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Scarcely daring to breathe, I shuffled the papers carefully and pulled that letter forward. Emblazoned on the front, in a fancy calligraphy font, was my name. I read it four times until I believed it.
"It can't be," I said out loud to no one. "Did I get it?"
Dazed, I stumbled through the gate, forgetting to latch it—not like it really mattered—and made my way into the house. When I got to the kitchen, I tossed my basket on the counter with the mail. I heard a distinctivecrackand winced. One of the five eggs I bought today had just broken.
Making my way over to the nearest mismatched chair, I sank onto the seat. I held the letter in front of me, unable to open it. I couldn’t get the thought out of my head that it wasn't what I thought it was. Beside me, a throat cleared, and I looked up, blinking.
Dell, my alpha brother, stood in the doorway, his brows raised. "What's the matter, pipsqueak?"
Words failed me. I wasn't sure what to say. My mouth opened and closed several times as I floundered. Dell's face fell, and he ate up the distance between him and me in two strides. He knelt next to me.
"Tell me what's wrong? Who upset you? Was it Brown again? I'll kill him!" He rose to his feet with a growl and turned as if he were about to go do that.
I reached out and grabbed his arm to stop him. His reaction was immediate and he calmed down, turning back to face me. I shook my head no and handed him the letter in my hand. He gave me a confused look but took it from me, then he read the front. His eyes widened.
"Do you know what this is?"
I nodded.
"Do Mom and Dad know about this?"
When I rolled my lips in, he read my expression. No.
"Well, are you gonna open it?"
He held it out to me. My fingers reached for it, then I snatched them back. Barely able to meet his eye, I shook my head. I was too nervous; my stomach was tied in knots.
"Hey, hey, it's okay. Calm down. It’s just a letter, right? Don’t panic. We’ll open it together, yeah?"
I felt my eyes widen, and I thanked him silently. Dell pushed out a chair beside me and sat down. My nerves were swamping me. I nibbled on the tip of my fingernail. What if it wasn't what I thought? What if it was a denial? I'd be heartbroken.
Dell reached over and calmly pulled my nail from my teeth. He slipped his hand around mine, holding it in front of us. He patted my hand and then turned over the envelope, the seal shining at us from the back. A lump formed in my throat, and I struggled to swallow.
Just then, Mom and Dad came into the room. Mom hurried over to the abandoned basket of food, tutting under her breath, and started putting everything away. My dad, however, knew something was up. His gaze bounced between Dell and me.
"What's going on?" he addressed us.
Dell looked at me. "Riley? You want to tell him?"
Words still wouldn't come. Dell took pity on me and held out the still unopened envelope to our father. His brows dipped, but he took it from Dell’s hand. His gaze ran over the seal on the back, and then he flipped it to the front to see the return address and my name in gold, swirling font.
"Riles . . . is this what I think it is?" he asked.
"What? What is it?" my mom added, coming over to look as well. "How did you . . . ? When did you . . . ? I mean, why?"
Finally, my throat seemed to unstick and I spoke. "I knew we couldn’t afford to send me, but I got a notification that they had scholarships opening. So, I applied."
"A scholarship?"
"Yes . . . fully paid, all-inclusive."
My mom looked at my dad, their expressions indecipherable.
"Well, go on, peanut. Open it," my dad said, holding it out to me.
Dell took it back and placed it on the table in front of me. With shaking fingers, I broke the seal and opened the envelope. Reaching in, I drew out a long letter and read it out loud.
“Congratulations, Riley Druman! We are pleased to inform you we have accepted your application for a scholarship to Omega Rising Academy. Classes for your junior year will begin January fifteenth and will run until November fifteenth. We will provide everything for you. All you need to bring are your comfort items. Please arrive two days early to allow time to settle in and . . ."
