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COREY: YESTERDAY
(The Past)
Nowheresville, Ohio
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I STARED AT MY SCHOLARSHIPletter from Notre Dame University, running my fingers across the words in the final paragraphs:
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WE’RE ULTIMATELY IMPRESSEDwith your abilities and advanced understanding of engineering concepts, and to ensure that we’re first on your list of college choices, we’re offering you a full academic scholarship that will cover your participation in our summer tech program.
We are also offering you a financial stipend ($15,000.00 USD) to cover your first year’s room and board. (We will happily assign you to the work-study program if you should need further financial assistance.)
Hope to see you on our campus,
The Admissions Office, Notre Dame University
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SIGHING, I PUT IT AWAYand checked my email, noticing a new message from a counselor I’d spoken to on the phone, weeks prior.
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SUBJECT: TRAVEL STATUS
Hey Corey,
I hope all is well. I heard that you'd be joining us at the university this fall as our youngest student. (I still can’t believe you just turned sixteen. Wow!)
Anyway, I thought you were arriving at the campus this afternoon, but the welcoming team said you haven’t picked up your registration packet yet.
Let me know when we can expect you.
Ronald Jenkins
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BEFORE I COULD EMAILhim back with a lie I’d concocted, the familiar Tap! Tap! Tap! sounded against my window.
I rushed over to the window and opened it, grabbing Hayley’s hands and helping her come through.
“So, I’m not too late!” She hugged me. “I would’ve cried if I missed seeing you off on your big day.”
“You cry about everything these days, Hales.”
“I do not!” She laughed and playfully hit my shoulder. “Wait. Why haven’t you packed anything? Isn’t Notre Dame expecting you today?”
“I decided to turn down their offer at the last minute.”
“What?” Her eyes looked as if they were bulging out of her head.
“Yeah, I um.” I sighed. “I don’t think I’m ready for college anyway. I’ll just stay here and work for a year or two, and then I’ll go to a different college. Maybe Ohio State. They let people defer acceptance for up to eighteen months.”
“That’s the stupidest shit I’ve ever heard, Corey.” She crossed her arms. “That’s not what you were saying last week, and you’ve been talking about getting out of Ohio all summer. I mean, if I were you—”
“You’re not me.” I snapped “So just fucking drop it, okay?”
