The White Lie

Chapter 1

Here it was, the moment I had been waiting for my whole life... Well... for the past year at least. I sat down at my uncomfortable, butter yellow desk chair and opened my laptop lid. Taking in a deep breath, I typed in the web address listed on the piece of paper I clutched in my hand and waited. While the page was loading, I began to panic. I could feel my heart thumping against my ribcage, like it was going to jump out at any second. The page loaded, and I typed in my login details and once again, I waited. I closed my eyes just as the page loaded, giving myself a minute to calm down. All year, I had worked as hard as I could in my final year of schooling, in the hopes of getting into this teaching degree, and today is the day I find out whether or not my attempts were successful. I had no idea why I was so nervous, I was sure to get in. I sucked in one last breath, and opened my eyes. As I read the screen, it's as though my heart has stopped beating. The screen read:

Full Name: Reece Mary Jones
Birth Date: 11 June 1996
Gender: Female
Application for: Bachelor of Education
Application outcome: Denied.

I swear my heart came to a stop. Even for a second. No. This can't be happening. I didn't prepare for this. I had never really considered the possibility that my application would read anything other than: 'Confirmed'. I barely had a moment to collect my thoughts before I heard the front door slam. Crap.
"Honey, we're home!" my mum calls down the hall.
Double crap. How am I going to explain this?
I slammed my laptop lid closed, spinning around on my chair just as my mum and dad burst into my room. My mum grinned at me, opening her arms. "Congratulations are in order I assume!" she said excitedly. I forced a small smile and looked over her shoulder at my beaming dad. "Well, tell us the good news" he said, approaching me. I forced myself to broaden my smile and somehow, without really considering it, found myself nodding my head. "I got in!" I squealed. My parents began to clap, enclosing me in their arms, excited smiles on their faces. Hidden between my parents' chests, my own smile dropped. What have I done?
I slipped out from my parents grasp and smiled weakly. "Well" I said, "This new university student has some things to do!" I continued, hoping my parents got the message and would leave my bedroom. "Oh honey of course, I assume you want to ring Indie and see how she went!" I nod, that part is true. Caught up in my own drama, I hadn't even given a thought to my best friend and her university application outcome. My mum and dad exchanged a cheerful glance and began to back out of my bedroom, stopping just before they reach the door way, "Honey" my dad started,"we're taking you out to dinner to celebrate tonight! Be ready in half an hour, we'll go to 'Max's Italian', your favourite!" before I could think of an excuse to get me out of it, my parents turned on their heels and left, their footsteps echoing as they walked down the hallway together. How the hell am I going to get myself out of this? 

Eventually I managed to snap myself out of panic-mode and reached for my mobile phone. I knew if I didn't call soon, Indie would know something was up. I dialed Indie's number, mentally preparing myself to tell my best friend what I had done. On the third ring, Indie picked up the phone, her chirpy voice snapping me out of my thoughts. "Reece! Oh my God I was wondering when you were going to call! I got in!" she squealed down the phone. "We're going to uni! Oh my god we're going to have so much fun. Your campus is right near mine and we can meet half way and go for lunch and we can have study dates and...." Indie's voice continued, but my heart had dropped into my stomach for the second time today. How do I tell her that I didn't get in? 

The answer to that question turned out to be easier to answer than I thought. "I know I'm so excited! I can't wait!" I found myself squealing back down the phone. So... that didn't exactly go to plan. With a growing ball of anxiety inside my chest, Indie and I chatted back and forth for a few more minutes, discussing our futures as hip, city university students, no longer small-town, country high school students... It was official. I was in too deep. There's no going back now, even your best friend thinks you got into university!