Pretend // Brandon Arreaga

25- Gal Pals

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Winter break had slowly approached for Caroline. The flight seemed to take longer than it had the last time they had flown out to LA. Brandon also wasn't the one picking them up which made Caroline somewhat sad. She was ready to hug him again.

"Please tell me that isn't Nick." Kelsey breathed, looking straight ahead at the car where a guy, who looked way too much like Nick, stood.

"I think it is. Who is that in the car?" Caroline said, as they walked closer.

"Looks like a girl. I know damn well he didn't bring his hookup with him." Kelsey chuckled as they approached the car.

Sure enough, it was Nick and some girl he had in the passenger seat. Nick smiled and helped them with their bags. He sure had changed his attitude in a month since she saw him last. When they all got in the car Nick looked back at them with a big smile.

"Girls, this is Auburn. She's my girlfriend! Auburn this is Caroline and Kelsey." Nick said, introducing the three girls.

"Girlfriend?" Caroline smirked.

"It's a shock isn't it? He likes to think with his dick too much to keep a girl, but we are trying to fix that." The girl said, turning to look back at Caroline.

"Oh, I love her already!" Kelsey laughed.

Nick blushed with embarrassment. Auburn laugh and poked at him as he drove off. The whole ride consisted of the girls ganging up on him. Nick had never been so glad to pull into their driveway. He quickly got out the car and left the girls outside.

"So how long have y'all been together?" Kelsey asked, going around the car and to the trunk.

"Only about a month. We've been talking for a while but we know him." Auburn said, rolling her eyes. She helped them bring in their bags and settle in. The girls where bombarded by another girl they had never met or heard of.

"Who is this chick?" Kelsey asked. The girl let out a cackle type laugh and hopped down off the counter.

"I'm Vera. I shack up with ya boy Edwin." The girl smirked. Edwin could be heard laughing from the living room.

"Oh that's nice to know." Caroline shrugged.

"She was on summer vacation when you two came earlier. She goes to school at USC." Edwin said, entering the kitchen where everyone was.

"You girls go to Phoenix don't you?" Vera asked, her smile was just as bright as Edwin's smile.

"Yep." Kelsey replied.

Caroline was glad to have other girls around for a change, especially ones she liked. She saw herself getting along with all of them and she had a inkling that Kelsey and Vera would be best of friends too. She just feared the conversations they'd have because of how sexual they were.

The one person she wanted to see most was still not home from the studio, but she was glad for the company the others had given her in his absence. Time seemed to tick by slowly until she could hear Brandon coming up the stairs to his room. She held the envelope in her hands that could change their future, she had opened it as soon as it came in the mail so she knew what was inside.

"Caroline!" He yelled, tackling her into a bear hug as soon as he saw her face. She squeaked in surprise and wrapped her arms around him. "I've missed you so much."

"I've missed you too! I never thought this day would come." She said, still holding onto him. She finally let him go and showed him the envelope she was holding.

"What's this?" He asked, grabbing the envelope from her. He saw Northridge on the name and looked up at her.

"I applied to transfer here." She said, preparing herself for a speech.

"Caroline, do you know how much it cost? Vera has an athletic scholarship and it still doesn't cover all of it. You go to school for free, don't throw that away for me." Brandon exclaimed.

"If you just open the envelope, you'll see what they are offering me." Caroline states bluntly. Brandon flipped open the envelope and pulled out the paper. He read over it and then looked back up at Caroline.

"They're willing to give you what's left of your scholarship at Phoenix and apply it to Northridge?" Brandon said, trying to see if he had read that right.

"Yeah, I wouldn't have to pay much more to go here. Kelsey got the same offer plus some other scholarships due to her major." Caroline explained.

"Are you going to do it?" He asked, sitting on the edge of his bed.

"Would you like me to move here?" She asked, raising her eyebrows.

"Of course I would, but it's not my decision!" He exclaimed again.

He was excited but also concerned for her. Vera had complained before about how much USC cost her a year, even with her scholarship. Caroline sighed in response to him. She knew it was her decision, but ultimately it came down to if her dad was willing to help her pay for USC Northridge. She hadn't been the best daughter since moving, so she knew Christmas would end up being a disaster when it came to tell him.

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