Amber. I’ll call you later okay? Promise!” She raised her hand and stepped onto the flat brick trail leading to the front door.

Amber waved wiggled her slim ivory fingers at Dory before wrapping them around her stick shift. Dory’s eyes followed the pearl white car until it faded out of the modest neighborhood. She looked around the sparse splattering of suburbia. Each single-story house had an economy class car and pickup parked in its crumbling driveways. She wa

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