Leave What Was Found

33: Future Prospects

"What's the meeting about anyway?" Avery asked as they ate breakfast.

"I don't know but any excuse to skip first period is fine by me," Brady said through mouthfuls of oatmeal.

Avery wrinkled her nose in disgust. He and Cole were having a race to see who could finish their breakfast first, and they thought she and Julian's competition over a math problem was unnecessary.

"I think it is for college," Chelsey said with a shrug.

"You don't seem that excited," Nikki pointed out.

"Neither do you," Chelsey said back.

Nikki leaned in. "Can you keep a secret?"

Chelsey put down her spoon and leaned in as well. "Sure," she said.

"I'm committing to Gonzaga next week," she said excitedly.

Avery smiled. "Congrats," she said.

Chelsey also nodded in approval. "So I guess you don't need to go to this meeting either."

"Either?" Nikki questioned. "Where are you committing?" she asked.

"I'm not committing to a college for a sport," Chelsey said, rolling her eyes. "I'm going to a fashion school in New York, I already have a spot."

"Oh, so then we can skip together," Nikki said cheerfully.

Chelsey grinned. "Perfect, it will give me just enough time to do your hair properly before second period."

Both girls got up with their things. "What's wrong with my hair?" Nikki asked as they walked away.

Avery smiled. She was glad everyone was getting along again. However, her smile slowly disappeared as she thought about the meeting. Avery had not really given much thought to her future. In her mind, it always seemed so far away, she never really thought about what she wanted to do. In terms of a major, where she wanted to go to college, she didn't even know what she wanted to do for a living.

"What's got your eyebrows so furrowed?" Julian asked as he sat down across from her.

"The college meeting the juniors have to skip first period for, I don't even know what I am going to have for dinner tonight, much less where I want to go to college," she said nervously.

"Well you at least know what you want to study, right?" he asked.

"I don't like anything enough to major in it," she said.

"What? That can't be true," he argued.

"What do you want to major in?" Avery asked.

Julian looked away shyly.

"Oh, come on, tell me," she said. "I won't judge."

"Marine Biology, then veterinary school," he said quietly.

She smiled. "You would be a good vet," she said warmly.

"Thanks," he said brightly, clearly grateful Avery was not judging him. "You know, you could major in Marine Biology, I mean you love ocean life just as much as I do."

She sighed. "I just don't think I am cut out for a career in science."

Julian looked at her with a confused expression. "Wait, but I thought you were doing well in Chemistry?"

Avery shrugged. "I am, but that's only because I memorized all the formulas and patterns in the numbers. I get the math parts, just not the conceptual stuff."

"You like math, you could major in that," he suggested.

"Yeah, but then what? I don't know what I would do with that," she explained.