Chapter Twenty-Nine: College Plans

The end of the school year was fast approaching with only a few weeks left until graduation things have been tense with Sam and Kelsey. They hadn't talked about colleges and Kelsey still hadn't popped the question.

It was 3 months ago when Kelsey had asked permission from Julian and Brooke to marry their daughter. They had given permission and Kelsey was thankful for that. She knew she wanted to spend the rest of her life with Sam she just didn't know when she was going to propose. She could do right before graduation, she could do it now, and she could even wait until after graduation. Kelsey didn't know when to chose, but she did know that they had to talk about their college choices.

Kelsey had applied to the University of North Carolina. She was lucky that she had gotten in. Kelsey knew that Sam had applied to schools besides UNC, but she was hoping that Sam would want to go to college with her. She didn't know if their relationship could handle long distance.

Sam had applied to University of North Carolina and New York University. She got into both of them. Now she had to choose and that's what she had been debating the last few months.

Currently, Sam and Kelsey were in Sam's finished room above the garage. The room had been finished for a month. Sam was lying on her bed with Kelsey sitting down next to her. They were in the middle of a heated discussion.

"I just don't see why you think you had to apply somewhere other than UNC. Do you think we won't last is that it?"

"Kels, that isn't it at all. I needed a back up and New York was one of them. I nixed the idea of going to college in California. That's too far away, but New York isn't."

Kelsey looked at Sam with hurt.

"It's still away from me," Kelsey whispers.

"Kelsey, look at me, please," Sam begs. Kelsey looks at her. "I want to go to UNC, okay, that's my first choice. And I believe that you and I will be together. The only reason why New York became second choice is because Kylie wanted me to apply. She's my friend. I had to do it."

Kelsey frowns at her girlfriend.

"She has a crush on you."

"Yeah, I know," Sam says with a chuckle. "But I love you and despite her crush on me that doesn't stop me from being her friend. You have nothing to worry about okay? Remember the kids we are supposed to have and the jobs we're supposed to get."

Kelsey smiles and nods her head.

"Yeah, I do."

"Okay than, it's settled. I can tell my parents that UNC is where I will be attending. You don't have to worry anymore."

Kelsey leans down and kisses her girlfriend softly on the lips.

"Why did we start fighting about this anyway?"

Sam shakes her head.

"I have no idea."

-DG-

"I don't understand what you are saying," Victoria says as she watches her daughter move around the kitchen. Aidan was sitting at the table eating a snack.

"I told you that I won't be making business trips to New York anymore. Not one every week like I have been doing."

"Brooke, this is your business, it's important."

Brooke turns to Victoria and shakes her head.

"No it isn't, my children are more important than any business. These last few months have been hard on our family. There were times when Julian and I were afraid that Aidan's adoption wouldn't go through and with Sam getting ready for college and everything we were really scared. The business was the last thing on my mind."

"What am I supposed to tell the board?"

"Tell them whatever you like, but remind them that I am their boss and I can fire them if I want to. I'm making my business trip once a month and that's as much as I'll do. If there is anything important than they can call me, but it has to be important otherwise you have good skills mom, figure it out. I'm just the designer and I can do that anywhere."

Victoria glances at her grandson and then to her daughter.

"I give up. I'm going to go now. The business is great and that's important to me. I'll see you later."

Victoria gets up from her chair and walks out the door. Aidan turns to his mom and sighs.

"I don't like her."

Brooke chuckles.

"Your sister doesn't either."

"Good," Aidan replies with a grin. "I didn't want to be left out."

"You're not sweet heart. Your dad doesn't like her either. But without her I wouldn't be here right now so I deal with it."

"You're very important momma."

"And so are you Aidan."

-DG-

"So, how are you and Kelsey doing?" Julian asks as his family starts getting ready for dinner. They were already seated at the table and he thought that dinner conversation was important.

"Things are fine. We fought early, but that was the fact that I had told her I got into NYU."

"Have you decided on where you are going to go?" Brooke questions her daughter as she places mash potatoes on her son's plate.

"Yeah, UNC with Kelsey. I love her and I know that New York would have been nice, but UNC is just as good."

"Are you sure that's what you want to do?" Julian questions.

"Of course dad," Sam replies honestly. "I took Kelsey out of the picture when I was thinking about school. This is what I really want to do."

"Sam, are you going to leave me?" Aidan questions softly.

Everyone at the table froze. Sam looked at her little brother with a frown.

"Buddy I'm not going to be gone forever. I'm just going to live at my school, but during breaks and during the summer I promise I'll be home."

Aidan sticks out his pinky.

"Do you pinky promise?"

Sam grins and interlocks their pinkies.

"Pinky promise."

-DG-

Brooke and Julian settled into their beds after locking up and turning off the lights.

"I hate that Kelsey asked us so early. I don't think I can hold this in anymore," Brooke says with a frown.

"You have to baby. It's your daughter's marriage proposal. You can't tell her about it. It would ruin everything."

"Julian, I love weddings. I am going to be making dresses. I need to know what our daughter says."

"She'll say yes."

Brooke is silent for a moment before speaking again.

"Julian, do you think they'll last?"

Julian opens his eyes before responding. "They're Sam and Kelsey, of course they will. Why don't you?"

"Yeah, of course, I don't know why I brought that up."

Brooke turned off her light and let the room bathe in darkness. Brooke quickly fell asleep, but it was Julian whose eyes were still open.

A/N: There is one more chapter before I do a time jump of 4-5 years. My question for all of you is if you just want me to continue it right here or set up the time jump as a sequel to Defying Gravity?