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“That hasn’t happened?” Donna asked.
Maisie shook her head. “If anything, I’m more confused. I didn’t expect Drew to come after me, and even though it felt like the only option at the time, I keep asking myself why I sent her away.”
As she said it, Maisie’s chest tightened. Any minute now, panic would set in, as it had every time she’d tried to answer that question. Why had she sent Drew away?
“Why do you think you did?” Cheryl asked.
Maisie drew in a breath, letting it out before she gave the only answer she’d managed to come to. “Same reason I haven’t gone inside that building yet. I don’t think I’m good enough, and I’m scared I’ll fail.”
“I could try to convince you you’re good enough, but I don’t think it would work. So instead, I’m going to ask you one thing.” Donna put a hand on Maisie’s shoulder. “Which one is harder to live with: trying with all your heart to get what you want and not succeeding, or giving up before you try at all?”
“I’m not sure,” Maisie admitted, her confusion deepening. “I’ve scrimped and saved for ten years to keep my promise to my dad, and standing here right now, knowing how unlikely it is to happen, it sure doesn’t feel great.”
“Yet, you’re still standing here,” Donna said softly.
“I shouldn’t have sent her away. I was scared, and I thought it was smarter to face the world alone, but it’s not. It hurts, and it’s every bit as terrifying.” A lump formed in Maisie’s throat. “Here I am at a college, trying to convince the world I’m so smart, and sending Drew away was the stupidest thing I could’ve done.”
Maisie wasn’t sure what reaction she expected from her friends—sympathy, maybe? Or to be told that yes, she really was as dumb as she thought. What she wasn’t expecting was for them to exchange a look of relief, like they’d been standing outside with her this whole time waiting for her to say what she’d just said.
“I think it’s time for you to go inside,” Cheryl said.
“Go inside?” Maisie’s head was spinning. “I tell you I made the biggest mistake of my life, that I don’t have the first clue what I’m doing, and all you can tell me is to go inside?”
Her friends exchanged another look, and then Donna said, “Yeah, basically.”
Maisie’s eyes narrowed as she waited in vain for them to add anything remotely useful by way of explaining their demand. Her friends simply looked on like they had every expectation she’d comply, if only because her curiosity would get the better of her.
Which it did.
“Fine.” Maisie tossed her hands into the air. “I’m going inside.”
Climbing the steps to the admissions building like they would lead to her execution, Maisie yanked the handle on the glass door. It didn’t budge. Then she saw the wordpush. Perhaps this was a sign she should turn around and go home.
But she kept going, if only because she was fairly certain if she turned around now, Donna and Cheryl would pick her up and carry her the rest of the way.
There was one woman in the returning students office, and though she had lace on her collar that reminded Maisie of her great aunt, the butterflies in her stomach refused to settle down.
“Hi, I have an appointment—”
“You must be Maisie. I’m Helen. After all our emails over the years, I can’t believe we’re finally meeting in person, or as the kids like to say, IRL. Being around young people keeps me youthful.” She laughed as she sorted through a pile of papers on her desk. “Why don’t you have a seat, and we can go over your options? Have you had any news from the scholarships you were applying for last time we spoke?”
Maisie sat, a sense of resignation weighing her down. She already knew the options, and none of them were good. Why had she agreed to do this again?
“I have. Every single one.” Maisie slumped. “It was a no from all of them.”
“Oh, I’m so sorry, hon.” Helen made a circle on the paper in front of her, letting out a sad sigh. “I assume unless your financial situation has changed, that means you won’t be enrolling for in-person classes this semester after all?”
Maisie fought back the tears. “No.”
Helen gave Maisie abuck upsmile. “That doesn’t mean you’re out of options. In fact, I anticipated this could happen, and I’ve run your existing credits through both the catalogue from ten years ago as well as the one for the incoming class. Did you know the only thing you’re missing to graduate is an internship?”
That couldn’t be right. It was way harder than that, wasn’t it?
“That’s all? I remember being told a lot of my classes might not count, and I’d be forced to repeat a few semesters.” Maisie took a shaky breath, struggling to process this new information.”
“Oh, sometimes that can happen, sure,” Helen agreed. “But you’re one of the lucky ones. The degree requirements in the new catalogue are actually much more flexible than when you entered as a freshman. In fact, your work experience at Taite and Greene was able to wipe out six credits.”
“My work experience?” Maisie sat up straighter in her seat. She was certain she’d never gone into any detail about her job before, and she certainly hadn’t requested to have it count for course credit. “How do you know about that?”
