Where Life Takes Us

Chapter Thirty-Three

Chapter Thirty-Three

A V E R Y

A few weeks later, I sat at a table in the school library with Crystal during our lunch break. We were waiting for the rest of our group members from English class to join us for a quick meeting about dividing the work between us for our final project.

        "That's cool that you're applying to schools in New York too! It would be amazing to explore the Big Apple while at college," Crystal gushed, as we talked about our plans for post-secondary school.

        "I'm hoping I get accepted in at least one school there, but nothing's really certain yet. I'll be happy with wherever I end up as long as I make it to one," I admitted with a small smile.

While I applied for schools in Minnesota, I decided to send my application to schools in New York. The city was my home for so many years and I wanted to explore it with a new perspective, especially without my parents holding me back.

The only thing was, I would have to be away from Wade for a very long time. We could text, call, and video chat as much as we wanted, but it never would feel the same as having each other by our side. He knew I was interested in applying there, but it was a bit of a touchy subject about me going to school there because of the distance. But we were taking our days slowly at our own pace, and that was what mattered between us.

        At the sound of the library doors opening, Crystal and I turned our heads to see Calvin walking towards us with Michelle following close behind him. They took their seats across from us, looking at each other with irritation that they almost always reserved for when they were stuck together at the same place.

        "This meeting's not gonna take long, right? I have more important things to be doing than whatever we've got going on here," Calvin bluntly started, as he slouched in his seat and crossed his arms.

        Michelle gave him a fake sweet smile, as she said what everyone else was thinking, "I know I'm not the most liked here but personally, I think I'm doing us a favour by saying that none of us are happy to work with you. You're the only one who doesn't know how to carry their own weight."

        "Some of us actually have our own lives to focus on, you know? Not that I'd expect a superficial airhead like you to get my point," Calvin lazily responded, shrugging his shoulders.

While Crystal intervened by calming down Michelle and Calvin from bickering, I received a text from Wade. Since he was invited out by his friends to have lunch together that day, he couldn't come to the meeting. He felt bad for missing out, but he was under a lot of stress lately and I told him it was the perfect thing to help him relax.

WADE
11:43 a.m.
Everything okay?

AVERY
11:43 a.m.
Yes, don't worry about me. I'm okay.
How's lunch?

WADE
11:45 a.m.
Pretty good.
It's been a while since we went out like this.
But now they're kinda quiet.
They keep looking at each other weird.

AVERY
11:46 a.m.
Oh, maybe they're just hungry and waiting for the food to be ready?

WADE
11:47 a.m.
Yeah, that's probably it.
I'll see you later, babe.

AVERY
11:48 a.m.
See you, have fun!

"We just need to divide up which slides everyone will be working on for the final presentation," Crystal explained, as Michelle and Calvin briefly stopped arguing. She started reading from the summary sheet outlining what we needed to include. "What sections does everyone want to do?"