Illéa High

Please Stay

Aspen's POV

When I heard Vice Principal Scheave read off America's name I didn't move. I didn't blink. I didn't react. All my emotions towards this conclusion stayed inside my head, swirling and colliding with one another.

America got into Illéa High.

America is going to leave Carolina.

America got into Illéa High.

America is going to leave our sad, boring town.

America got into Illéa High.

America is going to transfer out of our pathetic high school.

America got into Illéa High.

America is going to leave Brent, Maddie, Jacob, Julia, and me behind and she'll get a new, better friend group.

America got into Illéa High.

America is going to leave me...

"Aspen! Aspen!" My mom falls from the kitchen.

"Yeah?" I ask with as little emotion as possible. I couldn't show my weakness.

"Did I just hear that America got chosen for Illéa High? I'm so proud of her! She's going to do great things there. Aren't you excited for her?"

"Yeah," was all I could muster without wanting to punch a wall or curl into a ball and cry my heart out.

~•~

Ding.

The bell on the door rings as a fiery of red hair steps into the cafe.

"There are Elite Student is!" Brent yells across the cafe.

"Quiet your voice, bro or the whole cafe will start looking at us weird," Jacob jokes. He already knows that almost everyone in our town knows we meet here at 2:50 pm every other Sunday.

"Hey guys, what's up?" America comes over and kisses me on she cheek before she sits in her seat to my right.

"Ummm, we could ask you the same thing. Getting into Illéa High? That's some teens' dream!" Julia says. She tries to hide her envy, but we all know it's there.

"Yeah, I was kinda surprised. It's definitely not one of my dreams," America laughs.

"Well I think that's totally unfair!" Julia replies, "I think it should go to someone more deserving."

"You don't think America deserves this?" I intervene. Yes, I didn't like the idea of America going to another high school across the whole country, but that doesn't mean I think she's undeserving of it. I think she'll thrive there.

"N-no of courses she's deserving! I'm just saying they should pick someone who actually wants to go. Not some person who is contempt with her life as it is!" Julia argues.

"Does that mean you're not contempt with us, Julia?" Maddie asks. She clearly has taken offense.

"Girl fight..." Jacob mutters under his breath.

"It's not a girl fight. I just want to know what Julia finds so unsatisfactory about the life she has now," Maddie explains.

"I'm not saying it's you guys, I love our little group. It's just I want to be with the elite people of the world. Be a socialite. Be important!" Julia gets a far off look in her eye.

"That's almost impossible for people at our low caste," Brent points out.

"Yet America has my dream in the palm of her hand! It's not fair!" Julia practically shouts.