Crossing the Line by Kareem Rosser

Author:Kareem Rosser
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: St. Martin's Publishing Group

* * *

I had been writing to Lezlie for weeks. It was the only communication I was allowed and all my letters were the same: I hate it here. I want to come home. This place sucks. Why did you make me come?

In my fifth week, I received my cap shield and was finally allowed to make a phone call. I hesitated for a moment and then dialed the barn.

“Lez?”

“Kareem!” she said. Her voice was the warmest thing I’d heard for five weeks.

All of a sudden I was swamped with homesickness. My voice started to shake. “Lez, I hate this place. I want to come home,” I pleaded.

“Didn’t you just make it through the worst part? You’ve only got one more week before you graduate from being a plebe.”

I swallowed. I knew this. In fact, before I had called her, I was feeling pretty great. Finally getting my cap shield had been a huge accomplishment and relief. But hearing her voice brought all my feelings of regret and loneliness swimming to the surface. I missed the barn and our horses. I missed Gerb and Washika and Kareema. I missed Lezlie and my mom. I wanted my freedom.

“I can’t do this anymore,” I said. “This place sucks. I don’t belong here.”

“Kareem,” she returned. “What have I told you a million times?”

I hesitated for a moment. “Get out,” I finally said.

“Get out and…?”

“Stay out,” I answered sulkily.

“So?”

“So, this is worse than The Bottom! I don’t want to be here. It’s hell!”

She sighed. “Kiddo, you know what hell looks like, and that school is not it.”

“I don’t care! I want to come home!”

“Listen, make it through one more week. Push through, graduate from being a plebe, and I’ll send you something that will make it better, okay?”

I shook my head. “The upperclassmen take all my packages. They’ll just steal whatever you send.”

She laughed. “I promise you that they will not steal this.”

I bit my lip. “Okay, fine. But I might still come home even after that.”

“If you are still totally miserable after you graduate and get your gift, we can talk about you coming home.”

I sniffed. “You promise?”

I could practically see her nodding. “Promise.”

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