by Len Webster
“You’re the best,” Evan said as he walked over to the gate and opened it for her.
Once AJ stepped through, she looked out at the field and then peeked over at Evan who was also staring out at the bases. “Are you sure you lost it?”
He nodded. “Yeah. I’ve got nineteen in that basket, and I’m missing one. Coach will have my ass if I don’t find it. He’s all tight with the budget cuts looming over him. The football department wants more money.”
“Of course, they do,” AJ murmured. “Do you know where the last ball could be?”
“Probably toward the back end of the right field. Somewhere between first and second base.”
“All right,” she said as she turned and then walked down the right field. Her eyes scanned the ground as Evan followed next to her.
“How was class?” Evan asked.
“Good,” she replied as she glanced up, smiled, and returned to scanning the grass. It was much easier to search this time since the snow had melted, and they had green grass before them. “Robin wasn’t happy that I got into Harvard and Yale, and he got waitlisted. But Mr. Miller put him in his place.”
“Never really liked Robin,” Evan muttered.
She halted her steps, taking in the nonchalant expression on her best friend’s face. “Why is that?”
“He’s always been a jerk to you, AJ. You’re just too nice to see it. He always thinks he’s better than you, and he’s not. It’s evident that he isn’t. You got into Harvard and Yale, and he didn’t. So, no, I don’t like him.”
Her heart skipped a beat at the protective tone in his voice. “Well, I never really liked Robin either, but it’s much easier to be nice to him. I tried ignoring him last year, but that didn’t work. He hates it when I’m too nice. Enough of Robin, are you ready for the game?”
Evan pursed his lips and continued walking, AJ following. “Not having a game last week really helped. We’re coming together strongly, so we have a chance. I do know that some college scouts were at our last game and some will be at this week’s game, too.”
“Why didn’t you tell me that you had scouts at your last game? You guys won, and you played amazing.”
“I only met them briefly. It was an unofficial visit or something. So I just brushed it off. Nothing has come from it, so nothing to get excited about. I think that’s the ball,” Evan said, pointing at the fence.
AJ swung her gaze from Evan to where he pointed. She squinted, just able to see the curve of the ball poking through the grass. “I see it,” she said as she quickened her steps toward it. When she reached it, she smiled. It was the baseball he was looking for. AJ bent down and picked it up. A black line on the ball piqued her curiosity, causing her brows to furrow as she turned the baseball.
Her heart dipped.
Her breathing ceased.
And her fingers lost sensation as she dropped the baseball to the ground.
Evan stepped in front of her, bent down, and picked up the baseball. AJ lifted her chin to see him staring at the ball for a long moment before his eyes found hers.
“Wow, I didn’t think you’d reject me like that,” he teased. “So …?”
AJ looked back down at the baseball as her heart fluttered uncontrollably in her chest. In black marker was a question that consisted of four letters.
PROM?
Her lips parted, but nothing but air escaped her.
She never dreamed he’d ask her to prom.
In fact, she’d been so consumed with their college letters that she hadn’t cared about prom, accepting the fact that nobody wanted to be her date after not being asked to homecoming.
But she had been so wrong.
As Evan took hold of her right hand, she felt wanted.
Worthy enough to be someone’s date.
To be Evan Gilmore’s prom date.
Her eyes met his as his sweet smile enveloped his lips. “Alexandra, will you please be my date to our senior prom?”
“You want to take me to prom?” she answered with another question.
He nodded. “Only if you want me to.”
It was ridiculous that tears threatened to spill. She blinked them away, appreciating the fact that her best friend had chosen her. “I want you to be my prom date. So ask me again.”
His hand squeezed hers. “Alexandra, will you let me have the honor of your parents taking cliché prom pictures of us? Will you complain that your feet hurt after dancing with me? Will you let me wait for you at the bottom of your staircase as you walk down it? Can I take you to prom?”
AJ reached over and took the baseball from him. “Yes to every single question. Yes to every time you asked,” AJ said with a smile. Then she pulled her hand away from his. “We’re gonna have to buy your coach a new baseball.”
Evan’s smile faded as confusion swept his face. “Why?”
“Because I’m keeping this.”
And that was a very true statement.
As AJ closed the front door behind her, she took in her favorite baseball she’d ever owned. She did own another. It was the last ball played at the first Red Sox game she’d watched Kyle captain. It was memorable. But not as memorable as how Evan had asked her to prom. He’d surprised her with his question written on the baseball he’d apparently lost. During the car ride home with Evan, it dawned on her that she had never been anyone’s date to a dance. She had been to a few as Evan’s best friend but never his date. But as she peeked over at him as he drove them home, something in her snapped. She wasn’t sure if it was her heart or common sense, but her brain blasted the memory of her birthday kiss. Of his I love you on Christmas. Of his kiss on New Year’s.
Convenience.
She had to remember they were best friends, no matter what her heart wished for.
She would not ruin them by expecting more.
