Hearing Jennifer laugh at her once she opened up, made Willow jump to the worst assumptions. It was a mistake. It was all a mistake. And she hadn’t even gotten to the second part yet. Her heart sped up, avoiding eye contact with the girl. She knew it was pointless to speak up, her secrets were nothing compared to the rest.
And then, Jenny continued to speak. Relief started to wash over Willow, hearing what she told her. She didn’t expect her to be able to relate so easily, much less give her a whole talk to make her feel better. Willow hated making assumptions, especially about misunderstood people like Jennifer. She was glad to see her kindness shine through.
Unfortunately, she couldn’t follow her advice. As much as she wanted to stand up to her parents, especially her mother, there was nothing she could do without making the situation worse.
She turned to Jenny. “My mother and father only want what’s best for me, that’s true. They want me to succeed in life, live comfortably. Following in their footsteps is the easiest path for me. I would be ungrateful to deny their help, wouldn’t I be?” she smiled faintly, but her eyes showed a hint of sadness. “I’m not going to judge your decisions, though. You’re really brave for going against your mother, well, even society as a whole to chase after what you want… In a way, I believe…” she trailed off, unsure if she should say any more.
Willow already felt like she’s said enough, yet she still hadn’t gotten to the second part. She took a deep breath and continued. “I believe the two of us aren’t so different. I admire your bravery, really. In a way, I’m also a rebel, expressing so much individuality even if I know I’d be misunderstood. But some things are completely out of my control. I’ve accepted that. Even if I don’t follow the path I want, it will still be the best choice, you know?”
She smiled warmly at Jennifer’s offer. It felt like there was finally a ray of hope in all the darkness and misfortune that day. “Thank you, I appreciate that. Just know I’ll also be here if you need to talk.” she paused, adding “I don’t understand why many people dislike you. You’re a really sweet and understanding person. I wish others could see what I have today.” Though she hesitated in speaking earlier, complimenting and comforting others came easily to Willow. Words flowed easily as she spoke this time around.
Hearing Jennifer talk about her secrets, Willow couldn’t lie that she didn’t expect either one. She had assumed she was often in trouble due to avoiding her classwork. But to hear that her grades were one of the best, it was a pleasant surprise. Willow realized that she truly didn’t know anything about Jennifer. Though, she never got a chance to talk to her before that day. How strange, she got to speak to so many people and open up that day, when a murder happened and they got blamed for it.
She smiled hearing about Malcolm. “I think it’s a sweet secret, it kind of eases the tension.”
Now that Jenny finished speaking, it was time for Willow to finish what she said earlier. “I suppose… I’ll take your offer now. To speak to you, I mean.” she sighed, turning towards Jennifer, but speaking slightly louder so at least one more person could hear. “The truth is, I… If I don’t become a lawyer like my parents want me to, then… I’m aftaid what might happen to their relationship.” she gulped. “My father would support whatever I choose, I know it. But my mother disagrees with him. She thinks being a lawyer is the right path for me. They… They argue a lot over that…” she said, then went silent.
And the final part she could say out loud, I’ll just tell them being a lawyer is my dream.
@eunoia × Jennifer Avery Boyd