"We are all insignificant." I said with a questioning tone in my voice. "That's right," Mr. Green said, " That is how Shakespeare felt about life and I think he is right. Sure we all care about Patrick here, but if he died no one would publish it in a major news paper. I doubt anyone outside of this community would really even care." As I sat there and thought about what Mr. Green had said the bell began to rang. "Don't bring your books tomorrow. We are done with Macbeth."
"What up P?," Jace said as he walked beside me. "Not much Jace," I replied, "Do you think that's what Shakespeare really thought about life?" "What?" jace replied with a puzzled look on his face. "Never mind." I said as we continued walking down the hall. "What class you got next?" Jace asked. "College Comp." I said as I opened my locker. "OK I got shop so I'm gonna get going." "Bye Jace," I said as I shut my locker and headed to class.
"Today we are going to color." Mrs. Czechvola said as I sat down in my seat. "Oh goodie like we are in Pre-school again." I said jokingly. "Yes Pat, like we are in Pre-school."
I finished my assignment with no care as it seemed the lesson had no plan to it. Teachers seemed to stop caring about school work as the holidays came closer. When I think about it though so do the students.
"Hey Jace," I said as I put my lunch tray on the table. "What up P?" he replied with a mouthful of food. We sat there eating for a little while then a girl walked past. "Why didn't you say hi to Katie?" Jace asked with a confused look on his face. "Because she dumped me." I said.
"When?"
"A couple of days ago."
"Why didn't you tell me?"
"No reason."
"You OK?"
"I'm fine"
I watched as Jace took up his tray and then sat down beside all of his other friends. I was left at the lunch table alone. I didn't mind it though. I was use to being alone.
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As I walked through the door of my house I saw my sister laying on the couch. "Back from college?" I said. "Yes," she said. "For the holidays?" I said. "Yes," she said. "Where's Mom?" I said. "Upstairs; getting ready for work." she said as my mom came running down the stairs. "Gotta go to work," she said, "I want this house clean when I get back. OK Pat?" she said hurriedly. "OK," I said. "OK Sarah?" Mom said. "Yeah," she said as my mom went through the door.
"I'm getting on the computer," I said, "I have to finish my application for Stanford." "Pat you know you can't go even if you get accepted," my sister said, "we don't have the money." "We can find the money if I get accepted." I said. "Patrick your mom is a waitress and your dad can't pay anything. Mom already said she isn't going to pay for it. What are you going to do?"
"Something." I said as I began finishing my application.
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"Hello!" Patrick's mother yelled as she went up the steps. "Anyone home?" It had been a hard day at work and she did not need to find that her son was out late on a school night. She looked into her son's room as he lay there, "Patrick, Why didn't you answer me?" No response came from the boy. "Patrick?" Still no response came from her son. "You must have been tired," she said as she got ready for bed.
The next day Patrick's mother awoke to see her son still lay in his bed. "Patrick!" she yelled, "you have to go to school." The boy was silent laying in his bed. She went closer to his bed. "Patrick?" she said now with a little worry in her voice, "you OK?" She began to lift the blankets off his bed. As she did so she saw the gashes left her son's wrists. She quickly dropped the blanket and began crying. A note was laying on the bed. She picked it up and began reading it.
I'M SORRY FOR WHAT I DID. THERE WAS NO HOPE FOR ME. WITHOUT STANFORD THERE WAS NO HOPE FOR ME. IT WAS NOT YOU, THE KIDS IN SCHOOL OR MY FATHER THAT MADE ME REACH THIS DECISION. IT WAS SIMPLY NO STANFORD; NO LIFE.
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Five months later Patrick's mother opened a letter addressed to her son from Stanford. She read it:
DEAR PATRICK,
YOU HAVE BEEN ACCEPTED FOR THE FALL SEMSTER.
She dropped the letter and began crying, she had not even known her son applied. A lot had happened this year. After her son's death she won all the money she would ever need by playing the lotto with his favorite number.