'We have to open our letters together!' Maia shouts enthusiastically holding the letters with bright university symbols on it. Clara and Sookie nod in agreement holding their letters. 'Which one first?' Clara asks. 'Harvard,' Maia says. They each search the letter and open it on a count of three. 'Denied,' Sookie says. 'Denied,' Maia says and scrambles the paper. 'Accepted,' Clara smiles. 'Okay, the next one. We are going together!' Maia says.
Brown: Clara accepted, Maia and Sookie denied. Yale: Clara accepted, Sookie and Maia denied. Princeton: all denied. MIT: all denied. Stanford: Clara accepted, Maia on the waiting list, Sookie denied. University of Chicago: Maia and Clara accepted, Sookie denied. Johns Hopkins University: Clara accepted, Sookie and Maia denied. Duke University: all denied. Columbia University: Maia accepted, Clara on the waiting list, Sookie denied.
'Well, that's a bummer,' Sookie says holding back her tears. It's silent, the other two girls don't know if they should be happy or sad. 'I'm happy for you two,' Sookie says and forces a smile on her face. 'You can go to Chicago! Or maybe even Stanford or Columbia!' Sookie says cheerfully. 'But you won't be there,' Maia says a little disappointed. 'I'll try again next year. Or I'll just go to Mount Rose College like Thomas and Paul,' Sookie says. 'We can come too?' Clara suggests - not entirely agreed with what she just said. 'No! You should go to a proper University! Promise me you will?' 'Okay,' Maia says. Clara nods. Sookie gives them a smile, hiding her sadness and then returns home from Valentine's Diner.
Once home she starts crying so loudly her mother comes inside from the garden. 'Honey, what's wrong?' Anna asks and holds her daughter. 'I got denied by all of them,' Sookie weeps. 'Oh, honey,' Anna says. She feels bad for her daughter. She studied so hard so she could enter university with her friends. 'I hate that they are smarter than me and don't have to study their asses off to get somewhere,' Sookie says. 'I know, honey, I know.'
YOU ARE READING
Valentine's Diner
RandomEnter the life of Sookie Hanlin, Clara Mason, Maia Ainsley, Paul Ainsley and Thomas Hanlin. See them grow up from hopeless teens to even more chaotic adults. At the end, all they have in common is the memories and comfort at Valentine's Diner. A boo...
