𝐬𝐨 𝐡𝐢𝐠𝐡 𝐬𝐜𝐡𝐨𝐨𝐥 ─ nathan scott

mvp

𝐄𝐦𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐚𝐧𝐚 𝐬𝐚𝐭 𝐜𝐫𝐨𝐬𝐬-𝐥𝐞𝐠𝐠𝐞𝐝 𝐨𝐧 𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐛𝐞𝐝, brochures scattered around her like fallen leaves: University of Miami, Yale, and Duke. She picked up the Duke one, biting her lip. Secretly, she had applied there, knowing it was Nathan's dream school. She hadn't told him because she knew exactly how he'd react—he'd insist she choose for herself, not for him.

But now, with her acceptance letter in hand, Duke was officially on the table. She flipped through the pages, her mind buzzing with indecision. She always thought U Miami was her dream, with its vibrant energy and proximity to her modeling gigs. Yale was a surprise—it wasn't even on her radar until she got in. An Ivy League education? Hard to pass up. And Duke? Well, Duke was Nathan.

Just then, her door creaked open, and Nathan walked in, hands in his pockets. "Hey, baby. What's all this?" he asked, tilting his head at the brochures.

Emiliana sighed dramatically. "What does it look like? I'm torturing myself," she said, tossing the Yale brochure aside. "I still can't decide."

Nathan sat on the edge of her bed, watching her with a small smile. "You'll figure it out, Em."

She sat up straighter, grabbing the Duke brochure and thrusting it in his direction. "There's something I need to tell you. I applied to Duke."

Nathan blinked, surprised. "Wait, what?"

"I didn't tell you because I knew you'd do that whole 'you need to pick for yourself' speech," she said, rolling her eyes. "But yeah, I got in."

Nathan's smile grew. "Em, that's amazing."

"Don't get too excited," she warned, narrowing her eyes. "I applied because I knew it was your dream school. But here's the thing... there's nothing at Duke for me except you."

Nathan's expression softened, but he nodded. "I get it. I'd love for you to come with me, but only if it's what you want."

"That's the problem, Nate," she said, fidgeting with the hem of her shirt. "As much as I want to be with you, we both need to follow our dreams. If one of us gives that up, we might end up resenting each other."

Nathan leaned back, running a hand through his hair. "I hate the idea of being away from you."

"I know," Emiliana said softly. "But long distance can work. We'll visit each other, call, text..." She smirked. "And lots of phone sex."

Nathan chuckled, shaking his head. "I'd sure hope so."

She reached for the Yale brochure. "Honestly, I've been leaning towards Yale. It's not what I thought I wanted, but... it's Yale. I'd regret not taking this chance."

Nathan nodded, his eyes sincere. "Even though I was all about Miami before, I want what's best for you. If Yale feels right, go for it."

Emiliana smiled, a weight lifting off her shoulders. "Okay. I'm going to Yale."