Chapter 11

That evening, Ms. Taylor called me into her office to confirm the time for my online interview.

I had passed the preliminary review for Riverdale College of Education.

The interview was scheduled for the day after tomorrow at three in the afternoon.

Ms. Taylor printed out the electronic materials the school had sent, put them in a folder, and gave them to me. "It has the program introduction and some important notes.

"Make sure to read it carefully when you get home."

I had taken the folder when the office door swung open.

Alex was standing outside.

He was probably there to pick up his graduation file from Ms. Taylor.

When he saw the folder in my hand, he stopped in his tracks.

The white cover bore the Riverdale College of Education crest.

Right beneath it was my name.

Sophie Lane.

Alex stared at those letters, his expression darkening. "You really changed your college choice?"

I put the folder into my backpack. "Yeah."

"When did you change it?"

"Yesterday."

"Why didn't you tell me?"

He asked like it was totally his business, as if he had every right to know.

Like I needed his permission to pick my college.

"Why should I tell you?"

"Didn't we agree to go to Eastbrook together?"

I said, "That was your idea.

"I never agreed to it."

Alex stepped right up to me. "Sophie, don't mess around with something this serious.

"Riverdale is over six hundred miles away from here.

"You've never been that far away by yourself.

"Your parents won't agree.

"Grandma Foster won't agree either."

I stared back. "The system's already locked.

"It can't be changed."

Alex's face darkened. "Did you do this on purpose?

"You hid it from me on purpose, so you could wait until the system locked?"

I said, "This is my college choice.

"I don't need to hide anything from you.

"I don't have to tell you everything."

Alex locked his eyes on me, refusing to look away.

For the first time, I saw real panic in those usually gentle eyes of his.

"If you're going to Riverdale, then what about us?"

I nearly laughed out loud.

Yesterday, he was telling everyone in the class chat that our engagement was something the grown-ups joked about.

And now he's suddenly worried about what happens to us.

I said, "You said it yourself.

"We're not officially engaged.

"It was a joke between the elders.

"So obviously, there's nothing we need to do about it."

Alex's breath caught. "I said that to..."

I finished his sentence for him. "To protect Mia.

"I know.

"So I played along with you.

"It's clear to everyone now that we're not engaged.

"You can stay by her side without any worries."

Alex's face grew even darker.

"I never gave you permission to go to Riverdale," Alex said.

I froze for a second.

That's when I realized, he actually thought he could decide my life for me.

I said, "Alex.

"Where I go to college isn't your call."

He stood there, silent for a long moment.

Ms. Taylor came out from behind the filing cabinet. "Alex, didn't you come to pick up your materials?"

Alex finally snapped out of it.

But instead of taking the file Ms. Taylor handed him, he reached for his phone.

Right in front of me, he called my mom. "Mrs. Lane.

"Sophie changed her college choice to Riverdale College of Education.

"Did you know about this?"

*****

There was a brief silence on the other end.

Then my mom's voice shot up. "What do you mean, Riverdale College of Education?

"Alex, put Sophie on the phone."

Alex held the phone out to me.

I didn't take it. "Put it on speaker."

He hit the speaker button.

My mom's anxious voice came through right away. "Sophie, didn't you apply to Eastbrook?

"Who told you to change it?"

I said, "I changed it myself."

"Change it back right now."

"The system's locked now."

My mom didn't seem to understand.

"Locked? What does that mean?"

"I can't change it anymore."

I heard a chair scraping across the floor on the other end.

Mom said,"Why didn't you talk to us about something this important?

"Riverdale is so far away. What if you run off by yourself and something happens out there?

"Grandma Foster isn't in good health. Are you really willing to let her barely see you for four years?"

Grandma Foster again.

Alex stood in front of me, his expression softening a little.

He probably thought my mom had finally brought up what mattered most to me.