Page 20 of The Do-Over
THEA
The mailbox contained only two pieces of mail. One was from Larrimore University in Chicago, and the other was from the SAT testing organization.
Thea weighed them in her hands. She was holding her future.
Rob’s letters had come yesterday. He’d been accepted to Larrimore and given a basketball scholarship, as well as a partial academic scholarship—the very one Thea had applied for. His SAT scores had been good—a 1550 total.
Now she just had to hope that she’d do as well as he had.
She took the envelopes into the kitchen, wishing that he was here with her. This would be so much less intimidating if Rob was by her side. Unfortunately, he had basketball practice, but he had promised to come over as soon as he was finished, knowing that she would probably have her results since he’d gotten his.
Thea sat down at the kitchen table and turned the envelopes over in her hands.
At least Mom and Dad aren’t here.
Not that that really mattered. Her parents were satisfied with the fact that she’d gotten into Iowa State. They weren’t going to lose any sleep over whether or not she received an acceptance to Chicago.
She set that envelope aside. Start with the easier one.
She slit open the SAT results and pulled the paper out.
A 1320. Not great. Nowhere near as good as what Rob had gotten, but that was no surprise. She’d always known she couldn’t match him on an aptitude test. Her good grades were the result of hard work and study. They didn’t come to her effortlessly, the way his did. Her score was still pretty good.
But was it good enough?
She looked at the envelope from Larrimore.
Maybe she should wait until Rob got here to open it.
No. Don’t be ridiculous. You can handle this. You’re going to college either way. It’s just a matter of where. Everything’s going to be fine.
Still, her hand shook as she reached out for the second envelope.
She opened it and pulled out the single piece of paper.
It was a rejection. She knew that immediately, even before she read the words. Rob’s envelope had contained cards directing him to websites where he could explore student housing and class offerings. Hers didn’t have any of that.
She read the paper, feeling a weight settle in the pit of her stomach.
It was over. The fantasy of a life together in Chicago was over, and she would just have to forget about it.
Only the fact that they still had Iowa State comforted her. She knew the state school had offered Rob a scholarship as well. He would be able to play basketball there. He would be happy. He wouldn’t get as much court time, but that was okay. He would be able to live with that.
Still, she felt guilty. She knew Chicago was what he had wanted. It wasn’t going to happen, and that was her fault.
She folded the rejection up and put it back in the envelope, trying to keep herself calm.
And then she heard a knock on the door.
He’s here.
She wiped her eyes, scrubbing away the few errant tears. She wasn’t going to make him comfort her. He was the one who was losing his dream. She would be fine at Iowa State. She had never fantasized about anything more than that.
She opened the door and let him in.
Rob was sweaty and grinning from practice, but she didn’t resist as he pulled her into his arms and kissed her. “Hey,” he said. “I got here as quickly as I could.” He glanced at the table and saw the open letters. “They came?”
She nodded and looked away. “Rob…it isn’t good news.”
