Choices

2025 9th-12th Grade Prose Winner

   There must have been a thousand plates on display and each one was slightly unique. I spied one plate with a royal blue border, available in five different sizes. While Alyssa and Theo were off picking their favorite one, I examined the store’s array of products. 
   “Chloe, there you are!” Alyssa exclaimed, approaching me with one plate in each hand. “Theo and I couldn’t decide: which one do you like better?” I examined the options. One had a gold border around the rim while the other had gold flowers adorning the entirety of the plate. 
   “Definitely this one,” I pointed to the one with the gold line. “It’s more elegant and goes with the napkins and silverware we picked yesterday.” 
   “I agree,” Theo came over and draped an arm around Alyssa. She beamed, looking as happy as I’ve ever seen her, rivaling only when she had called me three months ago, screaming that Theo had proposed. Her happiness was so pure, and she sounded ecstatic for the future that awaited them. My heart burst with happiness every time I thought about them exchanging vows, which is why I had vowed to make their wedding perfect. 
   “Great! I’ll go check out,” Alyssa put back the floral plate and walked towards the cash register. 
   “How’s the major search going?” Theo asked me. 
   I sighed in response. 
   “Maybe you could be a wedding planner,” he suggested. “You could study something like marketing or communications.” 
   “That’s actually not a bad idea,” I said. Planning Alyssa and Theo’s wedding always thrilled me, whether it was looking for flowers or creating the invitations. I pulled up my notes app and entered Theo’s proposal at the bottom, then quickly turned it off and shoved the list into the back of my mind, becoming out of reach to my thoughts. 
   Alyssa came back over to us and we got into her grey Mercedes. Theo told her about his major idea, which she loved. “You really pay attention to detail,” Alyssa said, glancing at me in the rearview mirror. “Plus you love being with people.” 
   I shrugged, steering the conversation towards wedding planning. Crossing off plates from my five-page checklist, I informed them of our next steps. Tomorrow we would finalize the flowers and centerpieces and a week later would be the cake tasting. I saw Alyssa and Theo share a look, but I was too busy thinking of seating arrangements to care.
   I heard the speeding car before I saw its bright red reflection in the corner of the side mirror as it was rapidly approaching. Alyssa saw it too, swerving out of the way to let it pass. But she had turned too hard. We cut across two lanes before flying off the highway. The last thing I remembered was the car tipping over and a loud scream. After that, everything went black. 

*** 

   I slowly regained consciousness and opened my eyes to find Alyssa watching me from a seat in the corner. When she saw my eyes flutter, she rushed over to me. 
   “Are you okay?” she asked, her face creasing with worry. Her eyes were swollen red. I looked down, seeing a hospital bed and tubes hooked from a machine into my arm. “I think,” I responded. 
   The doctor entered and told me that I had broken my left arm but otherwise was completely intact. I looked to my left and saw Theo on a bed next to me. He was still unconscious, but I had a sinking feeling that his injury was worse than mine and Alyssa’s. He had been sitting on the side of the car that hit the ground first. 
   The rest of the day passed in a blur. Our parents rushed in and hugged us ferociously, carefully examining my cast and Alyssa’s finger splint. Theo’s parents came and talked to the doctor, who said Theo’s injuries were worse but would still make a full recovery. I saw their exhales of relief when learning he would survive and felt gratitude spread throughout my body. It could have been so much worse. 
   After going through endless forms, my parents finally took Alyssa and me outside the hospital. By then, Theo had woken up and embraced my sister, promising her that he would be ok. I still saw the uncertainty in her eyes, the fear deep inside of her, the tremendous guilt that she had been the one driving but had suffered the least. 
   “I’m not getting in that car,” Alyssa said suddenly after my parents had led us to a rental car. “I’m not getting in any car.” 
   “Alyssa, we have to get home,” my mom said weakly. 
   “I’ll walk,” she responded sternly and began the mile-long walk home, my dad trailing her.
   “Chlo, are you fine to take the car?” my mom asked carefully. I nodded and got in the front seat next to her. She smiled sadly, putting her hand on top of mine. We drove in silence, but I kept seeing her stealing glances at me out of the corner of her eye. 
   The next week brought hushed conversations behind my parents’ bedroom door; the only audible word was my sister’s name. She stayed home every day and would not go outside. My parents tried consoling her and leaving her alone, but Alyssa was not improving. She left dirty dishes on the counter and stayed in one position for hours. 
   Even though Alyssa stopped planning her wedding, I continued to make arrangements. Alyssa and Theo were getting married in three months and there was a whole new and improved checklist for me to complete before then. With my sister refusing to leave the house, I went to all of the appointments by myself. I chose red roses based on the wallpaper in Alyssa’s room, chocolate cake from the time five years ago where she had devoured a chocolate cupcake on her friend’s birthday, and the cushiony chairs with the same level of comfort our couch had. I prioritized wedding planning over my other obligations, staying up late to ensure their perfect wedding. Even as my sister flirted with the idea of not having a wedding or at least pushing it back, I was still planning for hours each day. 
   The only problem was Alyssa avoiding Theo’s calls. I desperately needed them to communicate for wedding planning and to ensure the ceremony wasn’t awkward. He was really trying to speak to her, which I appreciated, but my sister was too wrapped up in her own guilt. Even though Alyssa put a “do not enter” sign on her door, I still went inside and asked her to call Theo back. 
   One day, my parents and Alyssa left the house together, leaving the car keys at home, and returned two hours later. A day later, the same. After that, Alyssa began going alone. She also started calling Theo, which excited me. Her conversations with my parents became less strained. 
   A week after her new routine began, she cracked open my bedroom door to find me examining the guest list. “Chloe, did you ever pick a major?” Alyssa asked. “Nope,” I replied. 
   “You should really do that,” Alyssa gave me a soft smile as she left, closing the door behind her and preparing to leave the house again. I continued fussing over seating and tables for the next two hours. After checking two items off my list, I opened my computer and stared at my list of potential majors. About to pick randomly and give myself more time to figure out catering, I heard the jingle of Alyssa’s key opening the door. 
   “How was it?” My mom asked, unaware that I was listening. 
   “Good. It’s really been helping,” Alyssa answered. 
   I put psychology at the top of my list. Instead of returning to wedding planning, I picked up my favorite book and started reading.