This is a short story I've started. Tell me what you guys think.
March 26th
Stephen Levitt was having an existential crCIA, though he didn't think to call it that, at least not at first. All Stephen Levitt was having so far was a very bad day.
It was March the 26th. March the 26th was the arbitrary day his girlfriend had set, telling herself that if things didn't improve, if Stephen didn't become more loving and wonderful, she would break up with him. She did just that, when Stephen came unwittingly to pick her up for the evening's festivities, all he got from her was the vague assertion that "things weren't working out" and an abruptly closed door.
Stephen was flummoxed to be sure, but he couldn't be too down on himself becaus March 26th was the meticulously planned day the Hughland-Dewey award recipient was announced. It was the scholarship that Stephen had fastidiously completed every piece of work given to him in highschool in order to receive. It guaranteed he could attend the college of his dreams, a goal which would be hard pressed to achieve otherwise given his family's limited affluence. Stephen and his father left early for the awards banquet, his mother and sister came afterwards , closer to the start.
Stephen and his family sat up front with the other top contenders for the award. Flanked by his parents, sitting in his rented tuxedo, he endured speech after speech which went on at length to describe the history of the award, the values it represented, the successes of past recipients. "Just one more hoop to jump through, all this work comes down to this." Stephen thought inwardly, retaining his stoic outward appearance. "I've come this far, done this much, I can wait just a bit longer."
His thoughts were interrupted by the MC. "And now we're ready for what you've all come for tonight, we're ready to announce this recipient of this year's Hughland-Dewey award!".
Stephen's father leaned over and whispered in his son's ear. "Son, no matter what happens your mother and I are very proud of all the work you've done."
Stephen appreciated his father's sentiment, but he was confident in his chances. He'd done every iota of work he'd been given to perfect, he volunteered, he tutored students, he'd become everything the award asked him to become and Stephen was confident. Some said confident to the point of arrogance, but it depends on who you asked.
The MC's voice climaxed "and the winner is...!"
Not Stephen.
He was halfway through standing up to accept the award that just a few moments prior he thought was rightfully his. He went limp in his seat, his parents groaned. The full gravity of his disappointment they would never know, and the full depth of his anger and confusion was hitting him in the first tidal wave, with many aftershocks to come.
The rest of the evening was blurry to Stephen, his parents trying to reassure him, his friends offering passing commiseration via text message and pats on the back from the ones that were there. He floated along in a stormy mood, each thought of how to restructure the next four years of his life accompanied with a lighting bolt flash of frustration and residual shock from losing the award. Ultimately, Stephen was trying to regain control of the ship that was his life, battling high seas of compounding surprises that March the 26th was bringing.
Later at home, he had slipped out of his shoes and was doting over his jacket and pants, being careful to not scuff the rental when he heard the first lucid sentence since the MC had seemingly stolen the award out of his hands.
"Stephen, did mom or Jenn mention anything to you about stopping to do errands or anything on the way home? They left before us but still aren't home yet."
"No, I don't know where they might be." Stephen replied, shrugging.
Elsa and Jenn Levitt were, at the time, being rushed to the city hospital because March 26th was the date on, for no particular reason, at 9:17 a drunk driver blasted through a stop sign and struck the car of Elsa and Jenn Levitt on their way home from an award ceremony for their son and little brother, respectively. Elsa and Jenn would go on to survive, only narrowly though. The drunk driver fled the scene, but went on to never be identified or captured by the police.
March the 26th was the day when Stephen Levitt realized he had no control over his life, and it was the day after which he was forced to learn what it meant to pick up the pieces of what was once so meticulously, intricately placed.
