Everything I've Never Had (COMPLETE)

EINH chapter 7*

Everyone had already vacated the room by the time I had my bag over my shoulder and my earbuds in. I was making my way through the tables to the door when my professor waved me down. I raised my eyebrows and took one bud out of my ear. 

"Yes?" I wondered, walking closer to his desk, where he was leaning. 

"Mind if I have a short word with you, Miss Holmes?" he asked politely. 

"Yeah, sure," I nodded. I put my iPod on pause and took a seat in the chair as he sat on the tabletop. He smiled down at me. 

"I was just wondering why you didn't attend a university," he started. "You're definitely bright enough to have, and your grades from high school and these past few months have proved that. You're very far advanced from all my other students. Why aren't you somewhere like U Dub or USC?" 

I chuckled darkly. "Thank you for the praise, Professor Adams, but my current situation doesn't exactly allow the luxury of a university," I told him. "I'll probably be going next year, but it just wouldn't have been possible this year." 

"Well, were you accepted anywhere, or did you not even apply?" he asked perplexed. It was like he didn't even realize that I was pregnant, even though I know he was told. 

"Oh no, I applied, and I was accepted in the spring, and I thought I was going to attend, but fate had other plans," I said, stroking my stomach. "There's always next year, or even the semester after next." 

"Do you wish you could've gone to a university?" he questioned, his eyebrows raised. 

"Of course I do, but there was a change of plans, and I just dealt with it," I explained. "I don't regret getting pregnant, in fact, it's a blessing. Yeah, it would've been easier and more ideal if it hadn't happened, but it did and I don't mind. It's not the most ideal way to start my life as an adult, but I wouldn't have it any other way, even if I could've gotten into my dream college." 

He smiled at me once more.  

"You're a very strong young woman, Miss Holmes," he told me. "If there's any freshman in my classes that I believe can handle college and a child, it's you. You're intelligent, strong, willful, independent and hard-headed. I think you'll have no problem in the real world or getting into a university next year. May I ask where it was you were accepted to?" 

I gave him a slight, thankful smile. "Thank you, Professor. And I was accepted to U Dub, Stanford, Yale, USC, UCLA, U of A, Princeton and Cambridge." 

His eyes were wide. "You were offered some of the highest ranking schools in the world and you didn't accept, regardless of your situation?" He sounded truly astounded. 

I shook my head and shrugged. "No, but I wrote them all and told them of why I couldn't attend and they extended their offer to next year." 

"Any full rides?" 

I nodded. "Yeah, Cambridge, U Dub and USC. The rest were only partials." 

"Well, good luck, Miss Holmes," he said, putting his hand on my shoulder briefly with good wishes. "I'll see you in class Tuesday morning, yes?" 

"Yeah, see you then, Professor Adams." 

I grabbed my stuff and left, thinking of what could've been if I had just accepted any of those offers.

~EINH~

"You have a house, O'Reilly," Johnny joked as he walked into the break room where I was half-asleep. He walked over to the refrigerator and pulled out his daily dose of Dr. Pepper. He popped the tab with a hiss as I yawned.