Guys Our Age (Wattys2017) (UNDER CONSTRUCTION)

Chapter 22: Champagne in Paper Cups (Hailey)

"Sign me out?" Sophia asked me the following Friday.

"Haha." I rolled my eyes and headed towards my locker. "Only your legal guardian can sign you out, Soph."

"What's the fun of having friends that are legal if they can't sign you out of school?" She grumbled.

"You have yet to say Happy Birthday." I unlocked my locker and got hit in the face with a balloon. "Damnit Mason."

"How did he get those inside?" Sophia asked as two more smaller balloons floated out.

"Probably charmed the secretary into giving him my combination." I shook my head to hide my smile.

"Just balloons?" Sophia searched my locker for any gifts. "Lame."

"He'll probably give me my present later." I was about to push her out of the way when she gasped. "What?"

"What's this? This is new." She pulled my portfolio binder out and flipped through it before I could stop her. "What's this, Hailey?"

"A portfolio." I grabbed the binder out her hands and shoved it between my English textbook and the locker wall. "So wh-"

"With college applications inside." She whispered.

"They're not a big deal." I grabbed my things and closed my locker after pulling the balloons out fully.

"Does your Dad know you're applying to those schools?" She grabbed the two small pink balloons while I grabbed the big one that had Happy Birthday written across it.

"Just you and me." I told her as we walked to her locker.

"You haven't told Mason or Hannah?" Her jaw hit the floor. "Why?"

"Because I'm not going to get in." I leaned against the wall while she opened her locker. "And if I somehow managed to, I can't go."

"I'm sure you can with scholarships and financial aid." She glanced at me before going back to her locker. "And I could be going to NYU, so we could get an apartment together."

"My Dad wouldn't let me move to the other side of the country." I closed my eyes and sighed. "And Han and I are gonna get an apartment together."

"What about the ones here in Cali?" Sophia asked. "Isn't Mase applying to UCLA and USC on a basketball scholarship?"

"Yeah, that's why I applied to them." I shrugged. "Just in case Hannah decided to move in with Justin."

"Yeah, right." Sophia shut her locker with a laugh. "Like Hannah would rather live with him than you. Sisters before misters."

"They're gonna be married before graduating college with an Associate's." I join her in on the laughing.

"And parents before getting a Bachelor's." She elbowed my side then we walked out of the hall. "And maybe then you'll finally tell Mase."

"If I'm an aunt before Hannah and Justin have a Bachelor's degree each and haven't told him, sure." I promised her.

"Do I want to know what you're talking about?" Mason asked from behind us.

"How much did you hear?" Sophia spun on her heel and stared him down.

Mason immediately held his hands up and took a step back. "Something about Hailey being an aunt and not telling someone something."

"Cross your heart and hope to die?" Sophia narrowed her eyes.

"Soph." I pushed her a little. "He's already scared of you."