The Riveting Lives of Russell and Sal

Chapter 22

Russell came home from school to find his mother watching TV in the family room. He announced his arrival and headed for his room, but his mother called him over.

"We need to talk."

Her harsh voice sent Russell into a panic. Swallowing, he took a hesitant step into the family room. "What about?"

"Your future. Sit down."

Russell cautiously walked over to the chair next to the couch and, after setting his backpack on the floor, sat.

"You got another letter in the mail, this time from Stanford."

Russell held his breath, hoping beyond hope-

"They rejected you." His mother gave him a disappointed look, which Russell forced himself to match. But he cheered on the inside. Stanford was the only college in California he applied to. Now he'd have to leave the state, far away from his parents.

"That's every school. Every school you applied to, you didn't get into." His mother folded her arms across her chest. "Now what are you going to do with your life?"

"That's not every school," Russell said. "I've applied to others that accepted me."

"Except they're all public colleges out of state that anyone can get into. You're better than that."

It was true. But at least now he couldn't go to law school. He could follow his teaching dream, embarrassing as it was. Though Sal didn't find it embarrassing at all. Sal, who looked for any excuse to tease him. So maybe it wasn't. Maybe his parents would be okay with it.

His mom picked up the remote, and turned off the TV, facing him with a pinched expression. "How do you expect to be a lawyer, if you're stuck going to some nowhere university in Florida?"

Russell chewed his thumbnail, silent.

"This is probably because of that B you got in math freshmen year. And your SAT scores were terrible. I knew we shouldn't have let you hang out with that Sam boy the night before."

"Sal," Russell corrected, thumbnail still in mouth. Though she did have a point about his SAT scores, but he wouldn't call them terrible.

His mother rubbed the back of her neck, studying him for a moment before dropping her hand back down on her thigh. "You know what? We can fix this. You'll go to the local college, and work harder. Then you can move on to apply to Harvard."

"I didn't apply to the local college," Russell said.

A frown grew on his mother's face. "You applied to public colleges out of state, but none nearby?"

"No."

"Why wouldn't you? Now you'll have to spend extra money moving and staying in a dorm for the same education you would get here." His mother put her hand over her forehead, running it through her hair. "I can't believe how stupid you are, it's no wonder you didn't get into any good schools."

Russell flinched at her words, and suddenly wished he had gotten into one of those "good" schools.

"Your father and I expect better from you, after everything we've done. I sacrificed a career to spend all my time raising you, and this is how you repay me. By being a failure."

And she was right. Why else didn't any of the "good schools" accept him? What was worse was how relieved he felt whenever he got a rejection letter.

"I swear, you always screw everything up. Where's the closest school you got accepted to?"

"Oregon," Russell mumbled.

"You'll go to that one then. And transfer to Harvard afterward. Then you'll be a lawyer."