listen before i go - jack will

twenty.

a few weeks pass, and i haven't heard back from La Petite Academy. not that it's that big of a deal, i mean- it would've been nice, but i probably wouldn't have even gone if i got in. "whatcha doin' gorgeous?" jack hugs me from behind and kisses my head as i close my laptop quickly. "nothing, just looking on amazon." i lie, and turn around to face him.

"are you okay?" he asks me, brushing his hand over my cheek. "yeah, i'm good." i assure him, kissing his cheek. "alright. do you wanna watch a movie with me?" he asks me with a smile, and i nod. he takes my hand, and walks me into his bedroom. i lie down on his bed as he closes the door behind us.

"so what're we watching?" i ask him, as he grabs his remote and lies down next to me. "i was thinking we could watch the first 'fear street' movie." he says, as he turns on netflix. "ooh! i've been meaning to watch it. you know i love kiana madeira." i smile, as he chuckles. "i do." he replies, making me laugh a bit.

jack falls asleep halfway through the movie. i don't blame him, he's had a long day. he had a huge test in world history class, and he's been stressing about how he did. he fell asleep with his shirt on, so when he starts sweating, i know that it's because he usually doesn't sleep with his shirt on. i slowly take his shirt off of him, trying not to wake him. i succeed, so i carefully get out of bed, turning off the tv. i walk back out to the kitchen, and open my laptop to check my emails.

new email from: La Petite Academy... click here for more information.

oh shit. i click on the link, and scroll for a while until i find the actual response.

-

"Dear Y/N L/N,

We at La Petite Academy are proud to inform you that you have been accepted into our school of Poetry and English Literature. We were very fascinated with your submission and would like to offer you a full-ride scholarship to our Prep School in San Francisco, California, where you will be able to express yourself in any way, shape, or form. You will be learning among other boys and girls that share the same passion and interests that you do. We must hear back from you about your choice to accept or decline this scholarship by October 15, 2021.
We look forward to hearing from you.

Sincerely,
Marilyn Hardaway, Administrator at La Petite Prep School in San Francisco, CA."

-

it's september 10, so i have a month and 5 days to figure out if this is something i want. wait, wait, wait... "Prep School in San Francisco, California."?!

california is on the other side of the united states. there's no way i could go. i can't leave jack, summer, or auggie. i can't go.

on the other hand, this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. a full-ride scholarship to one of the best english literature schools in the united states. i hate that i have to make this decision. i wish i'd never applied.

"baby?" i hear jack groan from his bedroom. "uhm- yeah, sorry." i walk back into his room and lie down next to him. "where'd you go?" he whispers, kissing my cheek. "i just got some water." i lie, as he buries his face into my neck. "oh, okay. goodnight, my love. i love you." he says quietly, kissing my neck gently. "i love you too, jack."