"How Do You Like Those Apples"

Susie and her family decided to go apple picking one October afternoon. Every year she goes with her family to pick apples so they can bake apple pies and fruit pies for the fall season. It was always incredibly fun for Susie because she got to spend quality time with her sister and brother, Jessie and Tommy, who are both over ten years younger than her. They live in South Hampton, New York where there are a lot of farm stands. Tommy and Jessie usually sell the pies they make right in the front of their house.

            Susie is twenty years old, has brown curly hair and wears glasses. She attends college hundreds of miles away from New York, but it doesn’t stop her from going home and enjoying this tradition. However, lately she has been feeling stressed with her school work and job that she rarely has any spare time for herself. Overwhelmed with adult obligations, she forgot what it is like to be young. In school all she does is attend class and work at the Diner as a hostess right off campus. Working almost every night, she never has time to go out with her friends or come home to New York. She does not even have the time to make new friends or have a relationship with a guy.

            As they were apple picking, Jessie decides to run away from the family.

Susie exclaimed, “Jessie, don’t run too far. We can’t see you!”

Susie’s mom explains. “Susie, why don’t you play with your sister? You’re never home anymore and she misses you desperately.”

Susie answers back, “What do you want me to do? I am not running after her like a little kid.”

Susie’s mom begs, “Come one Susie. I cannot see her from here.”

Susie asks, “Wow really, what about Tommy?”

Susie’s mom says, “Tommy’s bonding with your father.”

Susie screams, “Ugh fine! Why do I even visit you guys if all I do is baby-sit? Jessie, where are you? It is not funny anymore!”

Jessie yells, “I am over here. Come find me sissy!”

Susie runs after Jessie and doesn’t notice a huge pile of apples on the grass. She trips over the bunch of apples and falls back, hitting her head on the ground.

Susie barely opens her eyes and yawns, feeling as if she has been sleeping for fifteen years. She gazes at the sight in front of her and gasps. She covers her eyes with her hands and thinks she is going crazy. When she uncovers her eyes she is not in the same place anymore. She doesn’t feel the warmth of the sun pressing upon her or the itchy grass underneath her body. She doesn’t see the gigantic apple trees and she doesn’t hear her sister yelling back at her. She realizes she is in her dorm room at school, but she knows before she fell she was chasing after her sister while apple picking.

            Susie questions herself. She paces from the foot of her twin bed to a door decorated with huge Greek letters and a collage of pictures of Susie and her friends at bars, formals, at the beach, drinking, and with boys. Susie seems puzzled at the fact that she is in all these pictures, but does not remember taking them. She notices the mirror hanging from her closet door and looks in it.

            Susie exclaims to herself, “What the heck! I have blonde hair and it is straight. How can I see right now without me glasses? Look at these red stiletto shoes I am wearing with this dress from Express. I would like to know when I bought these sexy things. Maybe I should leave my room.”

            Susie hears people yelling and laughing outside her dorm room. Through all the chatter, she can make out a girl saying, “Party at the house tonight! 66 Will Avenue.” She cautiously walks to the door and trips twice on her new glamorous heels. As she places her hand on the doorknob she takes a deep breath. Not knowing that her life will never be the same again once she opens that door, she steps outside into the hallway.