Life Designed (Life Plan Series Book 1), Eliza Taye [great novels .TXT] 📗

A studio apartment with shabby scarred wooden floors with stains here and there greeted his eyes. A narrow bed nestled in the corner with a chest beside it and an open doorway into the bathroom on the opposite side of the chest. To the left of the front door was a tiny kitchenette with a small countertop, stove, and a fridge half the size of his one at home. It literally looked as if someone had taken a knife and cut his fridge in half horizontally. To the right of the front door sat a small area with a table and a single chair. In all, his entire apartment could have fit inside his bedroom at home.

Garrett trudged over to the bed and sat down on the mattress. There were no sheets of any kind on the bed and he hated Dave for not allowing him to bring any of his sheets along. Like the floor, the mattress was stained as well. The entire place appeared like it could use a good cleaning, not to mention a remodel. Glancing around his new home, Garrett sighed in defeat, lowering his head into his hands.

What in the world had he done?

“Opal, I can’t believe you’ll be moving into the dormitory at the Academy of Higher Learning School of Law tonight! This is all so sudden,” exclaimed her mother.

“I know,” Opal smiled wide. “I can’t believe in a few days I’ll be starting my lessons in law.”

After the Declaration Ceremony, she and her parents had gone out to eat and then home to help her pack and gather her things. All the while, Opal tried to let her happiness and excitement shine through, but Garrett’s face kept popping into her mind. She couldn’t push away the thoughts of him. The worry she had for her best friend threatened to overtake the happiness of her big day.

Gabrielle smiled wide at her big sister, but then her smile started to fade. Pulling Opal over to the corner of the living room out of earshot of their parents, Gabrielle whispered, “You’re worried about Garrett, aren’t you?”

Opal smiled wanly at her sister. “How did you know?”

Shrugging, Gabrielle explained, “You had that forced smile face. Whenever you force a smile, your dimples don’t show, that’s how I know you’re faking it.”

Impressed, Opal hugged Gabrielle, playfully nudging her shoulder. “I’m gonna miss you, Gabby.”

“Me too.” Gabrielle smiled, then returned to being serious. “What do you think happened to him? Where do you think he went?”

A knock at the front door prevented Opal from answering.

Mr. Carneth hurried to the door, opening it without checking to see who was outside first.

“Mrs. Steinworth?” Opal gawked at her teacher standing in the doorway.

“Opal,” Mrs. Steinworth smiled sweetly and stretched out her hands.

Looking down, Opal saw Mrs. Steinworth was handing her a gift perfectly wrapped in silver wrapping paper with a blue bow. “I wanted to give you something as a congratulations and wish you good luck again.”

Receiving the gift, Opal examined it for a few moments before asking, “May I open it now?”

“By all means,” Mrs. Steinworth gestured at the gift.

“Would you like anything to eat or drink, Mrs. Steinworth?” offered Mrs. Carneth as she gestured for Mrs. Steinworth to come inside and sit.

“A cup of tea would be wonderful, thank you, Mrs. Carneth.” Tucking a stray piece of graying blonde hair behind her ear, Mrs. Steinworth patiently awaited Opal’s opening of her gift.

Delicately, Opal pulled off the bow and unwrapped the gift to reveal a box the size of her palm inside. Prying open the lid to the box, it revealed a silver stylus with her name engraved on the side of it. “Mrs. Steinworth, this is a wonderful gift! Thank you very much.”

A warm and satisfied smile spread across Mrs. Steinworth’s face. “I’m very glad you like it, Opal. I figured you would be taking a lot of notes in the classes for your law degree and knowing you, it would be more economical to take them with your sciorb than using paper.”

Opal blushed in embarrassment. She’d gone through five notebooks in the three classes she’d had with Mrs. Steinworth over the years. She always took notes on every single detail whether it may or may not be important, believing it was better to be safe than sorry.

“Thank you,” Mrs. Steinworth accepted the drink from Opal’s mom, sipping the tea. “Oh, that is delicious.”

Twisting the stylus between her fingers, Opal examined it closely. It was perfectly balanced and lightweight enough to lend hours of notetaking.

Staring down into her cup of tea, then raising her sapphire blue eyes, Mrs. Steinworth admitted, “Well, if I’m entirely honest, I didn’t come here just to give you the gift.”

Opal’s mother joined her father on the couch and the Carneth family stared at Mrs. Steinworth, waiting for her to elaborate.

“Why else did you come?” Opal wondered.

“Well…well…I,” Mrs. Steinworth stared down into her tea again, not raising her eyes until she’d finished her sentence. “I was wondering if you had known about Mr. Gibbons’ decision to write such a Life Plan?”

Opal’s heart sank. After receiving the gift, for a momentary lapse, she was able to put her worry for Garrett into the recesses of her mind, but now they resurfaced like hot lava spewing from a previously dormant volcano. “No, I had no idea.”

“Then you were as shocked as I was,” surmised Mrs. Steinworth, cradling her teacup in her hands.

Opal nodded, staring at the floor.

“In all my years…all thirty years of teaching…I’ve never lost a student to the Undecided sector. I had prided myself on preparing students for the real world and helping them find what they wished to do in life. It was my Life Plan to help others find their way. And until today,