My Favorite Numbers

Abby Citterman
Aug 25, 2017 · 2 min read

My semi-sheer curtains let in a hint of the sunrise, subtly lighting up my deep teal walls. The frigidity of winter resulted in a pile of comforters upon my bed, which in turn led me to turn on my ceiling fan. The dull hum is like a lullaby, perfect for nighttime but counterproductive in the morning. Wrapped in my damp towel, I laid back on my bed. My drippy hair formed a puddle on the pillows as I unlocked my phone. The anticipation wasn’t killing me, for I had forgotten that the day had finally come. The clean smell of shampoo and soap sept in to the bed and filled the air around me, combining a minty smell with lavender for an oddly perfect fragrance. Just trying to stay awake, I continued browsing about on my phone, the slightly-too-bright screen forcing me to avert my eyes every now and again. I closed my eyes for just one second, just ten seconds, just a minute… my eyes opened to a better lit room, so I can only assume my eyes were closed for longer. My blue cloud-speckled ceiling was lined with faint rays as I incessantly yawned. Tears filled my eyes with each yawn and subsided a few seconds later. I was so tired. I opened my phone again; discovering I still had plenty of time to get ready for school, I continued to waste time. I bounced around from app to app, Snapchat to Gmail, and eventually checked my calendar to see what my commitments were for the day. That was what sparked my memory — the reminder on my calendar app that the day had finally come for ACT scores to be posted. A month prior, I took the ACT for the second time, hoping better time management would equate to a higher score. I opened Chrome and began logging in to see my score report. I selected to see my score, and everything stopped; my breath caught in my chest, time as frozen as the icicles clinging to my window. I have always had a few favorite numbers — 2, 7, 25, to name a few — but never have I been more overjoyed to see a 3 followed by a 6.

)
Welcome to a place where words matter. On Medium, smart voices and original ideas take center stage - with no ads in sight. Watch
Follow all the topics you care about, and we’ll deliver the best stories for you to your homepage and inbox. Explore
Get unlimited access to the best stories on Medium — and support writers while you’re at it. Just $5/month. Upgrade