Smile For Me (Student/Teacher)

Beach Bummin

"Mexico? Are you serious??" Toby said in awe.

We were sitting in a circle on Erin's trampoline in her backyard, just talking.

"Who invited him?" Erin grumbled, feeling annoyed at Toby's dramatizing.

"I mean, he's taken you to Spain, now he's taking you to-"

"Andy's taken you to Spain?" Erin gasped.

I flushed. "I feel like such a gold digger." I said in embarrassment, ducking my head against my knees.

Toby laughed, "No, he knows you're not."

That's probably what Mr. Grant thought.

"I brought muffins!" Connor said with excitement, hopping into the trampoline with a tray full of muffins in his hand, making all of us wobble.

"Who made these?" Cole asked, reaching over and stuffing one in his big mouth, and it was obvious it was her chef who made them.

"So guys..." I began slowly. "Who's thinking about college?"

All of them froze on the spot and looked up, giving me a look of uncertainty, as if they were keeping something from me. "What..." I said in caution, and Erin was the first to speak.

"I've decided, Diana..." She said quietly, looking from the guys to me. "My father is paying for me to go to Wash U."

I stared at her. "Why didn't you ever tell me?"

She flushed. "I didn't want you to know. I don't want to leave."

I didn't know what to think. I never really pictured her and I being far apart, and now I had to. We were growing up, and things would fall apart.

My brothers left one by one, and I remembered thinking how the family was over with. How my family was falling to pieces. But in truth, they were just growing up.

And when I'd find a college? What of Andy? Would my father sell the house and would he live with me?

Was I going to leave my brothers behind?

"Oh." I simply said, deep in thought. Erin. Life without my only female friend, and when I thought about it, it had almost came to that before.

Why am I losing people?

"I'll fly you down whenever you'd like." She said with a beautiful grin.

I hopped over the center of the trampoline and attacked her with a hug. "Woah!" She laughed.

"I love you, Erin." I said in honesty, and she hugged me back.

"I love you too, Diana."

"Are they gonna kiss yet?" I heard Cole whisper to Connor.

We released each other glared at the boys in front of us. "So what about you?" Toby asked me. "Andy said you two looked for colleges."

Erin fawned. "He's helping you pick college? That's the sweetest thing."

I sighed out and layed back, feeling bratty but having to release the feelings I held. "I wish my father was doing it with me."

Connor sent a small look of sympathy. "He'll be here soon." He assured me.

"I know."

...

In Andy's room before we left, I was looking over a letter my dad recently sent. It was in reply to mine that told him when he came, I needed help. I didn't say with what, but I felt he had an idea.