It Should Have Been Him

Chapter 63

Then

On March 10th, I was counting down the days. I wasn't planning on bringing much to New York.

I didn't have much to bring in the first place.

I packed a few pairs of jeans, a few sweaters, and I threw them into the read metallic suitcase in Tyler's trunk. I also packed every single note Tyler wrote to me in an old Nike shoe box.

I was having dinner with my mom that night while Tyler was out with Kris.

"You know, I got a phone call from your school this morning," my mom said.

"You failed 2 of your courses, you have to re-take them in the summer," she continued. I dropped my fork. I wasn't going to be here in the summer.

"What's the point, I'm not going to Stanford," I mumbled, staring at the grey table. She dropped her fork and lightly tapped a napkin against her mouth.

"Excuse me?" she asked, her tone from calm gone to erratic. I grunted, not wanting to repeat what I had just said. 

"I didn't get into Stanford," I say louder. My mom gaped at me.

"When did you find out?" if fireworks weren't going off before, there were definitely going to be after I answered her question.

"December," I say quietly. She puts her hand to her head and gets up, pacing back and forth along the dining table.

"What school did you get into?" she asked. I bit my tongue.

"I didn't apply anywhere else," I mumble. I looked up at her, thinking she might honestly have a stroke.

"Why didn't you apply anywhere else?" she practically screamed.

"Because I thought I would get in," I shouted. My mom shook her head and took a seat back at her side of the table.

"Well you have to take the 2 courses in summer school," my mom says, picking up her fork again.

"Why? I'm not going to college," I said sternly.

"Yeah, but you still have to graduate," she said, I avoided eye contact.

I wasn't graduating, I'd be gone in 4 days. I didn't say anything.

"This is all because of that boyfriend of yours, isn't it?" she said. I glared up at her and squinted my eyes.

"What's wrong with Tyler?" I asked, folding my arms.

"He's the reason you failed 2 of your courses." I scoffed.

"I failed those courses because I didn't get into Stanford, Tyler has nothing to do with me failing," I said. My mom was about to open her mouth to object, but my phone started ringing. I got up from my chair and left the table. It was an unknown number, but I picked it up anyways.

"You're grounded!" she yelled from the kitchen. I rolled my eyes; she couldn't ground me.

"Hello?"

"Hey, Corrin?" it was Tyler on the other end.

"Yeah, what's up?" I asked. I folded one arm over my chest.

"You're 18, right?" his voice was low.

"Yeah, why?" I asked cautiously. I didn't see where the conversation was going.