Free Consider by Kristy Acevedo

thinking?”
    “’Cause I’m psychic. Like on Medium .”
    “That show sucked,” he says. “And you’re not a dreamer. You’re a fact finder. Ball buster. You’re definitely still a Scully.”
    “Stop it. I am not that cynical.”
    “Cynical. Skeptical. Sexy. It’s all the same.” He grins and those dimples reel me in. We kiss and kiss and he climbs on top of me. His hand slides up my tank top, and my stomach muscles tense. I stifle a laugh since it tickles. He feels so good and I want to say yes, but I can’t make a decision with all these unknown decisions ahead of us. Colleges. Vertexes. It’s too much.
    “Dominick—”
    He must be able to tell by my voice because he stops and lifts off me. “Slowing down,” he whispers.
    I feel like such a tease, but he doesn’t realize how much I want him. We started dating in April of junior year. There’s nothing we could do about that. You feel what you feel when you feel it. But it always meant that our relationship came with a huge decision attached. Senior year. College decisions. I don’t want our choices to be dependent on each other. With everything else going on, sex will just make everything harder. No pun intended.
    I must look upset because he says, “No worries. I don’t want to do anything you don’t want to do.”
    That’s what worries me. I’m afraid to do so many things, but I’m most afraid of holding him back.
    Dominick's mom returns dangerously close to my curfew. I get home with seconds to spare and my heart in my throat. Thankfully, the living room is dark, but it’s never that easy. I find Dad in the kitchen making a turkey and cheese sandwich.
    “How was the movie?” he asks as he spreads mayonnaise on bread.
    “Fine,” I say.
    He cuts the sandwich in half the triangle way. “What did you see?”
    “That new horror movie. The Macbeth Murders .” I maintain eye contact as long as I can.
    “Was it good?”
    “Yeah.” I shove a slice of turkey into my mouth from the package on the counter.
    “Where’s the movie stub?”
    My heartbeat hammers away, and I can feel it pounding in my skull. I stall, chew. I automatically reach into both pockets, pretend to search.
    “I dunno. I must’ve lost it.”
    “Huh.” He takes a huge bite of his sandwich and chews in loud, wet circles. I can’t tell if he’s bought it. Now I know why Dominick sticks his hands in his pockets; no one can see if they’re shaking. After an awkward minute of the silent treatment, including Dad licking his fingers, wiping his face with a paper towel, and taking a swig of milk, he zeroes in on me, and I can’t look away.
    “Glad you enjoyed yourself. Hope not too much.”
    My face feels hot. “Yep.”
    I escape to my room and lie on my bed. That was close. It’s embarrassing that Dad still treats me like I’m twelve. I’m almost eighteen. If I want to have sex with my boyfriend after months of dating and two years of friendship, I will. And my decision will have nothing to do with him and his rules.
    But if I want to go to law school someday, I can’t let anything get in my way, not my family, not my anxiety, not my boyfriend. Dominick’s kisses still linger, soft and tempting. I never expected to doubt myself so much in all three areas, nevermind contemplating the future surrounded by holograms and the vertexes.
    I wonder if they even have lawyers on their planet. Maybe we’re in for a rude awakening, and we’ll discover that their world works a billion times better than ours.That would be a game changer.I don’t know if we’re evolved enough to adapt. I know I’m not ready to change everything I’ve ever known.
    What if we get there and bring all of our old problems? Wouldn’t that ruin their little utopia?
    I take a pill so I can sleep.
    During the next three days, the first major exodus takes place among the homeless, mentally ill, extremely poor, and the sick of the world. I take notes. According to the news, small lines have formed at