Nora swings open the door right before I even get the chance to knock.
“Mason! Where’ve you been?” She hugs me and leads me inside her apartment. It’s full of bookshelves loaded with books and miscellaneous items she collected in the past, and some instruments in the back corner.
“Oh, uh, sorry, I’ve been pretty busy.”
I sit down next to her on her velvety couch and then kiss her forehead. I try to avoid her gaze. I really don’t want to leave her, but I need her to help me know if Itolonia really is for me, especially since it was my father’s last wish.
“It’s fine. So what’s up?” She lays her head on my shoulder, then plays with my fingers.
Great. I’m really going to miss this girl.
“I have some bad news, but really good, too, for some at least,” I say, making no sense.
She gets off of me, looking serious. “What is it?”
“I uh, I —” I stammer.
“Hey, you can tell me anything, you know that. You know I’ll love you no matter what.” She gently places her hand on mine.
“I know, and I will, too.” I pause and stare at her serious smile. “Okay, so I got a scholarship to a really good boarding school. It’s pretty far away. It’s smaller than our school and has fewer students. But it would be great to move from my public school to this. That’s the one positive, and it’s number three on global best boarding schools.”
“Oh, well, that’s great news! Congrats! So is it a full scholarship? With staying there and food and the school? And what school?” She grins.
“Yep. It’s Itolonia School of Technology,” I beam.
“Wow, your dream school! You applied?”
“Yeah, I did, just to see what would happen, but there are multiple reasons not to go . . .” I trail off, and her grin gets washed off.
“Like?”
“So if I go there, I’m going to have to live there for the next five years. You have to be there all five years. I can't leave a year later. The scholarship agreement terms are that I have to stay for all years.”
“Oh. Well, is that the only bad part?” She frowns and fiddles with her sweatshirt string.
“Not really. I won’t be able to see you for a while, or anyone really. But it would benefit me to leave this area for a bit. I need to be somewhere else, especially since it’s been hard to live like this, after my dad . . .” Tears struggle to come out, and I try to force them back in.
She gives a small smile, and I notice her eyes are getting watery, too.
“I know how much your dad wanted you to go to that school. If you go, you’ll be fulfilling his wishes. But what about us?”
“That’s a bigger reason to go. I really miss him, and if I go, I feel like I’ll have a better connection with him. But if I go, then we’ll be over.” My eyes wander in fear down to my feet.
“If you go . . . I don’t know if I’ll be able to handle that,” Nora whispers to herself, but I can hear what she’s saying.
I turn toward her and pull her close. “Nora, I have to go.”
She lets out a few sobs and pulls away from me, then pauses for a few moments. She chokes back sobs in between words, and gets up. “I know you do, so we might as well break up now, to save heartbreak when you leave.”
“Wait, what? I thought you —”
“Mason, please leave,” Nora interrupts.
“What?”
“Leave me alone, please,” she says quietly.
I walk toward the door.
“You were fine before. I’ve never seen you like this. What happened?” I ask in front of her open door.
“Goodbye, Mason.”
Nora pushes me out the door and slams it behind me.
“Mason! Where’ve you been?” She hugs me and leads me inside her apartment. It’s full of bookshelves loaded with books and miscellaneous items she collected in the past, and some instruments in the back corner.
“Oh, uh, sorry, I’ve been pretty busy.”
I sit down next to her on her velvety couch and then kiss her forehead. I try to avoid her gaze. I really don’t want to leave her, but I need her to help me know if Itolonia really is for me, especially since it was my father’s last wish.
“It’s fine. So what’s up?” She lays her head on my shoulder, then plays with my fingers.
Great. I’m really going to miss this girl.
“I have some bad news, but really good, too, for some at least,” I say, making no sense.
She gets off of me, looking serious. “What is it?”
“I uh, I —” I stammer.
“Hey, you can tell me anything, you know that. You know I’ll love you no matter what.” She gently places her hand on mine.
“I know, and I will, too.” I pause and stare at her serious smile. “Okay, so I got a scholarship to a really good boarding school. It’s pretty far away. It’s smaller than our school and has fewer students. But it would be great to move from my public school to this. That’s the one positive, and it’s number three on global best boarding schools.”
“Oh, well, that’s great news! Congrats! So is it a full scholarship? With staying there and food and the school? And what school?” She grins.
“Yep. It’s Itolonia School of Technology,” I beam.
“Wow, your dream school! You applied?”
“Yeah, I did, just to see what would happen, but there are multiple reasons not to go . . .” I trail off, and her grin gets washed off.
“Like?”
“So if I go there, I’m going to have to live there for the next five years. You have to be there all five years. I can't leave a year later. The scholarship agreement terms are that I have to stay for all years.”
“Oh. Well, is that the only bad part?” She frowns and fiddles with her sweatshirt string.
“Not really. I won’t be able to see you for a while, or anyone really. But it would benefit me to leave this area for a bit. I need to be somewhere else, especially since it’s been hard to live like this, after my dad . . .” Tears struggle to come out, and I try to force them back in.
She gives a small smile, and I notice her eyes are getting watery, too.
“I know how much your dad wanted you to go to that school. If you go, you’ll be fulfilling his wishes. But what about us?”
“That’s a bigger reason to go. I really miss him, and if I go, I feel like I’ll have a better connection with him. But if I go, then we’ll be over.” My eyes wander in fear down to my feet.
“If you go . . . I don’t know if I’ll be able to handle that,” Nora whispers to herself, but I can hear what she’s saying.
I turn toward her and pull her close. “Nora, I have to go.”
She lets out a few sobs and pulls away from me, then pauses for a few moments. She chokes back sobs in between words, and gets up. “I know you do, so we might as well break up now, to save heartbreak when you leave.”
“Wait, what? I thought you —”
“Mason, please leave,” Nora interrupts.
“What?”
“Leave me alone, please,” she says quietly.
I walk toward the door.
“You were fine before. I’ve never seen you like this. What happened?” I ask in front of her open door.
“Goodbye, Mason.”
Nora pushes me out the door and slams it behind me.