Evan Gilmore had given her the chance to experience high school the way she thought she’d never get the chance to. To have a normal experience. An experience that didn’t involve her being Little Miss Red Sox.
Shoving the baseball into her bag, she kicked off her flats and set her keys on the hallway table.
“Mum, Dad, I’m home,” she yelled out as she removed her bag and set it on the ground. “We have to talk!”
“We’re in the living room,” her mother called out.
AJ made her way into the living room to find her parents sitting on the couch as the afternoon news played on the TV. In the back of her mind, one little gray cloud overshadowed her blue sky. And she had to tell her parents of her decision so that they could get Mr. Gardwell to get the paperwork ready. Once AJ stood in front of her parents with the coffee table between them, she inhaled deeply and squared her shoulders with an exhale.
“How was school today, Alexandra?” her mother asked as she reached for the television remote and turned off the TV.
“It was good. My teachers congratulated me on my college letters. But that’s not what I want to discuss.”
“It’s not?” her mother asked as she glanced over at AJ’s father.
AJ shook her head and prepared herself to fight her parents on her decision. “I don’t want the settlement money.”
Her father leaned forward, almost jumping off the couch. “You want to go to court?”
Another shake of her head. “No. I mean, two million dollars is a lot of money. And I know it can pay for college. If all I get is Harvard, Yale, Dartmouth, Princeton, and Columbia, then I’m going to a really expensive school, but I can get financial aid. I find out about scholarships later … but I promise to pay you both back every penny you spend for college. But I don’t want to take the settlement money. I don’t want The Daily Sportsourage to have an impact on college the way they have this past week. If it’s okay with you both, and if we don’t need the money, I’d like to donate it to charity. Charities that
support women and are against rape culture. I know that two million dollars is a lot of money, more money than a lot of people make, but it’s dirty money, and I can’t take it.”
Her mother pressed her lips together as her eyes shone with tears. “Alexandra, you don’t have to worry about college and how we’re going to pay for it.” She reached over and grasped AJ’s father’s hand. “When I was pregnant with you, your father and I started saving for college. It’s not like university back in Australia, so we knew we had to start as soon as we could. Then you started having big dreams, and that only made us want to save more and dream bigger for you. But we didn’t have to save alone. Your grandparents started college funds for you. You could go to Harvard and earn three degrees if you wanted. You don’t have to worry about money. And I agree with you. I don’t want that disgusting company to give you a single cent. So if your father agrees, then we’ll tell Lucas that we’ll only take the settlement if it goes to charities. Noel?”
Her father nodded. “I agree. No company is going to provide my daughter’s education. That’s our job. I’m very proud of your mature decision, Alexandra.”
A weight felt as if it had been lifted off her shoulders, and her body relaxed from the tight tension consuming it. Just as she was about to thank her parents, she felt her phone vibrate in her jeans pocket. She pulled it out to find that she had an alert.
More college letters were now live.
“Everything okay?” her father asked.
AJ nodded her head. She had three colleges left to hear from.
Two of those colleges’ letters she was so nervous to read.
“More letters went out.” She went into her browser and logged into the Stanford, Duke, and NYU’s portals. Seeing the letters, she glanced up at her parents. “I have three waiting.”
“What schools?” her mother asked.
AJ wet her dry lips. “Stanford, Duke, and NYU.” When she glanced down at her phone and took in the Stanford University logo, her heart came a halt.
Years of waiting, and she finally had a decision from Stanford.
“I have to tell Evan—”
“Wait,” her mother said. “I know you want to open your letter with Evan, but we missed you opening your other college letters. Can you open NYU and Duke with us?”
AJ nodded as she changed the browser tab to the NYU portal. Letting out a nervous exhale, she pressed on the link as the letter loaded. “Dear Ms. Parker, it is with tremendous honor that I congratulate you on your acceptance into New York University—oh my, God. I got into NYU.”
Her mother squealed. “I knew you would! Okay, Duke next.”
Her father nodded with a proud smile on his face.
AJ opened the Duke portal with shaky hands. She inhaled a deep breath to calm her nerves as she clicked on the link. Suddenly, a wave of nervous tremors infiltrated her body. At that moment, she was more nervous than any other letter she had opened. She made a small exhale as the letter slowly loaded. Her eyes fell closed, giving herself a moment before she read the letter. She knew she could be rejected from Duke since they had one of the best physics departments on the East Coast.
She opened her eyes and began to read it out loud. “Dear Ms. Parker, Duke University has a long history of excellence and integrity. It is my honor to inform you that the Admissions Committee would like to welcome you to be a part of Duke University … I got into Duke.” AJ lowered her phone. Her parents’ faces lit up with pride. “I got into Duke!”
“You wanted to get into Duke?” her mother asked.
AJ nodded as tears formed. Tears of utter relief and happiness that she blinked away. “Yeah. It was between Yale and Duke if I don’t get into Stanford.” She held her phone higher as she got out of the Duke portal and into Stanford’s. Glancing up at her parents, she said, “I’ll be right back. We’ll celebrate no matter what this letter says, okay?”
