Chapter 4
Ms. Taylor glanced at me and minimized the college application page. "She's here."
The office door swung open.
Alex stood in the doorway, a thin layer of sweat on his forehead.
Mia wasn't with him.
It looked like he'd come back for me.
"Why are you in Ms. Taylor's office?" he walked in, his gaze flicking over the computer.
"Dealing with something," I didn't feel like explaining.
But Alex wasn't about to let it go. "I texted you, but you didn't reply."
I pulled out my phone.
Sure enough, there were several unread messages.
Alex: [Mia and I are heading out first.]
Alex: [I'll be waiting for you at the school gate at six tonight.]
Alex: [What do you want to eat?]
The last message was sent ten minutes ago.
Alex: [Where are you?]
In my previous life, whenever Alex reached out to me, I'd feel flattered, even if I'd been hurting because of Mia, I'd instantly let it go and forgive him.
Because he rarely made an effort to cheer me up.
I couldn't bear to waste any bit of kindness he showed me.
Thinking about it now, he wasn't really trying to make things right with me.
He knew that if he threw me a bone, I'd keep doing whatever he wanted.
I put my phone away. "My phone was on silent.
"Weren't you supposed to go to the city with Mia?"
Alex noticed how calm I sounded and his expression softened a bit. "She's already waiting for me at the school gate.
"I'll come back tonight and keep you company for dinner."
I said, "It's okay.
"I need to handle something at home."
Alex frowned. "What's going on with you lately?"
"It's nothing."
"Nothing? Then why have you been avoiding me?"
I looked up at him. "Alex, I'm not avoiding you.
"I have my own things to take care of."
He looked like he'd never heard me say that before.
My whole life revolved around him, ever since we were kids.
I'd always take the same after-school classes as him, wait for him to finish competitions, and even our families took it for granted that we'd apply to the same city, yet Alex never thought I'd have things in my life that didn't involve him.
He was quiet for a few seconds, then his tone softened. "Alright, get back to what you were doing.
"I'll come by your place tonight."
With that, he turned and walked out.
As he reached the door, he glanced back at the computer. "Ms. Taylor, what are you guys looking at?"
Ms. Taylor stayed calm. "Graduation paperwork."
Alex nodded and didn't push it.
The door closed behind him.
His footsteps faded away down the hallway.
Ms. Taylor reopened the college application page. "You're not going to tell him?"
I said, "These are my choices.
"No need to."
Ms. Taylor kept her thoughts to herself and simply reminded me. "Once you confirm and submit, you won't be able to make any changes after the system locks tomorrow."
I stared at Riverdale College of Education in the first choice slot.
In my previous life, I took Riverdale off my list in the last thirty minutes before the system closed for good.
Alex was sitting right next to me and said, "Eastbrook is close to home, and with Grandma getting older, we'll need to be nearby."
I didn't even hesitate.
Because I thought that when he said "we," he was really talking about us, as if I was truly part of his plans.
It wasn't until later that I realized his vision for the future depended on my effort, my care, and my willingness to compromise.
Except, my dreams never had a place in his plans.
I moved the mouse, clicked submit, and my phone lit up with a verification code. I entered it, hit confirm.
The screen switched over. [Your application has been submitted successfully.]
Right after that, I sent Ms. Taylor the application form for the New Student Rural Reading Program.
Ms. Taylor checked it over. "Everything looks good.
"If you pass the first round, you'll have an online interview in four days.
"Are you ready?"
"I'm ready," I replied and closed the page.
Sunlight poured in from outside.
Most of the graduates had already left the field.
A breeze drifted across the desk, lifting the corner of the Riverdale College of Education brochure.
I reached out to press it down.
For the first time ever, it felt like I could actually take charge and decide where my life was headed.