In 1988 when Dylan Montgomery moves to Beverly Hills after her mother remarries, she must navigate the challenges of fitting into a glamorous but daunting upper-class life. Living across from the charmingly cocky Nicholas and his introspective broth...
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UPPER CLASS | cherriasian
march '89
Dylan woke up with a nervous flutter in her stomach. It was Ivy acceptance day, the day she'd been waiting for, dreading, and hoping for all at once. Christian had been talking about it non-stop for weeks, filling her ears with his own excitement and confidence for his acceptance.
He'd reassure her, over and over when she asked for some, like he could predict her future with a few words. But it had been more annoying than comforting. It wasn't like her future was in anyone else's hands. Today, she was going to find out if all her late nights, her hard work, her sacrifice — if it had all paid off. Or if it was just a stupid dream.
She'd spent the past few nights tossing and turning, running the scenarios through her mind again and again. She knew she was qualified, but getting into those schools felt like a gamble. Her heart was pounding as she walked downstairs, glancing over at the kitchen where Tom was sitting at the table, sipping his coffee, and her mom was flipping through a magazine, her face unreadable. The stillness of the morning didn't match the anxious buzz in her chest.
Dylan went outside to check the mailbox, trying to calm her nerves. She spotted the mailman just as he passed, and her heart raced as she jogged toward the box. There, she sifted through the usual pile — bills, junk mail, a catalog she didn't need — but there was nothing from Princeton. Nothing from the other colleges she applied to. She stared at the empty box for a second, a hollow feeling growing in her chest. No big envelopes. No sign of the future she'd worked for. She sighed, trying to shake the disappointment that was already creeping in.
When she went back inside, Tom was standing by the kitchen counter, a grin stretching across his face. "Good morning, kiddo," he said, his voice too chipper for someone who didn't have the weight of the world hanging over them. He handed her a thick stack of envelopes with his usual self-assured smile. "Fetched this earlier. Big day today, huh?"
Dylan blinked in confusion, taking the letters. These weren't the big envelopes she'd imagined. She scanned the familiar logos — but there were other Ivy League schools. She frowned, confused. "Wait. What's this? I only applied to Princeton." Her eyes widened as she flipped through the letters, seeing names she didn't recognize on her list.
Tom chuckled, a little awkwardly. "Yeah, I know you didn't apply to those other schools, but your mom and I thought it might be a good idea to send out a few more applications. I copied your essay over, paid the application fees, made sure it all got in on time. You've got more options now."
Dylan's mind went blank for a second. "You what?"
Barbara walked into the kitchen, her eyes scanning the pile of letters. "We just wanted to give you every opportunity," she said smoothly, as if it were the most natural thing in the world. "You should be thankful. Tom worked hard to make this happen."
