disclaimer: i don't own switched at birth; if i did Bay and Emmett would be back together! ;)

(Bay's POV)

Congratulations, you've been accepted.

I double take. Is this real life? Tears of joy are welling up in my eyes as I study the artistic logo of my dream school and imagine myself painting it over and over on every notebook I purchase for the upcoming year. I question who I should tell first; surely nosey but loving Katherine would love to know. The aged lines underneath her eyes would be grateful knowing that I would be far away. She had tried to love and to care and she had given it her all but eighteen years had been tough on her petite figure.

John would be right there with the check, signed and ready to go- did you need new luggage for all your supplies honey? Maybe new supplies? Here's more money! His solution for everything was to throw a few fifties and a glass of water on it and pray that something good came from it.

Daphne would surely care- not. She would shoot a sarcastic smile and hold up her acceptance letter to some prestigious school for nuclear physiology or biochemical engineering and sneer as she reminded me that not only is she smarter, but she's also disabled and smarter. Damn her charm and hard life that made her even more charming!

Regina maybe? No. Regina and I may be biologically connected but over the previous months it became apparent that, that really was all it was. She had gave it the old college try but at the end of the day Regina would always be satisfied with the girl she had raised her whole life instead of me, the one she gave birth too.

That left very limited choices of people who would give two shits. My excitement was dissipating into pure agony as I reminisced in classic teenage angst form about my dysfunctional life. I didn't think I was a victim; I knew I was, ever since Daphne scooted her slim little figure in and became the daughter that everybody wanted. Of course there were the other obvious choices like Toby, and Angelo but I couldn't myself to call Toby who was miles away making country music with his freaky girlfriend or Angelo who was probably fucking any semi-attractive willing female.

Too bad Noah and I had ended on such a bad note- he would have been real proud of me if he wasn't busy hooking up with the whole entire senior class at Carlton. That's when it hit me. Emmett. We hadn't talked much in the past few months, just an occasional head nod and a quick hello but he had been taking girls out left and right as far as I knew and as far as he knew I was content with the single life since I never bothered to make a move on him. Somehow, even after months of separation his number came right back to me as I typed it into my phone.

Guess what? I got in.

(Emmett's POV)

My stomach churned as I put the pieces together. Bay got in. She got in to college. Her dream college. Which was forever away. We had conversed about it on numerous occasions but never once had I considered the possibility of her literally moving halfway across the country to study art. Despite the fact that I'm completely over her I can't seem the shake the bout of nausea that keeps sweeping over me. I begin to consider the flu, or something worse taking over me but I slowly take a deep breath and let the feeling of true love return to me.

Occasionally when I return home from a bad date I do the same. The memory of her arms around me was the only thing I had left and even though it hurt to remember, it helped as well. God, I'm so lame. I applied to a technical school or two knowing that no degree would make me satisfied with life.

I begin to think of ways I can convince her that we should get together and talk but everything sounds boring and horrible. Who knows what was going on with her- maybe she just sent out a mass text about it and I was one of the many to get it or maybe she was rubbing it in my face that she was going to be far, far away from me. Was I overanalyzing?

I have to text her back so that she knows I got her text message and knows that I really am happy for her. I am really happy for her. I would be happier if I was going with her but I was going right down the street and that would be fine. A shitty interpreter would help me learn how to count numbers all over again all while being avoided by every student at the place.

I pick my phone up and begin typing a long paragraph. Something along the lines of take me with you, I can't let you go to Europe with all those French guys and nobody to protect you but knowing my joke may not be appreciated I backspace and type a simple:

Congratulations on your acceptance.

authors note: i'm really excited about this story- would love to know what you think!? :) thanks for reading!