Chapter 5
A couple weeks later, last week of March
Caroline skipped down the hall before first period began and threw the opened envelope at the first person she saw. Ace being that person, opened the letter and continued to read the contents aloud.
"Dear Caroline, It is my pleasure to inform you of your admission into the St. Andrew's University…" It took a minute for it to sink in, but when it did, everyone tackled Caroline.
"Oh wow!! YOU DID IT!!" Ashley hugged her friend, knowing that St. Andrew's was Caroline's first choice.
This was the beginning of the long 2 weeks they could tell. The beginning of college hell.
****
7th Period lunch rolled around and the usual crowd was sitting discussing the latest news.
"I hope I don't get rejected." Ashley moaned watching Su place her rejection letter on the ever-growing wall of shame.
"I just want to know." Stephanie said picking at her PB&J. "Arizona State is soo beautiful! And awesome of course! I hope I get in there sooo bad!"
"We know ya do…good luck!" Liz said. Steph had just gotten back from visiting Arizona State and hadn't stopped talking about it since.
"This waiting period is a killer…I hate college!" Ashley groaned and threw her water bottle fiercely (if you can throw something fiercely, Ashley did) into the garbage can.
Max, Steph's boyfriend at the moment who had also gone to Arizona with her, nodded his agreement. "Way to take out the pent up anger on the water bottle." Everyone laughed and then continued to talk in their groups.
"So how's Anna doing?" Jack asked searching through Ashley's fries for the best ones.
"Get your hands out of there!" Ashley slapped his hand away. "She's…I don't know. The doctors say she isn't getting any better, but they're not saying if she got any worse."
"That sucks." Liz said. Her and Gabe had gotten over whatever it was that they were fighting about before, but had continued to fight even more battles after that one. Right now they were in the eye of the storm and on talking terms no less.
"Yea." Gabe said looking out into space.
"We should visit her today, bring her something." Ashley suggested.
"Yea!" Steph chimed in. "How bout flowers?"
"Nah, too unoriginal." Liz said.
"Not if we pick em!" Steph grinned.
"And where do ya suppose we will find flowers in MARCH?" Max shot back.
"In my mom's greenhouse." Steph stuck her tongue out at him, and he kissed her. The group then decided that they'd all congregate at Steph's house after school, stopping by Starbucks for their quick pick-me-upper.
"See y'all later!" Ashley shouted over her shoulder as the bell rang and she darted off to her last period class.
****
Dave and Jess had fought wickedly after leaving the hospital the first time. Actually they never even left the parking lot. Everyone thought it was over, but they managed to stick through it and things were looking up. The couple was sitting in Starbucks, awaiting the arrival of the crew of "mobsters" they liked to call them.
"I guess I have to ask you to prom." Dave smiled at Jess who flung her curly, coppery colored hair over her shoulders and pretended not to hear him. "Fine." In a serious tone of voice, "Will you…." Everyone turned around waiting for him to 'pop the question' but instead they got, "go to prom with me?"
Jess laughed and threw her napkin at him. "I guess I'll have to say yes!"
Dave threw his hands up in the air, "THANK GOD!"
"Way to be overdramatic…" Jess muttered shaking her head. "Now I get to go get a dress!"
"I'm NOT coming." Dave said, watching her out of the corner of his eye.
"Oh yes you are." Before Dave could retaliate, Ashley, Gen and Steph walked in.
"Hello you 2 lovebirds!" Ashley said bringing up a chair. "We're all going to Steph's house to pick flowers for Anna. Wanna come?"
Dave looked to Jess who usually had the final say in these things. "Sure!! We're going to visit Anna?" Jess asked.
"Yea, right after the flower picking." Steph said sitting down next to Ashley.
"Where's everybody?" Dave asked looking around the room.
"Most are sitting outside in the parking lot. Ashley, Gen and I were supposed to get them their drinks, but I don't think that'll happen!" Everyone laughed.
"Well then I guess we'll go." Jess said getting up.
"Alright." Ashley stood up and looked at Gen and Steph. "Should we get them their drinks? Or keep the money?!"
"Keep the money!" Steph grinned.
"I don't think they'll let us back in the cars without the drinks…" Gen said
"Well I'm thirsty anyway…let's get them their drinks." Ashley grumbled. She ordered everyone's drinks and the 5 delivered the drinks to their crew.
"You guys aren't getting these until you hand over a decent tip!" Steph warned, holding the drinks hostage.
"What? Are you crazy? We're not paying extra!" Jack whined.
"Then I guess you won't be getting these drinks." Steph smiled sweetly.
"We were looking forward to some extra drinks…I'm MIGHTY thirsty!" Ashley said viewing her hostages and licking her lips.
Trey eyed the 3 girls cautiously and then decided that a 10 cent tip was worthy enough.
"I don't think so." Ashley said pushing the money away. "Is that all I'm worth?!"
"Ummm…that's how much I have." Trey tried to redeem himself.
"Here, I'll give you a quarter!" Jack smiled, hoping this would get him his drink.
"Fine. Fine. Fine." Ashley accepted the quarter and the dime and gave them their drinks. The other 2 girls finally gave in to the mere offerings of a penny, a nickel and 2 quarters. "I feel violated." Ashley sighed looking at her pitiful earnings.
"Well let's go!" Jess shouted, opening her car door. Everyone piled into their cars and headed off to Steph's greenhouse.
****
Steph jumped out of her car and ran to the mailbox. Throwing all the mail to the ground she held up a letter and thrust it at Max to read.
"Don't hate me if it's bad!" Max said watching Steph. He opened the envelope and pulled out the letter. "Dear Stephanie, We would like to remind you that on April 15 you can access your admissions decision online…? What?"
"WHAT?" Steph tore the letter out of his hands and read it again. "DAMN THEM!" She threw it on the ground and started to stomp on it. The others looked on in amusement.
At the end of her display, the group wandered into her greenhouse. Jack picked up the clippers and laughed sadistically (hehehehe American Psycho anyone?!) Gen shuddered. "I don't exactly trust you with those things…"
"Neither do I." Ashley said eyeing him. Jack just grinned. They picked out some daisies, and other flowers they didn't know the names of and headed off to the hospital to see how Anna was doing.