Playing for Keeps

Accepted

We sat cross legged on Bryce’s bed. Papers were spread everywhere! Everything from college applications to high school transcripts. Twirling the pen in my hand I checked his applications to yet another college. We’ve been busy all weekend working on his applications. As much as it was killing me inside to know that he was leaving soon. He already sent in 5 applications to 5 different colleges months ago, it didn’t hurt to have his options. But we both had our fingers crossed that he’ll get a scholarship to Illinois University. If he did, then he would only be three and a half hours away. Which wasn’t that bad.

I straitened the stack of papers in front of me. “Did you finish these?” I asked.

“Almost.” He said, snatching them from my hands.

“Good, cause I don’t think I’ll survive another hour of this.”

“Well we could just stop now.” He said, pulling me into his lap and nuzzling my neck.

“Not now Bryce. We have to finish these!” I declared, reaching for the papers and looking them over.

“We don’t have too.”

“We do if you want to go to college.” I told him.

“What if I don’t want to go to college?” he countered.

I looked him square in the eye, “Then what would you do?”

“Stay here with you.” He said kissing me gently.

I pulled away, and chuckled, “Cute, now let’s get these finished.”

Bryce chuckled and grabbed a packet and started to look through it. A light knock on his door nearly scared me to bits. We both looked in the direction of the door. His mom stood there. She was really beautiful.  She had shoulder length chocolate brown hair that had a natural curl to it.
She also had lovely green eyes. But she wasn’t that tall. She was a good inch or two shorter than me.

She held her hand out, which held their home phone. “It’s for you honey.”

Bryce and I exchanged a glance, before he got up and took the phone. He walked down the hallway to go talk, leaving me alone with his mom.

She walked over to me and sat down on the bed, glancing at all the papers. “How are you guys doing?”

“Good. We only have a few more to fill out.” I told him. It’s not that I didn’t like his mom, it’s just I didn’t want to screw up in front of her. But she’s know my mom forever, so in a way, she’s know me forever too.

“That’s good. I’m thankful that you came over to help him. I don’t see why he insisted on sending more of these out.” She said.

“I’m just hoping he gets into IU.” I told her.

“Oh me too! I don’t want my baby being so far away!” she said, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear.

I was about to say something else, when I heard Bryce start to walk down the hallway. He entered the room with a happy yet confused look on his face.

“Bryce?”

“I got accepted to IU… Full scholarship.” He said.

He didn’t look all too happy about it, which confused me. Shouldn’t he be ecstatic?

“They want me to be there the day after I graduate.”

My stomach dropped. That was too soon. I thought at least we would have the summer together before starting in the fall. Bryce’s eyes watched me, waiting to see my reaction. I couldn’t show how devastated I was, but I would show him how proud I was. So I held back my tears and forced a smile.

“Congratulations.”

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