Unfolding

Chapter 35

"Then let's change up your diet a bit." Dr. Benson said as he began writing on a pad. "Plenty of vitamin C-rich fruits and vegetables can help you get the iron you need, as well as meat and leafy greens."

Great, exactly what I want to hear right now.

After reassuring Dr. Benson that I would in fact eat everything he wrote on the list as well as call him if I even so much as get lightheaded, I finally made my way to my car and drove home.

.......

"Natalie." I heard mom say when she came home that night.

"In here." I shouted from my room where I was currently sitting on the floor covered in glue and staples.

My room looked un recognizable with various cut outs, pictures, and boarders scattered around. Tomorrow was the City Science Fair, and Mr. Monroe had selected my research paper on the effects of antibiotics on E.coli bacterial growth as the one to compete in the school's science fair. Considering I basically recycled the same project I did junior year with minor tweaks, I was hoping to just present it to the judges at school and call it a day, however, that didn't go as planned and here I am scrambling to get everything ready for tomorrow because I of course had waited until the last minute to re-do my board.

"You have mail, hon." Mom said as she peeked her head in my room. "It looks important."

"What is it?" I furrowed my eyebrows confused as I wiped my hands on my sweats.

I followed mom into the living room as she pointed to the round coffee table where two large white envelopes were sitting. Picking them up, I saw one had the purple Northwestern University logo, while the other had the maroon Stanford University logo.

What the fuck?

"How did it go today with Dr. Benson?" Mom asked as I ripped open the first envelope from Northwestern.

"It was fine he said I..." My words died out as I scanned the piece of paper in my hands.

Dear Natalie,

Congratulations and welcome to the Class of 2017 at Northwestern University! On behalf...

"Honey?"

I quickly set aside the first envelope and ripped open the second one from Stanford.

Congratulations! The Admissions Committee joins me in the most rewarding part of my job – offering you admissions to Stanford University and inviting you to join our Class of 2017.

"What does it say honey?" Mom asked trying to peek over my shoulder.

"I... I got in... I got into Stanford and Northwestern." I glance between her and the piece of paper I'm still holding.

"WHAT?" She exclaimed before pulling me into a bone crushing hug. "Natalie that is amazing! I'm so proud of you honey!"

"Thanks mom." I reply.

The only problem is – I didn't apply to either of these school.

On a mission to find out what the fuck is going on, Caroline was the first one I called because she has been adamant I apply to Stanford since we went on a campus tour junior year. After she spent ten minutes congratulating me and swearing she had nothing to do with it, I moved on to Brooke who had the same reaction.

That only left one other person I know is ballsy enough to do something like this.

After what felt like an eternity of knocking on the front door like a madwoman, it finally swung open. "Is that glue in your hair?" Lucas asked when he saw me.