A New Year’s Resolution

The clock was ticking. The sharp, metallic sound rang throughout the room. It was a simple room, nothing more than a bed and a desk. But the bed glowed. From the bland sheets, a soft blue light shined. It seemed like something out of a fairytale. Until you heard the gunshots. Screams and explosions blasted from the bed. This symphony of chaos was directed by feverish tapping noises. Often these noises were accompanied by a groan or a grunt of approval. Suddenly, the sheets were ripped open, to reveal a sweaty, pale, girl. She was clutching a cracked iPad like her life depended on it. “It’s almost 10:00. They’ll be expecting me.” She gingerly stepped out of the comfort of her bed. Yellowed wrapping paper was strewn across her room. The ratty calendar was months behind. Stickers clung to the pages, foolishly smiling as bursts of colors in an otherwise dark room .The door was cautiously opened, releasing a burst of light into the bedroom. The girl flinched, before marching bravely out of the room, and down the stairs. “Hi everyo-” She began to speak, before noticing that her mom was the only one in the room, waiting for her. “Oh sorry, I didn’t mean to make you wait.” She awkwardly leaned against the stairs. “Heather, I’ve been meaning to talk to you. Why don’t you come down and have a seat.” Her mother gestured toward the pristine, white couch. Heather grimaced, before stumbling to a seat. “Your room is a mess. When was the last time you cleaned it?” Heather already knew what this conversation would lead to. Her mom attempting to discipline her, before giving up and going to the kitchen for a glass of wine. She crossed her arms, and got ready for the lecture. “Darling, you seriously have a problem. Ever since the coronavirus began, you’ve been holed up in that room of yours. Not to mention the hundreds of calls I’ve gotten from your teachers. Your grades are dropping and you hardly seem to be trying.” Heather smirked. So far, everything was going as usual. It was a little odd that her mom chose New Year’s to lecture her, but no matter. This would be over in 5 minutes if she played her cards right. “ Sorry, mom. I guess I’m just not used to remote learning yet. It may not seem like it, but I am trying hard.” That was perfect. Victory was hers. “Don’t give me that nonsense. You know what? I’m tired of your little tricks. You may think that you’re doing well, but you’re not. You are being lazy when you could be so much more.” Heather was in shock. This was not going according to plan. “Do you remember your news years resolution last year? It was to win a competition. How’s that resolution going for you?.” What was this? Her mom had completely changed the topic! “U-um… well, I’ve been at the top of the leaderboard-” Heather stuttered. “ That doesn’t count. Luckily for you, I’ve found the perfect competition that I’m sure you would excel at. It’s a writing competition. I sent you the link. Unfortunately, the deadline is at midnight today.” Heather blinked. That was a lot. A midnight deadline? Her mom had to be joking. “That sounds great and all mom, but maybe next year.” Alright. She was worried there for a moment but it turned out fine. Heather made a step to leave when her mom suddenly began to speak. “You’re right, but I think you should do it. No, I’m making you do it. Are all your electronics in your room?” Heather nodded. “Good. Until you finish that competition you are not allowed in your room. I’ll give you your laptop to write on and that’s it. No exceptions.” Heather gasped. She couldn’t believe her ears. “Well, I guess that’s enough. I’m heading to the kitchen. The link for the competition is in your email.” With that, her mom left the room. What was that? There was no way she would be able to submit a decent piece of writing with only 2 hours! Heather began to panic. No one understood her. Her mom didn’t know what was best for her. Heather began to wish she had never left her bedroom. She started to blink back tears. She felt overcome by a tremendous wave of self- pity. No! She shouldn’t cry. She was selling herself short. Her mom would be ashamed to have ever underestimated her. She would win the competition! With fresh motivation, Heather opened her laptop and checked her email. She scanned the website and got the gist of what she had to do. There were even some helpful writing exercises linked! As she began the exercises, she started to remember when she was younger. As a child, she had loved imagining stories in her head. She would create worlds with just a pen and paper. As she got older, that magic had begun to fade. Especially this year, she didn’t have the strength to see life the way she used to. Video games had become her escape. But now, she could feel that bubbling sensation at her fingertips again. The feeling of creation, of pouring your dreams onto paper. 30 minutes passed by in an instant. Now the real thing would start. The prompt for this year was to write about a character who changed their life in a few hours. Huh. That kind of felt like what she was doing now. But somehow, the blank document suddenly felt daunting. She wasn’t doing this to challenge her mother anymore. She was doing this for herself. And that was scary. Heather stared at the screen. The cursor blinked back at her, waiting. She wrote the first word. Then another. And another. Before she knew it, words were spilling onto the page. Word after word after word. She was doing it! She was writing again.