short story. Seize Each Day.

Sean Rondeau

C Block

Seize Each Day

“Paul! Paul! Mr. White please get up before I kick you out of my class!” said Ms. Sullivan in truculent voice.

Paul evasively replied, “I’m up, I’m up don’t throw a fit.” Paul had just got to his first class after showing up thirty minutes late. Paul just didn’t care about school. He was failing most of his classes, skipping classes, talking back, and not showing up to school. Throughout the rest of the day, Paul created his usual distractions and disturbances in class. At lunchtime, he ran into the person he hated most, Dexter Winfield. He and Dexter nearly got in a fight before it being broken up by teachers. Dexter and Paul had been best friends until a couple of years ago when Dexter tried to vilify his reputation. Both are too obstinate to apologize.

After cutting school a bit early with his pal John, Paul went to his house to drink even though he was only a senior. Seven beers later, Paul was drunk and had past out in his room. After being unconscious for a couple of hours, he had heard the phone ring. It was his grandma. He and his grandma had been very close until Paul became aloofed from her and started doing drugs. Ever since, his grandma has been doleful. He heard Grandma’s voice say, “Paul, I haven’t seen you in a while. I was wondering if you could come visit me at the nursing home. I need some company.”

Paul responded with a bit of a slur, “Yeah sure grandma, I’ll be there in two hours. See you then.” Paul once again blew off his grandma for the second time this week. Paul’s wizened grandma, in her late eighty’s, was diagnosed with cancer and is in the process of dying. That night, Paul didn’t even bother to attempt his onerous homework.

The next day after Paul was late again, the principal of Northwest High, Mr. Jenkins called Paul into his room. Mr. Jenkins said, “Paul, you are failing almost all of your classes, showing up late, and cutting school. It just doesn’t seem like you care.”

He replied, “Mr. Jenkins I don’t care about school.”

“Mr. White, you also don’t care about life. I’ve heard rumors about what you have been doing outside of school. How do you plan on getting into college on the way your going?”

“Mr. J., I don’t plan on going to college.” Mr. Jenkins’s harangue went on for about ten more minutes. After the rebuttal, Paul stormed out of the room and slammed the door. Mr. Jenkins knew he couldn’t do anything about this because he thought Paul was incorrigible. When Paul got home from school he watched TV until it was midnight when his beaten up phone rang. It was John. Paul then grabbed his wallet and snuck out of the door while his parents were sleeping. He was going to John’s to smoke.

On the walk there on the foggy night, Paul decided to take a shortcut through the park. As he was walking, he saw three men with hoods approaching him. Paul just kept walking. Once he got closer to the three mysterious men, they converged on him and the man in the middle said, “Give me everything in your pockets!”

Paul then trying to be tough said, “What if I don’t?” The man in the middle then pulled a gun out of his pocket and put it to Paul’s head. Paul was scared out his mind and his fear pervaded throughout his whole body. Paul pleaded him not to shoot. He was coerced to pull everything out of his pockets including his wallet that had 150 bucks in it, his cell phone, a pack of lifesavers, and even his pocket lint. The man put his gun away and the three men beat Paul until he was unconscious. In the morning, a man walking his dog saw Paul on the ground and immediately called the police. Once Paul woke up, he realized he needed to cherish life everyday and live each day like it was his last.

Over the remaining five months of the school year, Paul got to school on time, participated in every class, and didn’t talk back to his teachers. Paul even apologized to Dexter and they became friends again. Paul said to himself, “Life’s too short to have enemies.” Each day when Paul got home, he did all of his homework and even studied for his tests. He then called his grandma back and went to visit her before she was gone. He watched the sunset with her and loved every moment. From the day he was jumped until his grandma died a month later, Paul watched the sunset with her everyday. The day before she died, she told Paul to live life to the fullest and seize each day. Paul also made an oath to himself to quit drugs and alcohol. Paul also brought his grades up and got accepted into the local state college. Paul turned his dull future into something sanguine. Paul finally started to appreciate life.