They Left Me to Die on the Mountain, So I Chose Myself

Synopsis

On the last day of our graduation trip, altitude sickness hit me. The three friends I'd grown up with left me alone at the mountain lodge for the sake of the transfer student. Before he went, Ethan Rowe pushed the oxygen tank into my hands with a frown. "Brooke, Summer hasn't had many friends since she transferred. All she wants is to see the peaks turn gold once. "Don't make everybody sit in a room because you don't feel good." Two hours later, the valve on the tank failed. My chest kept tightening, so I called them six times. The fifth call got cut off. Nobody picked up the sixth. By the time the lodge owner forced the door open, I was on the floor. The ambulance was headed for the county hospital, and I had an oxygen mask on when a reminder came up on my phone. [College application deadline in 17 minutes.] My first choice still listed the school that the four of us had promised each other for twelve years. I deleted it and typed in Seaside University. Two words came up on the screen. [Submitted successfully.] Outside the window, the sun was rising behind the snow-capped peaks. They'd have seen it. That was good. I'd caught my own sunrise, too.