PICS and IT DIDN'T HAPPEN

40. The College

My eyes are closed. My arms are up and fingers intertwined. I'm saying a prayer.

"Just open it already," my sister Karen says. She's home for the weekends.

I open my eyes and look down at the surprisingly thin envelope on the dining table. FRK College's emblem signage on the cover shines under the sunlight.

"Here we go," I say, picking up the envelope and slowly pulling out the letter. All those times when I skipped studying to watch TV feels heavy on my shoulders. What if I didn't get in?

I hold the edges of the paper to unfold it. "I can't do it!" I say and drop the paper on the table and get up from the seat.

My sister shakes her head and picks up the paper. I bite my nails and watch her read.

She grins. "You got in!"

What? Really? Surely it's a mistake.

I go over to her side and bend down to read the letter she's holding. Dear blah blah... your acceptance to... "Ah!" I shriek and hug my sister.

"I got in. I got in. I got innn!!!!"

I call my mom who has gone to the store. I call my dad who's at work. I call my friends. I tell them all the good news.

"Alright, stop jumping now, you're making me dizzy!" Karen says. "You want to see the houses next week?" She says.

I skipped the campus and nearby accommodations visit last year. Raylan and Tony went th- Hold on, did they get in too?

My phone dings. It's Tony. He's asking if I got the letter from FRK.

I reply him I did and I got in.

He replies he got in too.

I smile. "Tony got in as well."

"What about Raylan?" Karen says.

I call Raylan. After a few rings I tell Karen, "He's not picking up."

"He should be home only, right?" She says.

I leave the house to my neighbor's. I ring the bell. Raylan's mom opens the door. "Ellie, congratulations! Raylan just told me you got accepted. Isn't it nice all three of you will be attending the college together?"

Huh, how did he know? "He got in, too? He's not home?"

"He's at the store. He was there when you called your mom, and I called him after seeing his acceptance letter."

"Oh, that's great. I just came by to ask him that. Alright, I'll drop by later," I say and leave.

When I reach my house I see mom and Raylan arrive. "Oh, honey, Raylan and Tony got in too," mom says.

"Yeah, I just found out."

"Isn't that amazing?" She says. Karen comes out to help take our groceries from Raylan's hand. I tell her of Raylan and Tony's acceptance.

"That's great! You guys know where you'll be staying? Ellie skipped her college tour last year," Karen says.

"I was just telling him that and suggesting why not the three of them go look for the houses together?" Mom says.

Why is my family so eager to kick me out? I don't want to think about moving out right away. It's giving me a headache.

I just want to spend the rest of my school year bragging as a soon to be college freshman in peace.

The following week Tess and Becca get their acceptance letters as well. I wish they had applied to the same college as me, but they chose what's best for them and I'm happy for that.