The choices we make

Anne woke up from a sharp ringing of her smartphone that sent abrupt vibrations down the whole bedside table. Without tearing herself from the most idolized state of sleep, the teen reached for it with one hand, rummaging with jabbing movements over the nightstand and trying to grab the hellish device. Failing at the “mission impossible”, Anne cracked her eyes open, hauled herself up - disentangling the legs from the blanket - and reaching for the atrocious buzzing sound.

Who on Earth would be calling SO early in the morning? she grumbled to herself. But as the girl glanced at the time, she realized that it was already past noon. However, her head seemed to be bursting apart from endless reverberations of a thousand anvils, relentlessly hammering against the inner sides of the skull. She should’ve gone home earlier from that party, not at 05:48. Now, she has to deal with the consequences - very unpleasant, apparently. Nevertheless, without any further contemplation, her body landed on the bed, the head slumping against the pillow with a loud thump, the mind quickly dozing off. She didn’t answer that call.

Anne loathed Mondays with all her heart. The awakening was as harsh as yesterday’s. She had no choice but to roll off from her warm and very beckoning sleeping place, hobble into the bathroom, and then sluggishly put on some clothes. When she descended the stairs and entered the kitchen, her mother and older sister Jane greeted her with sneering countenances.

“Well, there you are, sleepyhead! I thought we’d never see you again!” Their mother turned from the stove and smiled broadly at her.

Jane snorted and frowned at her little sister with chagrin, “When I was your age, I didn’t get to party for that long.” She rolled her eyes and muttered under her breath, “Talk about not picking favorites.”

“You’re only two years older, Jane! Get over yourself.” Anne took a seat at the table, already abundant with palatable dishes. “Besides, I didn’t mean to stay up for the whole night. It just... happened...somehow.”

Her mother only huffed a laugh and said: “Girls, grandmother’s birthday is in one week. We all need to think of a special gift for her anniversary, and -, ” she glowered at her younger daughter, who clearly was not paying her much heed. ” By the way, Anne, she called you yesterday and told me to kindly remind you about it. She really wants to talk, since you haven’t bothered to do so in quite some time.”

The girl only blearily nodded and rose from her seat, moaning to herself: Another bothersome week. Only twenty three of them to go 'till summer. At this rate - I’m not gonna make it...

This day was particularly annoying. Out of all five, that math test just had to be today (of which Anne completely forgot, of course, since she was terribly busy during the weekend). After opening the first page, it was not worth mentioning that she was toast. Well, I still got my phone, Anne smirked. But, as she reached for her device, it began to ring with all its might throughout the whole classroom. Of course, I didn’t turn the sound off! But it was too late, as the teacher immediately approached her...

Why would grandma be calling me, knowing that I’m in school? Unbelievable! Anne was rippling with fury the next day, sitting in the detention room at the time of her precious break. After she got kicked out yesterday, there was an insufferable meeting with the principal of the school. They even called her mom! The ancient geezer gave Anne a dull lecture about the prohibition of using phones in school, especially during an exam. She muttered her apologies and then they finally left. Mother was certainly unimpressed, but her weariness from work played in Anne’s favor. When they reached home, mom only said that if she’ll ever have to withstand principal’s grousing again during her rare lunch break - Anne were to find the way back home on her own.

As Anne climbed to her room, there was nothing better to do than to plop down on the bed and indolently lie in it for the whole evening; watching various TV shows, and then falling into a dreamless sleep.

And so, the days began to flow monotonously and unremarkably, until the long-awaited Saturday morning. Anne woke up with a feeling that there was something she had to do, something she had postponed the whole week. After musing for a few minutes, her memory flickered that she forgot to call back her grandmother multiple times now. There was no more time to delay. Ugh, that endless talk of flowers and gardening is always so wearing, she sighed in her head, as Jane entered the room.

“Still drowsing off, I see. Would Her Majesty deign to rise any time soon?” Jane gave her a wry smile and strode to the desk, searching for something among piles of paper scraps and textbooks.

“Oh, please, it feels like dawn! I bet Mom is still asleep as well.”

“Yeah, right! I didn't see her this morning, and it's already midday. She must've left very early, probably to work.”

That set Anne thinking: Hmm, I wonder where she went to on her day off. Doesn't seem like her at all. Instead, she said: "Whatever. Since you so unceremoniously barged in - you might as well call grandma for me.”

“I can’t, I have to get this art project done. Besides, you’ve been dodging her calls for weeks. Yesterday, Mom told me that grandma doesn’t feel way. Hope she'll get better 'till her b-day. At least ask if she’s okay. ”

“Oh, come on - ”

“Hey! Stop placing your responsibility on me. I - ”

Before Jane could finish, the door slowly creaked open. It was their mother who stood on the threshold, eyes drained from tears with bruised purple underneath. She must have been up all night. Anne and Jane shifted their gazes to the phone on the edge of the table. And then they finally realized that the call didn’t really matter anymore...