Crush

Shock

Asher

Head bent over my books, hand scribbling notes, I was sitting at the desk in my room, concentrating on studying for the latest round of tests at school. With finals starting soon after Christmas, the teachers were testing our knowledge every day, going over work we'd already done, making sure we knew what we were doing.

So many of our friends were getting stressed out. Worried. I wasn't. I was determined to get through it. Adamant I was going to work through it.

The strong wind shook my bedroom window, whistling against the side of the house, bringing the occasional rain drop with it. The branches of the tree next to my window kept scratching against the glass, almost as if it was asking to come in.

The pile of college applications sat on the edge of my desk, waiting to be sent. I kept glancing at them, feeling my stomach twist.

They were the reason I was going to give these school tests my all.

I wanted to go to the same college as Oliver. He had applied to the same university that Liam was studying at. He'd fallen in love with that college during the times he'd visited his brother. He'd gotten a tour around the place. Had brochures on the different programs they offered.

Oliver wanted to go into law, become a lawyer and defend the good guy. And the university in Florida had a good law program.

Dad had always wanted me to go into business with him, so a college with a good business major was what I was looking at. This college in Florida had a really good program, but it wasn't an Ivy League college. It was a good college, a very good one, but it wasn't the best. And that was all that Dad was interested in. The best of the best.

Business major at somewhere like Yale or Harvard. Maybe Columbia. That was Dad's dream for me.

Sighing, I ran a hand over my face and dropped my pen on the notebook in front of me. Dad wanted to check my college applications before I sent them off, I was pretty sure it was to make sure I was applying for universities that he approved of. I'd hidden the application to the college in Florida. There was no way Dad would like it.

If I got in and Dad questioned it, I could say that it was my back-up option. Make him think that I was thinking ahead.

My stomach knotted again.

I was thinking ahead.

I was thinking of my future.

My future with Oliver.

I had completed all the applications, wrote the essays they asked for, suggested references that they wanted.

But, I had all my hopes on going to the same college as Oliver.

We could be together, away from people we knew, away from my family, my dad. We could live together, build a life together.

That was what I wanted.

And then, when I'm all the way over in Florida, I can tell my family about my real relationship with Oliver.

That Oliver was more than just my best friend.

With me being miles away in the sunshine state, I wouldn't have to deal with too much of the backlash that I was sure my dad would give me. I could stay in Florida, safe with Oliver, and let Dad go on a rampage miles away from me.

That was the plan.

It wasn't the best plan, but it was the only one I had right now.

Oliver thought I was crazy. Couldn't believe I was doing this because of him. Told me that I should be investing more in my education. That I should be concentrating on my future instead of on him.