STING [peter parker & betty cooper]

Chapter Twenty-Three: Life Is Not The Same

Betty's POV

It's been a few weeks since we came back from New York and everything seemed to fall back into place. The usual stress of high school life. The entire senior class had been worked to the bone with essays, tests, and assignments, myself included. The only thing keeping me sane was my study sessions with Peter though we enjoy our breaks that much more.

I waved goodbye as Alana pulled out of my driveway, pressing her horn once before speeding down the road. Before going inside I went over to check the mailbox at the end of our driveway and pulled out the various envelopes. Tucking them under my arm I walked back up the pavement and into the house, kicking off my shoes and dumping my backpack unceremoniously by the stairwell.

I carried the mail into the kitchen, placing it on the counter while I scoured the fridge for a snack to eat. I was just about done when I saw an envelope addressed to me and I noticed how heavy it was when I picked it up. I don't usually get mail and when I do it's usually just junk or the occasional letter from a grandparent who refuses to learn how to use a computer.

Not bothering to make a clean cut I ripped the edges open and pulled the papers out, my eyes widening when I opened it and read what was on the page.

Dear Miss. Cooper,

Congratulations! We are pleased to inform you of your admission to Green Norwich University to study in the English Literature and Creative Writing programs for the Fall Semester. For your convenience, the University offers online student services (website cited below). We encourage you to become familiar with and use these services throughout your academic career. (...)

Even as I read through the letter multiple times I felt like I couldn't grasp what it was saying. I had applied to GNU months ago without my parent's knowledge, all of the other places I had applied were for Journalism programs exclusively but I felt like I had to do something for myself.

So I applied for English Literature at GNU, putting Creative Writing as a minor. My main thought in choosing GNU was that they have one of the best programs for writing and could really help me get to where I wanted to be. I didn't actually think I would get in but as I continued to look through it I realized apparently I did.

"I GOT IN! I CAN'T BELIEVE I GOT IN! YES YES YES!" I shouted into the empty room, laughing. My happiness and sporadic movements caused me to look around me and suddenly take the excitement right out of me.

My eyes met one of the picture frames I had of Peter and I on the living room's side table. It was taken in New York by a sneaky Veronica while we were on the cruise. We were smiling, both our arms wrapped tightly around each other while we just stared into each other's eyes. No matter how corny it sounds you could feel the love coming off us and I knew I had to frame it as soon as I saw it. I also knew Peter had an identical photo in his room.

Peter.

When I applied to GNU we weren't together yet so I didn't even think to factor him into the equation. Yet as I sat there now he was all I could think about. I knew he had a few acceptances already and I was fairly sure he was going to decide on Empire State University for Molecular Biology, though a final decision hadn't been made.

I got out of the living room and house and walked slowly towards the forest path behind my house. I sat on the cold, damp grass and tears began to fill my eyes as I read the letter once again. We hadn't applied to any of the same schools and if I chose GNU it wouldn't be just different schools, it would be different time zones we would be living in.

Why was this happening to us now? Things were going perfectly; school was going well, our friendships with Veronica and Archie were never better, I was talking more with my parents and my sister and above all else, my feelings for Peter had strengthened even further; something I didn't think possible.