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Abbie Price

Ms. Oda

ENGL 1010

22 Sept. 2022

Seeing Red

I sat on my bed with puffy eyes, music blasting. I hate my life. I had just got into a fight

with Mom, and Lucas, my boyfriend, was being a jerk. Through tear-stained eyes, I looked at the

figure standing at the door. Grandma. She had always been there for me.

When I was little, Grandma would tell me fairytale stories. Most 5 year olds wanted to

hear the story of Cinderella or Snow White but my favorite story was Little Red Ridding Hood.

“Always watch out for the wolves in your life. They’ll take you for granted and leave you to

rott.”

I didn’t see her when I came home from school, but she probably heard my fight with

mom. Ever since dad had died, mom and I can’t seem to do anything except argue.

“Odessa,” Grandma whispered, smiling sadly. All I could do was cry. She ran over and

gave me a big hug, like the ones my dad used to give. Grandma shushed me as my snot ran down

the front of her blouce. I explained to her all that was happening. How mom just didn’t

understandme and how Lucas was ignoring me. I cried on her shoulder for the rest of the night,

listening and nodding to what I was babbling on about. She was the only one who understood

me.

When I woke up the following day, my eyes were crusted shut. Grandma must’ve left last

night after I had fallen asleep. Staring at my reflection, my eyes were baggy and red. Time for
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school. I slouched on a red flannel with black-ripped jeans. I threw up my stringy black hair into

a messy bun. This was as good as it was going to get.

Pulling into my parking spot, I saw Lucas waiting in front of the school. I slammed the

door shut. Oh now he wanted to talk. I was tired of Lucas being flakey and deciding when he

needed to talk. When I needed to talk then it was irrelevant, but of course the prince charming is

in charge. Don’t get me wrong I love this kid, but there has got to be change very very soon.

I started to walk past him when he yelled my name and I finally turned. “Hey,” he looked

at my face and then decided to look down at his feet. “Odessa we need to talk.”

The blood rushed out of my bones, “I don’t want to break up,” I blurted out. All anger

from before was gone, replaced with fear.

Lucases face paled, “No that’s not what I wanted to talk about,” he said quickly.

Hot tears of relief and fear ran down my face. Lucas’s face was ghostly when he looked

me in the eyes and said, “I’m moving.”

Everything froze, there was no way he was leaving. “Where?” I asked.

“It’s just for the rest of the school year and then I’ll come back for college,” he reassured

me, but that didn’t stop the river of tears flowing down my face.

“You didn’t answer my question,” I said through gritted teeth. Could my life get worse?

“I’m moving to California because my dad got a job there.” Lucas’ red eyes searched

mine. “I’m leaving next week.”

A sob escaped my lips, then my eyes turned to him accusingly. “How long have you

known this?”

Lucas wouldn’t meet my eyes as he mumbled, “6 months.”

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I couldn’t breathe. I couldn’t stand there anymore. I was mad at Lucas for not telling me, sad that

he was leaving, and just angry at the world. I have to get out.

Out of nowhere, I started running. I climbed back into my car and just started driving. I

didn’t want to go home because that would start another fight with mom so I drove to the only

place where I know I’d be loved. Grandma’s.

Grandma’s house was pretty close to the school just through the woods. I found

grandma’s house after driving for about an hour. After knocking on the door for about 3 minutes

grandma finally answered. He face was panicked as I barged in. “Odessa!” she exclaimed, “why

are you here?”

I felt tears sting my eyes. I know I would get over it eventually and that I was being

overdramatic but I didn’t want him to leave me. Grandma saw my tears and rushed me to the

couch. As I explained to her what had happened she pushed a cup of hot chocolate into my

hands. It warmed my insides and almost forgot about Lucas moving away. Almost.

“This boy causes you too much heartbreak. Maybe you should just break up with him.”

she stated looking up over her coffe mug.

That thought made me cry even harder and it angered grandma, “he’s only a boy! Boy’s

aren’t meant to be cried over! You’re so much better than him! I want you to break up with him

now!”

I had never heard grandma yell before and I could feel my heart starting to pick up. I

jumped when the doorbell rang.

“Odessa! I’m sorry, please come and talk to me!” Both of our heads snapped to the door.

I don’t know what it was but something told me I had to get to the door first.
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I started walking towards the door when grandma demanded in a dark voice, “go hide in

the cellar.”

I didn’t want to leave Lucas alone with my grandma. I don’t know why but it just didn’t

feel right.

After hesitating, I walked downstairs and stopped in my tracks. Hunting rifles were

everywhere. What the heck is my grandma doing? My heart was pounding harder, what was she

going to do to Lucas?

I opened the door to go up stairs and his desperate voice filled my heart. “Hey Ms. Red,

did Odessa come here? We were at school and she ran from me. She’s not answering her phone

and I just wanted to make sure that she’s okay.”

I heard grandma say, “are you the one that my poor Odessa was crying over?”

I could picture him nodding his head in defeat. “I fear I did something to ruin our

relationship and I’m scared she hates me now.” I could hear tears in his eyes.

“That was a big mistake,” Grandma’s voice filled the air with a type of evil that made me

snap out of my phaze and rush up the starires, I tried to tell him to leave but I was too late. I

stepped out in time to watch him fall after hearing a bang!

When I was little grandma would tell me the story of Little Red Riding Hood. I never

thought that my own grandma would be the very wolf she warned me of.