New Year, New You by Kaitlyn

New Year, New You by Kaitlyn - January 2016 Scholarship Essay

Colorful explosions light up the night sky as fireworks echo through the streets. A young lady sits in a grassy park, a checkered tablecloth between her and the cold ground. This girl leans against an attractive young man. She smiles up at him when he kisses her cheek and gently pets her head. “Ten minutes until it is officially 2016,” chirps the girl excitedly, “What’s your New Year’s resolution, Jeffey?” The young lady cuddles up against her boyfriend’s warm body whilst he pours her a tall glass of Chardonnay.
“You do that ‘new year, new you’ stuff?” chuckles Jeffey as he hands the girl her second glass of wine. “Geez, I don’t know…maybe I’ll stop eating so many sweets,” he shrugs, a playful grin on his face. He pokes the girl’s nose, causing her to pull away from him. “Katie, what about you?” he asks with a curious tilt of his head.
The young lady sits up straight, gently setting her full glass on the ground in front of her. “I am going to focus more on school this year,” she beams. “I have decided I am done with parties and late night escapes from home. I am too old for all of that,” she sighs, looking to her boyfriend uncertainly.
“You are done with parties? But we met at a party…and partying is our favorite thing to do as a couple,” he replies, clearly not supportive of this decision. “What about going to Zane’s tonight? His party is going to be huge. He invited the whole school. And I even bought your special wine,” gripes the man, his tone of voice rising.
Katie frowns at the man’s display of anger. “Wow, Jeff, I thought you’d be happy for me. I want to get out of this lifestyle and make some kind of real future for myself,” she growls in annoyance. “You would not understand,” the girl huffs, standing up and pulling her cellphone from her pocket. “I am done with parties—and drugs—and wine,” she says as she types something into her cellular device. “I am going home, Jeff. I have school tomorrow,” whispers Katie, no longer paying the boy any attention.
Suddenly, Jeffey leaps to his feet and grabs his girlfriend by the wrist, roughly yanking her into his arms. “Come on, Katie. Don’t be like that! At least finish your drink,” he insists, gesturing to the full glass of wine on the ground nearby. “Don’t you want to go on one more date with me before you give up fun completely?” he says in an intimidating tone of voice.
“Get off of me!” shouts the girl, ripping her arm from Jeffey’s grasp. “My dad is on his way,” she says, stumbling back from the young man. “I was not even breaking up with you, Jeff! But if this is who you really are, then maybe I don’t want to go on any more dates with you!” she growls as she storms away from the young man for the last time.
Five years later, Katie sits with her parents in a fancy ice cream parlor. They are all smiling and telling jokes. The young woman shows off a piece of paper. “Look, Dad, I aced it!” she proudly exclaims. “It’s the MCAT! I made it into medical school!” chirps the girl excitedly. Katie’s parents rise from the table to hug her. They offer their praise and congratulate the girl. A newscaster interrupts the family affair to announce the capture of a serial killer. All eyes rest on the television now whilst the reporter describes the capture of the criminal.
Apparently, the man committed thirteen murders over a span of six years. His victims were all young girls, and his alias was Jeff Winston. The FBI had been chasing him for six long years. He was sentenced to death row.
A picture of the man appears on the television, and Katie gasps in horror. “Jeffey?” she chokes out, her eyes welling up with tears. “Dad…” she moans, looking to him with a shocked expression. The large man gently pulls her into his arms in a comforting fashion. “That’s Jeffey, Dad! I—I could have been his victim…” she mumbles, staring at the picture of the serial killer.
Katie’s father rubs her back calmly, a soft smile on his face as he forces his daughter to look him in the eye. “Katie, that boy does not matter. What matters is that you are here, safe and sound. That is not all either. Look at what you are holding in your hand. That little piece of paper is proof of your successes. You made your dream into a reality. How did you ever do that?” asks the man with a proud smile.
Katie wipes a tear from her cheek, a smile growing on her face. “Daddy, all I did was follow through with my New Year’s resolution,” she chuckles. The old man raises a confused eyebrow. “I quit all the partying like you and Mom told me to do years ago. I guess that resolution did more than make me a better student…” she says with a relieved sigh. “Thanks, Mom and Dad.”