Hollingwood University

Chapter 20

The winter passed and dawned into the new year. The snow began to melt, the leaves were returning, and surprisingly it was getting hot. I did not see that coming in England.

-

"How was your break? Did you go home for christmas?" Erica asked me. We were in our dorm; I sat on my bed while she was unpacking from her trip.

"No, I couldn't afford to. The best was just calling my brother and wishing him a Merry Christmas." I replied.

"Are you still mad at him though?" she asked.

"Yes and no. I'm going to miss you the most when I leave." I said. Erica groaned and sat on my bed.

"Don't talk about when you leave, it's too painful." she said.

"I'm sorry. I can't even keep my job at the diner. Termination means termination." I said.

"That sucks, Sami and I would be able to see you all the time." she said.

"I know, but let's not look at this as a loss. I will come back to study here, one way or another. Whatever it takes." I replied.

"You know, I could make a small donation to your tuition. You only need about eight hundred pounds." she said.

"I couldn't ask you to do that." I told her, "It's better that I face this one on my own, we'll keep in touch though, right?" I asked.

"Of course! No way anything interesting is going to happen on campus and you won't know about it." she replied.

"Thanks. Now don't cry when I leave, because then I'm going to feel guilty." I said.

"That's going to be hard...oh Lucy!" Erica started crying, then wrapping me in a hug. I was going to miss her, she was my best friends, and she always would be. God made us friends because no mother would be able to handle us as sisters.

-

I have to say, the strangest thing happened today. I was in my study block, secluded in my own little corner, until Ms. Charles came to get me. She told me Dean Culton wanted to see me. It was then I remembered that my time was up. Three weeks had passed, it was the new year, and my scholarship was finished. Bye bye Hollingwood for me. I guess he wanted me to sign a document or something to terminate my student status here. Well, it was fun while it lasted.

"You wanted to see me sir?" I asked as I came in his office. I had been dreading this day, hoping that it would all be a dream of some sort.

"Yes Ms. Evereux, please have a seat." this is not good. I eased myself into the leather chair with the one uneven leg, of course so I can't get comfortable.

"I just want to say sir, I have been trying so hard to collect the money to replace what was taken, and I'd really appreciate if you'd give me at least one week to pack up all my stuff and say goodbye to the friends I made." I told him.

"Ms. Evereux please. It's come to our attention that a donation was made to your scholarship." was this a joke? Because I'm not laughing. This is not a laughing matter.

"Excuse me?" I asked him.

"Over the weekend, I recieved an email with a digital cheque with the exact amount of money needed to replace your scholarship money. You don't have to leave at all." he replied. Someone donated money to my scholarship? How? When? Who? But...why?

"Ms. Evereux?" I was too tranced to realise that Dean Culton was trying to get my attention. "Are you alright?" he asked me.

"Yeah, yeah I'm...I'm fantastic. Thank you so much sir. This is fantastic! Thank you!" I shot out of my seat and ran out of his office.

-

Ethan was standing against the tree, lighting a cigarette, not realising I was coming his way. "Hey, Ethan." he looked up at me, dropping the cigarette on the ground and crushing it with his shoe.

"You look happy." he said. We hadn't seen each other since he brought me back from his home, but our moment on New Year's Eve kept replaying in my mind over and over again.

"Yeah, someone donated money to my tuition. I don't have to leave." I told him.

"Fancy that." he scoffed.

"Ethan," my feet carried me until we were two meters apart. "that was you. You donated 1300 dollars to my tuition. You didn't want me to leave." I said. Ethan sighed, shaking his head, then meeting my gaze.

"I wouldn't be able to take it if you left. You are the most amazing girl I've ever met, and I..."

"And you what?" I asked.

"I fell in love with you." was like music to my ears, hearing him say such words. I took him by the shoulders and connected his lips to mine, fireworks blowing up in my insides. Ethan was quick to kiss me back when he wrapped his arms around my waist, nibbling on my lip so the kiss could be more passionate. But through all that, I was able to mutter two little words in graditude.

"Thank you."