They both smiled at her.
AJ ran out of the living room and to her flats by the hallway table. Once she had slipped them on, she turned for the door, opened it, and bolted out the house. She sprinted across the lawn, ran up his driveway, up the stairs, and began to pound her fist against Evan’s front door, ignoring the doorbell.
“Evan!” she yelled, hoping to get his attention.
She pounded her fist against the door one more time before it opened. “Whoa. Chill, AJ.”
“Evan …” she said, a little breathless.
“What’s wrong?”
To save time and to get her breath back, she handed him her phone.
Evan took it and breathed out, “Stanford?”
“Stanford,” she said once she got her breath back.
He grasped her wrist and yanked her into his house. After he shut the door behind her, he reached into his jeans pocket and pulled out his phone. She watched him unlock it and type on the screen.
“I’ll open yours, and you open mine,” he explained as he handed her his phone.
“Wait.”
“What’s wrong?”
AJ bit her cheek and expressed her biggest fear out loud. “What if one of us doesn’t get into Stanford? Or either of us?”
“We’ll figure it out,” Evan said softly.
“Okay, but promise me that you’ll go to Claremont McKenna. It’s still miles away from here.”
Evan nodded. “Promise me that—even though I know you’ll get in—you’ll go to Harvard or Yale.”
Her heart weakened at his gentleness.
“Okay, I promise. Want to count to three?” she asked, gripping his phone.
“All right. One.”
“Two,” AJ whispered as she glanced down at his phone, her thumb hovering over the acceptance letter link.
“Three,” Evan finished, and she pressed on the link, the page loading much faster than her Duke acceptance letter.
AJ’s eyes scanned the first sentence and read.
Dear Evan,
Congratulations! It is with great pleasure that I offer you admission to Stanford University.
“Evan,” she whispered as she lowered his phone and stepped a little closer.
“Yeah?” His voice was almost a whisper. Fear ruled his expression.
AJ’s lips curled into a smile. “You did it. You got into Stanford.”
His eyes were as wide as saucers. “I got in?”
“Yes. You got in. I’m so proud of you.”
Then his eyes fell to her phone in his hand, and in a little voice he said, “Alexandra.”
Her heart dipped as the realization poured over her like ice water shocking her system.
“I didn’t get in?”
It was the first and only college that had rejected her. The only college she needed to get into had deemed her unworthy.
“Alexandra?”
She fought against her tears. Their dreams of going to college together wouldn’t be realized. “Yeah?”
“Cardinal looks much better on you than Harvard Crimson or Yale Blue.” Then he turned her phone to her, and she saw the congratulations on the screen.
“We’re going to Stanford?”
Nodding, he confirmed, “We’re going to Stanford!”
And it was at that moment that AJ lost it.
She let her tears run free.
Her heart beat wildly as she jumped, linking her arms around his neck as Evan held her tightly.
They both did it.
Sacrifices had been made.
But dreams were now finally realized.
AJ and Evan were going to Stanford University.
44 Ru
ruthenium
EVAN
Now
AJ laughed.
Drunkenly laughed, he might add.
She’d had about five glasses of champagne and was definitely intoxicated.
>
As for Evan, he felt a buzz.
They had been dancing to the unknown music that played from the entertainment system in their hotel room. It was intoxicating to watch her so carefree. But Evan knew it was getting dangerous, so he cut her off after her sixth drink.
The light flickering above them had AJ stopping her sway as she tilted her chin back. The storm had significantly picked up since dinner, and the rain made it impossible to see anything out the windows.
“Evan?”
He lowered his chin to find her staring at him with glassy eyes. “You feeling all right? You’re not gonna pass out or throw up?”
She giggled. He knew the sway of her body was not intentional. “Why haven’t I drunk like this before? It’s sooooo much fun.”
“Maybe not tomorrow,” he said as he closed the small distance between them and took the almost empty glass from her. He headed back to the cabinet and set the glass down, then spun around to find her blinking at him. Evan grasped the edge of the wooden cabinet and leaned against it. “Plus, your parents would kill me if I brought you home drunk.”
She shook her head. “My parents love you.”
“I highly doubt it.”
AJ took a wobbly step toward him. Then another three until he stopped her from falling forward. Her palms rested on his chest as she gazed up at him.
“They love you, Evan. My dad was so proud of you on New Year’s.” Her head lolled. “And he was so disappointed in me when I told him I missed MIT. I’ve never seen him that mad. I wanted him to be proud of me the way he’s been proud of you.”
It was at that moment he realized his best friend was an emotional drunk.
“Hey,” he said as his thumbs brushed her arms. “He’s always been proud of you.”
AJ laughed. “Nope. Not when it comes to colleges. He tells me he is because I love Duke, but he’s not. Not really. On New Year’s, we fought because you’re the son he’s always wanted. So I ran, and I drove … and I lied to you.”
