"Charlie, you open it,"
the two ladies nudged
me in my ribs.
I shook my head, afraid
of what is sealed inside
the letters splattered
across the living room
couch.
"Come on, Charlie,
you can do it," Azura
reassured me. "I'm
sure you got accepted
to every single one of them."
I took a breath in and opened
the first letter; the last college
I applied to: Brown.
We are sorry but...
I ripped it up and threw it
into the trash can nearby.
Mother's face went pale and
I just shrugged.
I opened up the next one:
Yale.
We are very sorry to inform you...-
Another crumpled up ball.
And two more, or three.
Two more, the first and second
colleges that I had applied to.
Yet, in this case, will never
even get accepted to: Oxford
and Stanford.
My eyes widened at each of
the letters, my heart took
a step too fast and tripped
down the flight of the stairs.
"Well, Charlie?"
I smiled.
I guess I'm moving to Oxford.
