10 Reasons Not to Fall in Love: Book Extension

Chapter 13- Free

 ELIZABETH CAUGHT HER THOUGHTS drifting again as she reached the last page of her English final.

            Cut it out, she told herself before turning around to check the clock again. Staring won’t make it go any faster.

            She sighed.

            In movies, people would just throw aside whatever they were doing to help each other. But the real world wasn’t like that. The brash decisions that always ended up working out on the big screen didn’t fly here. You just had to let go of the things that held you back. You just had to—

            Vincent, sitting two rows away, suddenly shoved his seat back and stood up. The class jumped.

            “Excuse me!” boomed the teacher at the front of the room. “What do you think you’re doing?”

            But Vincent’s eyes were at the door. Elizabeth didn’t need to see them to know exactly what expression they held: the same one they had three months ago when he first told her that he liked her.

            Elizabeth smiled in spite of herself. He’d grown so much. She, on the other hand…

            Looking down at her own test, Elizabeth swallowed. No, she couldn’t afford to slip up. Even if this wasn’t her last page. Even if it wouldn’t drag her grade down that badly. Even if she’d still be at the top of the class. If Elizabeth didn’t keep her scholarship…

            Even as Vincent approached her desk, she knew she didn’t have the courage to leave. No matter how much Andre had grown on her, no matter how much fun they’d had together in the past, this was her future.

            “You coming?”

            Elizabeth continued to stare at her test, unable to meet Vincent’s eyes. She heard him chuckle and felt a comforting hand on the top of her head.

            “Don’t make a face like that,” he murmured, ignoring the teacher’s rising voice. “You have to choose for yourself. Don’t worry. No matter what path you pick, I’ll always be waiting for you at the end of it.”

            And with that, he was gone.

***

Vincent checked his phone as he jogged towards the parking lot. Still several hours before the Jacksons had to leave for the airport. Just enough time to cancel Andre’s ticket. Of course, he realized with a grimace, as he called his brother’s phone, Andre’s dad would probably just pressure the airline into getting them another one.

            So he’d have to go to Andre’s place. No big deal. Vincent talked briefly with his brother, who was only too happy to help stir up some trouble.

            As he opened the door to his car, Vincent heard his name being called. When he saw who it was, he hopped into the car, started the engine, and leaned out of the open window with a wide smile.

            “Well, well, well,” Vincent hollered across the lot, “what a small world we live in!”

            “Shut up and get over here!” Annie roared, waving her fancy shoes in the air like a flag. Beside her ran Elizabeth, who couldn’t help but giggle at the sight of her friend scampering across the campus barefoot.