Knight

38

Mason Maloney

There was a reason I never talked to my mother about college, and I couldn't pinpoint that reason until she sat me down at the kitchen table with a laptop in front of me while the two of us looked online at various schools. When I suggested looking at some out-of-state schools, the waterworks started.

"Both of my boys want to leave me," she cried, wiping her tears with her thumbs.

"Mom," I groaned, throwing my head back in annoyance. "I'm just giving myself some options."

"Nathan wants to go play football at LSU, you want to go to Florida, my babies are going to be gone!" Mom exclaimed as more tears fell from her eyes.

I sat beside her and awkwardly put my hand on her back, trying to comfort her. My efforts were in vain though, because she didn't stop crying. A few moments later Dad walked in the kitchen and stopped short when he saw Mom crying.

"What did you do to your mother?" he asked, raising an eyebrow at me.

"I told her I wanted to look at schools in Florida," I replied, causing my father to shoot me an understanding look.

Before my father could say anything more, Nathan sauntered into the kitchen, looking like he was just returning from a run. Without paying us any mind, he walked over to the fridge and pulled out a water bottle, downing the entire thing within a few seconds.

"Nathan," Mom sniffled, causing him to gaze over to her with a worried look. "Will you look at some schools with Mase and me?"

Dad took that as his cue to abandon the kitchen, leaving his two sons alone with our emotional mother.

"Uh, sure," Nathan answered, coming over to the table and sitting beside me. "But I already applied."

"I know, I know," Mom said, seeming to have calmed down a bit. "But there's still time to apply to more. Closer ones."

Nathan sighed but didn't say anything, nodding his head in agreement. I knew that Nathan had no intention of staying in Massachusetts for school unless Boston College was the only one to offer him a spot on the football team.

"Maybe you could play football at UConn," Mom suggested, her face lighting up.

Nathan shook his head. "They already have a quarterback for next season. I wouldn't be able to play."

Mom looked discouraged at his words, but she tried not to let it show. Instead, she put a smile on her face and pulled the laptop in front of her to read about the school I had put on the screen: UCF.

Nathan grimaced at the image on the screen as if he knew that was where Sam was headed in the fall. I wouldn't be surprised if he did know that. Nathan liked keeping tabs on his competition.

"Out of all the schools in Florida, you want to go there?" Nathan asked harshly.

Mom shot him a glare. "Don't be rude."

"What's wrong with UCF?" I played dumb. I wanted him to admit the reason why he didn't want me going there. Not to mention, I couldn't let him know that I knew Sam wanted to go there. That would be too suspicious.

"It's in central Florida, there's nothing to do," he argued weakly.

I rolled my eyes. "It's literally in Orlando. There's plenty to do."

I knew by the look on his face that Nathan wasn't going to say anything about Sam. His jaw was set tightly as he glared at the computer screen, drumming his fingers on the table.