Head over Heels || book one.

NYU

Sarah’s POV

9:30am

I walked all the way to the school. I was angry at myself more than anything. ‘Just love him. Admit it. You do, so why can’t you? Everybody else is in love, so why can’t you be?’

My phone rang then. That’s odd. You don’t usually get reception in Seaspray, but I suppose being right up the top of Seaspray, there is a pretty good chance of getting phone reception. “Hello?” I asked. The called ID said it was a unknown number.

“Hello. Sarah Baumann?” The voice asked, quite formally.

“Yes that’s me. May I ask, who’s speaking?”

“This is the principal of New York University. We tried your home phone number, but nobody answered. So we have called, as you shall be one of the three international students accepted into our school, for the degree of design and architecture.” She explained.

I stood there frozen. I had just been accepted into the school I had only dreamed of. “Uh...thanks.” I said, kind of speechless. “When do I have my orientation day?” I asked trying to make myself make sense.

“Well...the thing is, we called you two days ago and we asked you to call back, so when we checked this morning, and nobody had replied, we called your mobile. And your orientation day is actually in three days. When can you catch the next flight here?” She asked.

“What? Three days? Seventy two hours? I-I supposed I can catch the next flight...when is that?” I stuttered.

“That flight is taking off in two hours. Can you make it?” She asked.

“No. When’s the next one?”

“Six hours from now. That one?”

“No, next?”

“Ten hours. It that the flight you can make it on?”

“Maybe. Are you booking flight tickets?” I asked.

“Yes. So that’s the flight?”

“Possibly. I’ll call you back within the hour ok?”

“Fair enough. If you don’t, we’ll book you in on the flight in twelve hours. Ok. Bye.” And they hung up.

I was going to the New York university.

Cassie’s POV

As we were going around the corner to the house, Sarah was running the other way, phone in her hand, she came to the gate before we did and leaped straight over it. I don’t think I’ve ever seen someone so happy.

“I got in!” She screamed, as she ran inside.

“What?” I asked, following her in along with everyone else.

“I’ve been accepted at NYU!” She shook my shoulders.

“Where?” I was so confused.

“New York University!” She was really into the screaming and shaking thing.

“Congratulations.” Harry said sleepily, finally getting up.

“Have you been asleep the whole time?” I asked.

“Yup.” He smirked at me.

“Wait. So when’s your orientation day?” Stef asked.

“Well...” Sarah trailed off.

“Sarah. When is it?” Stef asked more seriously this time.

“I have to catch a plane in ten hours. My orientation day is in three days, then I have two months study, then I get a month back here then I continue in eight month sections.” The spark of happiness was gone. She was upset that she was leaving.

“So what are you waiting for?” Sarah W. asked. “Pack your bags, you have to catch a plane ten hours!” And she literally pushed Sarah into her room and began to pack her clothes for her. “You’ll need to leave ASAP, and then get to your place, pack two months worth of clothes and then get to the airport.” Sarah W. ordered. Sarah just nodded.

Stef’s POV

I ended up having to drive Sarah to Taralgon so that she could catch the bus back to Melbourne. As she was saying her goodbyes, she didn’t cry at all. “Bye.” She hugged Sarah W., Izzy, Maryanne, Harry, Niall, Liam, Louis, Zayn and then she got to Josh. He looked at her sympathetically. “Thank you.” She whispered as she hugged him. She held on extra long for that hug. She moved onto Cassie. Cass was pretty much in tears. “Hey, don’t cry. I’ll be back before you know it. And I’ll call whenever I can. I promise.” Cassie just nodded as they hugged.

“Come on. Get in the car.” I took her bag and put it in the boot. She sat in the backseat, and her eyes, glassy. But she didn’t cry.

As I drove out of the driveway, she looked back at them all and waved. They followed us down the driveway and into the street. They were all smiling and waving, except Cassie, she was crying.

Sarah didn’t say much on the way there. So I had to start conversation. “So when exactly do you get back to Melbourne?”

“I get back twenty sixth of April. Then I go back twenty ninth of May. And the school pays for all my travel so I’m pretty happy about that.” She sighed.

“You nervous?” I asked.

“Yes. I won’t know anyone at all. There are only two other international students, and it wouldn’t surprise me if one was European and the other Asian.” She explained.

“And this is what you’ve always wanted?” I asked, much more hesitant.

“Yes. More than anything.” She didn’t sound so sure about this, it was like she had to say that. It sounded plastic to what she could have otherwise said.