Confidence Game

4 || Applying

"I can't believe Ryan was such a jerk about the whole thing! If anything, it should be his punishment not yours!" My roommate Maizy exclaims.

"Tell me about it. Gosh, I'm gonna miss you so much Maizy. I solemnly swear that I will never have another roommate as good as you throughout my entire being," I reply dramatically.

Maizy chuckles and rolls her eyes at me. We continue to pack my stuff in silence until we have all my clothes boxed up. I turn to her and see that she's been silently crying. I run over and hug her tightly.

"I'm going to miss you more Char. I've been your roommate for almost two years. It's going to be so different without you here," she sobs into my shoulder.

We embrace for a little bit longer before she pulls away saying,"I need to get my mind off this. I'm going to go down to the cafe. Do you want to come?"

I shake my head and she gives me a sad smile before leaving our dorm. I hop into my desk chair and spin around in it a few times before a whip open my laptop. I type 'top graphic design colleges' into the search bar and press enter. A few seconds later, a list pops up.

"Cranbrook academy of art - Bloomington MI. No thank you. It's up north. I don't want to live up north. I've heard the people are rude there.

Art center college of design - Pasadena CA. Nope. Too close to Pepperdine. I need to get out of California.

California institute of the arts - Valencia CA. California again? Nice try.

School of Visual Arts - NY. Ew the north.

Kingston College - Southwest London, UK. Hmm," I say to myself as I click on a link that takes me to a page about Kingston's graphic design program.

"On this course, you will be encouraged to be a 'breakthrough design communicator', to be innovative, inventive and inspire change. Whether you choose to remain broadly based or decide to specialise, you will develop a highly individual portfolio to reflect your career aspirations.

Central to our course philosophy is taking an outward-facing approach to what design does and how it is used, exploiting our well-established industry links and 'live' projects. 'Studio culture' is key to the dynamics of this experience. We use our studio spaces and facilities to experiment and explore new ways to push the boundaries of visual communication," I read out loud to myself.

Kingston's design program sounds pretty impressive and right up my ally. It almost sounds better than Pepperdine's. Maybe this is what I need. I would also be a fresh start. London? That's far enough away from California for me.

I used to live in London when I was younger. It would be so much fun to go back and re-familiarize myself with the city. It would also be great to catch up with my childhood friends. I could even see my family again that lives there.

The more I think about Kingston, the more I grow to like the idea. The idea of going back to live in my old town is so tempting I just have to apply. I quickly print off the application, fill it out, attach my portfolio, and send it off. I chose the early acceptance option because I need to get into a new school as fast as I can to finish up the rest of the semester.

-:-:-:-

"Goodbye Charlotte. I'll miss you too much. Don't forget about me now," Maizy says through tears.

"Maizy, don't be ridiculous. I could never forget you. I'll come visit and I'll call you every day I promise," I reply.

"Isn't it going to be scary living with your mom for a few weeks until you hear back from Kingston?"

"Of course it will be. I'll be stressed out. But, I'll use the time to take some online courses and do a few projects. I might even get a temporary internship or something so that way I can stay caught up. Oh and Maizy, if Ryan asks about me, you can tell him where I've gone. I'll be on a completely different continent so it's not like I'll be seeing him again," I say.

"Of course. I'm surprised your mom was fine with your whole arrangement."

"Me too. But she recognizes I was set up. She knows it isn't my fault and I love her for it. She said I can stay with her as long as I need until I hear back from Kingston. I'm so grateful for her," I say.

As soon as I say that, my mom's car pulls up in front of our dorm building. She honks and waves at Maizy. Maizy waves back before helping me load all my boxes and bags in her trunk. Before I get in the car, I pull her in for one more tight hug. We're both sobbing hysterically and I feel her tears fall down and hit my shirt.

"Goodbye Maizy," I say before pulling away and getting into the car.

"Goodbye Charlotte," she whispers before shutting my door.