Nobody's Business (BOOK ONE)

Chapter 48

When Thanksgiving break ends Corey realizes that now that soccer season is over and his friends have started basketball, he's going to be really bored after school. Other than working he doesn't have much to do. He refuses to go home and put up with his dads drunk nonsense so instead he heads to the library to get some homework done.

He grabs one of the comfortable chairs towards the back and plops down on it feeling motivated to get his math homework done first. After about fifteen minutes of concentrating Corey gets bored of working out polynomials and loses focus, his eyes wander to the bookshelves and he glances over the titles.

A college textbook catches his eye and he gets up to grab it. Abandoning his homework Corey leans against the bookshelf and flips through the textbook. He skims through pages of colleges, majors, minors and more. His head whirls as he reads through it. It feels like just yesterday he started freshmen year at Marian Parker feeling like the coolest 13 year old in the world with his fresh Jordan's and blue sidekick cellphone.

Now he's in the process of filling out college applications, getting ready to walk across that stage at the end of the school year in his blue cap and gown. His teenage years have flown past him and he's been too busy trying to dig hisself out of a rut to notice. With the stress of his alcoholic dad and estranged mom, Corey feels like going to college is his only chance of finally being free.

Corey turns around to go sit down in the soft chair again and ends up coming face to face with Aubrey. He jumps, almost dropping the book in his hand. "Whoa, do you have silent footsteps or something?" He asks.

Aubrey giggles, "Sorry, I was just looking for a book." She says glancing at the bookshelf. She scans the books before looking at the one in Corey's hands. "Oh, it's in your hand actually."

"My bad," Corey says closing the book and holding it out towards her.

"No if you want it keep it." She says pushing it back to him.

Corey shakes his head, "Nah, you can take it. I was just flipping through pages." He tells her. Aubrey stares at him doubtfully for a moment before finally taking the book from him and cradling it in her arms.

"Thanks," she says and Corey simply nods. A silence falls over them and Aubrey shifts her weight from one foot to the other. "So what's your plans for college?"

Corey looks at her without saying anything for a moment. After hearing her put Carson in her place he has a different opinion of Aubrey. He doesn't like her though, that could never happen again. But it won't hurt to be nice to her. "Honestly, I don't know yet. My number one college is Morris Brown down there in Atlanta but I haven't even applied yet."

"Why not?" Aubrey tilts her head to the side puzzled.

Corey shrugs, "I don't feel like I'll get in. I've applied to other schools but if I apply to Morris Brown and they reject me...Im gonna feel some type."

"At least you have the option to go to college. I have a baby on the way, the best I can do is online classes or community college. And there's nothing wrong with community college, I mean the pricing is more affordable, but I want to experience college life at a university. I wanna live in a dorm, go the common area, join clubs, meet new people, go to parties." Aubrey's eyes light up as she talks but quickly dims. "But I can't with a baby at home."

"You're a junior, you have a year to figure out your game plan. Yeah you won't live in a dorm but you can party anytime, education is way more important than your social college life." Corey points out.

Aubrey smiles a little, "I know, but I want to be able to tell me baby stories that start with "when I was in college...". But I don't have to because she'll be born by then and experiencing it with me." She says shrugging. "I'm not saying my baby is ruining my plan, I would never think that way. Everything happens for a reason, God blessed me with a baby as a wake up call to get my life together and it worked."