Forever [COMPLETED]

Chapter Twenty

Winter break went by fast. Not fast enough for those who were eagerly anticipating the acceptance letters from their first choice colleges. Dana drove herself to school like any other normal day. She confirmed where she would meet Jessica and Lana later as usual. For some reason she wasn't as coated in anxiety as her best friends. She figured if she got in then it was meant to be and if she didn't then that would be okay as well. It was another cover up to avoid intense disappointment.

The gray clouds over campus looked like they were holding in a breath—just like everyone else.

It was a Tuesday morning that buzzed with tension, thick with whispers and worried glances, as seniors checked email notifications with trembling fingers. College decisions were starting to roll out, and the air felt like it could split open any second.

Dana made it to the corner table in the library, her laptop open, but she couldn't focus. Her Common App portal was open in another tab. University of Michigan. Her dream. Her future alumni legacy. Her shot at doing something that felt bigger than just being "the smart girl in school."

A text popped up.

Jessica
Tell me when you check. I'll scream for you if it's good. I'll fight someone if it's not. Omw though.

Dana smiled but didn't reply.

Across the room, Chandler stood by the printer, slipping pages into his binder. He'd been quiet all morning—almost too quiet. She knew he was waiting for his Northwestern decision, but neither of them had the emotional bandwidth to say it out loud.

She closed her laptop and stood, walking over to him with slow, deliberate steps.

"You okay?" she asked softly, her hand brushing his elbow.

Chandler looked at her, eyes a little heavy. "Yeah. I think. You?"

She hesitated. "Indifferent. Maybe I'm scared."

"Same," he said with a short laugh. "But not just about the colleges."

Dana tilted her head. "What else?"

He shrugged, running his hand down the front of his Northwestern hoodie. "Just... life. Change. Us." His eyes flicked to her. "What if we don't end up in the same place?"

Dana's heart sank a little. Not because she hadn't thought of it. But because he had, too.

"I guess we figure it out if that happens," she said honestly.

Chandler nodded. "I'd go anywhere for you, you know."

"That's the most dramatic boyfriend line I've ever heard," she said, grinning to keep her composure.

He chuckled, leaning closer. "I mean it."

And she knew he did.

At lunch, Jessica, Lana, and Dana sat on the grassy patch near the quad with their Chromebooks and phones in hand. Every few seconds, someone gasped or screamed over someone else's acceptance or deferral.

Lana crossed her arms and looked up at the sky. "I'm going to be sick. Someone pass me a cupcake or a shot."

"You applied to Spelman and Howard, right?" Dana asked, already knowing the answer.

"Yes," Lana groaned. "Howard just emailed me that decisions are coming tonight. Why would they do that? Do they want me to have heart palpitations in second period?"

Jessica was chewing a chip calmly. "I got into Georgia State and UAB. But USC is my big one."

"You'll get in," Dana assured her.