Shining Star (BoyxBoy)

19

Tyler's POV

In January, I would begin my course at the University of Witwaterstrand. The name's pretty difficult for a non-South African to say. Everybody calls it Wits (pronounced Vits) so that's what I'm gonna do. I'm supposed to move to South Africa for ten years.

The university is in South Africa's largest city, Johannesburg. I would have accommodation, a roommate to help pay for the accommodation and a monthly allowance from my parents. I am going to study medicine and whatever.

South Africa has world renowned medical schools. They're not as good as American ones, but they are really good, and easier to get into. Although, they do structure their courses differently. The first three or four years of my six year university education will be spent on theory. The next two or three years will be spent doing rounds in the nearby teaching hospital. I forgot the name, because it is so difficult to pronounce, but it is the third biggest hospital in the world, with about 70% of the patients being emergent. I've always had a passion for emergency medicine, and my goal is to become either an ER doctor or a Trauma surgeon.

After the six years in university, I would spend a further two years internship at any public hospital in South Africa. After those two years, I would spend a year of community service in a clinic. After all that, then I could think about specialising and becoming a surgeon. I would spend two years as a registrar at a teaching hospital, and then receive a certification from some board for my chosen specialty.

I would be excited for all of this if it didn't mean leaving Pierce behind. He got a scholarship to go to Rayden University so he could continue with his athletics career. We would be thousands of miles (excuse me, kilometres, I need to practice using the metric system) away from each other. Long distance relationships never work out anyway. You communicate with each every chance you have for the first few weeks. Then, you talk once or twice a week for shorter periods of time. You make promises and eventually, the relationship starts to taper.

I have to face two choices: either break up with Pierce now, rip off the band aid, or let the relationship fall apart and die over a long period of time.

Obviously being with Pierce is amazing. It's literally heaven on earth. You might say that I maybe love him.

I never thought any of this would ever happen, but in hindsight, I wanted to study in South Africa to get away from Pierce, and to get over him somehow.

Of course I would visit during holidays, but my holidays would not sync up with Pierce, Tris and Amy. One of my parental units was opposed to the idea at first, but let me go anyway. I figured it would be perfect, and I wouldn't have to see Pierce as much as I used to.

I regret every decision I have made that has led up to this point.

Ten years.

One hundred and twenty months.

Forty three thousand, eight hundred days (without factoring in leap years).

That's plenty of time for a relationship to wither away.

Why the problem all of a sudden? Well, I received a letter from the university giving me an overview of the course that I'm taking. I had totally forgotten about the whole thing. I was about to pop the love bubble.

As I read the letter in my room, I was overcome with joy...at first. I was excited to be a medical student, and finally to be chasing my dreams. Then I realised what I would be giving up in doing so. Of course I have to choose the rest of my life over Pierce. He has done a lot to hurt the group and changed our dynamic completely. It's not that I don't value Pierce; it's that I value my future more.