The Voice of my Soul

Evergreen Land

I couldn't believe it. She actually had done it. She actually had succeeded. Initially, Abby's random text about planes puzzled me. Why did she want to know something like that?

"Um, no," I responded to her text. "I've never been on a plane. They freaketh me out lol."

I laid my phone down besides me on the floor. "What is she up to?" I thought.

I quickly read her response. And then I reread it. And reread it again.

"Because, my awesome, amazing, friend in Washington got us tickets. Your welcome."

I freaked out. Normally, I pride myself in staying calm, for the most part, in all situations. But not this one. I freaked. By the look on Mr Fluffy Butt's (yes, that's my dog's name...) face, I must have screamed louder than I intended to. I quickly slapped my hands over my mouth. Get a grip, I told myself.

"Call. Me. Now." I replied. My heart was pounding rapidly now.

When my phone finally rang, I answered it immediately with a "WHAT THE HECK DO YOU MEAN YOU GOT TICKETS?" Needless to say, Abby was very amused.

"You heard me!" She responded, cackling. "I got three tickets for us to go to the Washington concert in five days."

I was shocked. I couldn't speak I was so thrilled. But yet, there was a pinch of uneasiness about the whole thing. I mean, I had just become a fan. I still didn't even know all of their last names! It was so fast. Too fast almost. The ounce of uneasiness bothered me. Normally, when I feel my conscious tingle, I know something is afoot; probably for the worst. Amongst all my excitement, I still needed to think this over before leaving the state. I mean, school is finished until the Fall, but my job... what about it?

"Abby," I said with great hesitancy, "I really need to think this over... You know, I would have to rearrange a lot of things to be gone this quickly." I expected to hear her humdrum response of, "Okay... I understand." and how disappointed she was with my answer, excetre. But instead, she was still quite chipper and responded, "Yeah, I know! But something will work out, girly!" I smiled at her attitude. She really was a good friend.

"Besides, " she added, "I think you will absolutely find a way. I mean, you may win the prize..." She gave a mischievous chuckle. "Prize? What prize?" I asked. "What else has she done?" I thought to myself. "Oh," she casually added, "I entered us into the 'Meet the Guys' contest..."

Dang it.

My face began to feel warm again. I could feel my pulse start to race as well. I stumbled back on my couch and slumped down into the large, golden pillows. I think I could have laughed hysterically and cried violently at the same time. You know, typical fan girl emotions...

"Abby..." I managed to mutter, "I... I... can't believe you did THAT..." I could hear giggles on the other side. I tried to recompose myself. I mean, I am the adult here. "But girly," I continued with a sweet seriousness, "there are a billion other girls who have entered this contest as well. So..." I was cut short by the singing voice of Abby Jones.

"Couple billion in the whole wide world, find another one cause she belongs to me!"

Talk about a "face palm" moment.

"Ash, that song was written for us!" She stated triumphantly. "Just stay positive and trust that we got this! All negativity, shake it off!" Trying to add on to my friends corny sense of humor, I decided to "lyric troll" her as well.

"Shake it off!" I sang. "Shake it off! I-I-I-I shake i..."

"Stop!" Abby shouted over my awful singing. "What. Are. You. Singing?"

"Uh, Taylor Swift."

Abby let out an exaggerated sigh. "Ashley," she said, "You have a LOT to learn in five days. A whole lot to learn." I shook my head. I had no clue what she was talking about. But hey, she has been a fan girl longer than me!

When I managed to end the conversation with Abby, (who became more excited as we went on) I remained on the couch staring at the ceiling. I became memorized as my eyes began to follow the steady pattern of the spinning ceiling fan. I remembered how I used to love to watch the ceiling fan on blistering summer days. I would play outside 'till the point of exhaustion; running through the creeks with my brothers, pretending to be Indians, or a banished princess with an overly dramatic storyline. Once we had played our little hearts out, we would come inside and lay under the shadow of the ceiling fan to cool off. Around and around it would go, in the exact same pattern it had always gone, and always would. Kinda like my life...