Resisting Temptation

Chapter 46

Pretty soon, everything went back to normal. Howard and mom apologized to Zac and I, and we were happily continuing our relationship...as long as we didn't show any heavy PDA. That was Howard's main condition.

The rest of school continued on normally, with the occasional shove into a locker from unnoticing students. What had to surprise me most though was when Sandy came right up to me, and apologized in front of everybody. I had to look around and make sure this wasn't a joke, but she was being sincere...and she led us to the kids who jumped Zac. We all knew who was guilty.

"You!" I went right up to Lucas and did something even I never thought I would ever do: I punched him square in the jaw. He stumbled and fell back into the locker, then rubbing his head in confusion.

"That was for beating up my brother!" I told him, then I hit him again. That time, he flew into the ground. "And that was for beating up my boyfriend." a lot of people would've just suggested that I should've only hit him once -- since Zac was both brother and boyfriend -- but seeing the flabbergasted look on Lucas' face was worth it.

And pretty soon, through rehearsal after rehearsal, fitting after fitting, and Zac's constant complaing about wearing a tie, the magical day finally arrived...

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Mom was sitting in a recliner with rollers in her hair, skimming through a Marie Claire magazine. We had just finished getting our nails done, mine in creamy white, hers in baby blue. The hall we were renting had set up a powder room for us, big enough for the two of us and three other bridesmaids. I wasn't reallt thinking about the wedding, more about the envelope that I had in my hands. The envelope that would confirm whether or not I would go to Oxford.

"God, just open it! The anticipation is killing me." mom said.

"I don't know if I want to." I replied. Mom scooted to the edge of her seat and leaned over.

"Dani, no matter what that letter says, I will be extremely proud of you. Just open it." she said. I sighed and ripped off the top of the envelope. I pulled out the letter and unfolded the paper, then started reading. I didn't like what I saw.

"I didn't get in." I said.

"What?" mom stood up and shuffled across the carpet as to not ruin her toe polish. She grabbed the letter and read it, over and over again. Then she sighed and set it down on the side table. "Oh my God, Dani I am so sorry." she said.

"What am I gonna do? I didn't apply anywhere else? And-and admissions are over. I can't apply again until next year." I told her. Mom placed a hand on her waist and bit her lip. That was her usual 'I have something to tell you but I don't know how to say it' pose.

"Mom?" I asked, becoming very suspicous. She was hiding something from me.

"There is something that we have, but you're gonna wanna go see Zac about that." she said. That can't be good, I thought.

"Great, be right back." I shot out of my chair and left the powder room, not acknowledging that I was still in my dress and barefooted. Zac was in a seperate room as he was getting ready with his dad. Howard was in fact on the phone (surprise, surprise) and not really paying attention to his surroundings.

"Zac?" I knocked on the door and went inside. He looked up from tieing his very nice dress shoes, and stopped; kind of like he did when he saw me in the hospital.

"Wow...you look fantastic." he said.

"Thanks um, I-I got my letter from Oxford." I said.

"And?" I took a seat on the ottoman and started playing with my curled hair.

"I didn't get in." that was a terrible line that I had been dreading to tell others, I was hoping I would never have to say that line at all.

"Wow, Dani I'm really sorry." he said.

"My mother told me that you had some sort of surprise for me?" I asked.

"Oh," Zac stopped, then stood up and told me to sit on the couch. He started digging through a drawer until he pulled out an evelope.

"What is that?" I asked. He sat down with me and placed the envelope in my hands.

"Just open it." he said. I eyed him cautiously as I tore open the letter, then took out the paper. The heading completely shocked me.

"Columbia?" I asked. Columbia was one of the most excelent schools in the country, New York to be more exact.

"Yeah, I may or may not have hacked into the school's databse, took your grades and your essay to Oxford, forged your signature, and sent it all to Columbia." he replied.

"So you made up an entire profile, basically stole my identity for an amount of time, hacked into Havenhurst's database which could probably get you expelled and possibly thrown in jail, just to send me to a school and keep me in the state?" I asked him.

"...Yeah, pretty much. Was that wrong? It felt pretty right, especially because you got in by a landslide." he said. I smiled and pulled him in for a hug, then a kiss.

"You are an incredible boyfriend, I love you so much. And I can't believe you did that for me." I said.

"I just thought about sending you to the same university I got into." he said. Woah, what?

"You-you got into Columbia? Are you serious?" I asked him. He reached behind him and pulled out an envelope.

"Turns out Columbia loves their sports scholarships, especially track." he replied.

"Wow...so everything's changing, huh?" I asked.

"What're you talking about?" he asked.

"Well I mean...look around us! Our parents are getting married in less than three hours, our bestfriends are sweethearts, and we're going to Columbia in September. Everything is changing." I told him.

"You're right, everything is changing. Not to mention we're leaving for Hawaii this weekend." he said.

"Well then Mr. Trenway, shall we start off with a long needed wedding?" I asked. He sat back into the couch and grinned, slithering his hand around my waist and pulled me into his chest.

"Why yes, yes we shall."