1000 Paper Cranes

Chapter 28 - 417

"Mom?" I called one evening after finishing my homework. "Dad? Can you guys come to the living room? I have something I need to talk to you about."

I didn't know why I was so nervous. People had conversations like this with their parents all the time, right? I clenched and opened my fists several times, pacing the room. I breathed in deep and exhaled slowly, trying to calm my nerves.

I was going to break my parents' hearts. I was absolutely going to shatter them. Would either of them ever recover from the blow I was about to deal them? I didn't know how they would.

"What's going on, sweetie?" Mom pulled off her reading glasses as she entered the living room. I must have interrupted her while she was reading a medical journal.

"Take a seat," I pointed to the L-shaped sectional. "I'll tell you both when Dad gets in here."

She raised her eyebrows questioningly, but didn't ask any further. She could tell this was serious.

"What's up, kiddo?" Dad emerged from his private study, sliding a bookmark into place in whatever novel he was reading. He saw Mom already seated on the sectional and took a seat beside her.

"What's this about?" He asked as he sat. Mom only shrugged in response.

"Okay," I tried to steel myself, but my heart was racing, pumping harder than ever before. They were going to be so mad.

"You know how I've been applying to colleges and all that?"

Mom nodded slowly, still unsure of where I was going with this conversation.

"How's that going, by the way?" Dad asked. "It's hard on us, not knowing anything about what's going on."

I hadn't let my parents help me with college or scholarship applications. I told them I wanted to be accepted or rejected on my own. I knew a lot of people whose parents had done all the work for them and many of them had not fared well in college. I wanted to sink or swim on my own.

"Well, that's kind of what I wanted to talk to you about," I winced. "Um, I've finally heard back from all the schools I applied to."

My parents' anticipation was palpable. They both sat forward, on the edge of the sofa. Dad grabbed Mom's hand, squeezing it gently as they awaited what I had to say.

"Mom, I know you wanted me to go to Northwestern. It was always your dream school." I hung my head. This was the most disappointing piece of news of the night.

"But I didn't get in." I shook my head, embarrassed.

"You didn't get in?" Mom skipped protective, leap frogged straight over comforting, and landed at angry. "You're valedictorian. There's no way anybody has a better GPA than you. What is wrong with that school? It's okay, baby. It's not even that good a school, anyway."

"Mom, it's okay." I smiled amused by her reaction. "I'm not upset."

"Well, I am." She spat. "Those vultures."

"Let him finish, Annemarie. Maybe there's good news, yet. And we know if all else fails, he'll get a full scholarship at the university here." Dad smiled. The children of professors were guaranteed affordable college, as long as their parents had worked there for ten years or more.

"I didn't apply at the university here," I shook my head. "I just don't feel like it's the school for me."

"You didn't even apply?" Dad was choked. "Why wouldn't you apply for a fallback? And just what's wrong with my university? Your mother and I both got our bachelor degrees here. It's a fine school."