In My Dreams

"Away from you"

Brooke and Jamie enter their dorm after a summers day full of laughter. It has been a month since Jamie and Brooke were official and they had already told Harper and Cam, who were not that surprised. They go to bed in a haze for joy.

Jamie wakes up to her laptop's ding.
She sluggishly gets out of bed and opens her Mac and looks at the notification.
It was an email with the following:

Dear Ms. Cho,
Thank you for applying to The British Colombia University in regards to the  full law scholarship.
With full payment for your studies at the British Columbia University, amenities, and room & board. We would like to congratulate you on being the few chosen to become a law student here at The British Columbia University. The letter with the package containing all the information you need should have arrived by now. See you soon.

Warmly,
The British Columbia University Law Department.

Jamie stares in awe of the email. She does not believe it, and looks for the letter. She hurries to the main floor and dives into their mailbox. After reading each letter, she finds the one. The package was enclosed in a brown envelope, with a stamp "BCU". She is amazed, glad, confused, and worried. She didn't even give in her application, but there was one person who knew, one person who knew about the application and had the guts to even think about doing something like this. Brooke.

The next day was not like other days. Brooke woke up to clattering sounds and thumping feet.

"Who's so loud?" She shouts while still under the covers. Some people are trying to sleep.

"Come on... get out of bed for once. I have something I want to tell you." Jamie responds with a remarkably sarcastic tone.

Brooke gets up slowly and stumbles onto the sofa. Jamie walks by with the package from the university in her hand.

"So tell me... how come I got accepted to a university without sending my application." Jamie asks, knowing the answer to get question.

Brooke thinks, then her thoughts align. She gets up in excitement, hugging Jamie and exclaiming, "Oh my god! Congratulations. You got in!"

Jamie steps out of the hug, almost pushing Brooke away, asking the same question. "How can I get accepted without applying?"

"I don't know, maybe... recognition?"

"Recognition? Really? That was the best you could come up with."

"I don't know what you want me to say. I sent your application so what?" Brooke replies.

"So what is that you went behind me back to-"

"What I did was give you the opportunity you would have never gone for"

"Wow great, thanks. Now I have to make the hardest decision of my life."

"What's so hard about it? Do what you want to do. It's not that hard of a choice."

"You still don't get it. The choice of leaving you or staying with you." Jamie shouts in tears. "The choice of doing what I love but missing you every single day, or staying but being happy with you."

Brooke opens her mouth about to say something, then stops. The silence fills the room, but it felt as if it also filled the earth.

"I'm sorry, I didn't... I didn't know." Brooke starts with her voice cracking, "but we can still be together, long distance and-"

"And what? Live thousands of kilometres away from each other for 2 and a half years, and not getting the courage to end it?" Jamie asks in tears knowing there was no way.

Brooke says, trying to fix the broken pieces, "Then I'll go to British Columbia with you. They also have a good English department."

"No cause then you'll have to apply next year to get accepted for the year after, it's still a year. Your dad is also getting out of jail soon. You should be with him. " Jamie says with tears falling from her eyes.

"Well I cant make this decision for you. I... I know I'm the one who put you in this position, I'm sorry. But you have to make a decision. It's a once in a lifetime thing." Brooke explains.

"Which one? You or the university?" Jamie asks.

"You have to decide which one it is."

Jamie's tears fall and her body softens, she sits on the sofa and begins to sob. "I don't know. I don't know anything anymore" she whispers.

"Don't know what?" Brooke asks.

Jamie takes a breath trying to calm down, "I don't know you anymore, you went behind my back and put me in this- no you stuffed me in this box and can't get out without choosing between you or my future."

"What do you mean?"

Jamie gets up and packs her duffel bag. "I mean that I need time to think" she looks at Brooke, with one foot out the door and says, "away from you"