desk. In addition to his two standard threadbare chairs, three additional chairs crowded close by, a mismatched trio obviously pulled into the office at the last minute. It seemed he was expecting a larger crowd than the three of us. Maybe Hannah had done the right thing in escaping when she’d had the chance.
“It’s good to see you again, Abby,” he said, directing a smile my way. “I could not have asked for a better student—a better valedictorian. You have done the school proud.”
“Thanks.” I didn’t know what else to say. In my real life, I didn’t deserve his praise, and I felt like a fraud sitting beneath his wide smile.
“And where is Hannah?” he asked.
“She headed home with a friend,” Dad said. “I thought you wanted to talk about Abby.”
“I do, but I thought the whole family might have enjoyed hearing the good news together.”
“Good news?” Mom asked, leaning forward in her chair.
“Oh, yes.” Principal Adams glanced between my parents and me, his smile growing wider. “It is good news indeed.”
I swallowed, feeling a small flicker of anticipation in my chest. After all the bad things that had happened, was it possible something good was coming my way?
“I know you applied to several schools,” he said directly to me. “And I know you have had your pick of places to go.” He paused, obviously savoring his next words. “In all your college shopping, did you ever consider Emery College?”
My heart almost stopped. It had only been a couple of hours since my terrible phone call to Dr. Cooke’s office. I frantically tried to figure out what the right answer was to his question. Emery had declined my application, and yet that meant they had an application to decline. Which meant that I had, at some point in this changed past, sent them an application.
“Um, yes,” I said quietly. “It sounded like a great school. I thought about going there.” But not now, I thought. Not until I can get my real life back on track.
“You did?” Mom said. “I thought you wanted to go to USC.”
“Well, they said yes, but—”
“USC is a fine school,” Principal Adams interrupted and held up his hands in a calming gesture as though we had been arguing the fact. “But Emery is a little different.”
“Like, Ivy League different?” Dad sounded worried. My family couldn’t afford that kind of price tag—not then, not now.
“Better.” Principal Adams beamed. “Emery College is an extremely exclusive institution and they are perhaps the most selective of all the liberal arts colleges in the country. They take only the best of the best, and they offer a single full-ride scholarship a year.” His eyes danced. “Which is yours, Abby, if you want it.”
“What?” The word felt like a thousand-pound weight on my tongue. I could barely get it out.
“Wait, say that again,” Dad said, sitting forward.
My thoughts tumbled end over end; I tried to find a stable idea to hold on to and get my bearings. Emery had said no; now they wanted to offer me a full-ride scholarship? I didn’t understand. I pressed a hand flat against my stomach, wondering if I’d missed that internal warning system that things were shifting. But there hadn’t been any noticeable pain. No white flashes, no crippling nausea. I looked to my parents for help, but they looked as confused as I felt.
Principal Adams smiled a little. “I know this news is a surprise, but believe me, this is quite an honor for you, for Abby, and for the school. I’d like to introduce you to someone.” He pressed a button on the phone on his desk. “Rachel, would you send him in, please?”
“Abby, what do you think? I mean, I thought you’d settled on USC. Would you like to change?” Mom touched my arm.
It was hard to get a read on what she wanted me to do. Now that things had changed, I didn’t know what kind of conversations had happened before this. I didn’t know if we had argued, if I’d begged and pleaded
“It’s good to see you again, Abby,” he said, directing a smile my way. “I could not have asked for a better student—a better valedictorian. You have done the school proud.”
“Thanks.” I didn’t know what else to say. In my real life, I didn’t deserve his praise, and I felt like a fraud sitting beneath his wide smile.
“And where is Hannah?” he asked.
“She headed home with a friend,” Dad said. “I thought you wanted to talk about Abby.”
“I do, but I thought the whole family might have enjoyed hearing the good news together.”
“Good news?” Mom asked, leaning forward in her chair.
“Oh, yes.” Principal Adams glanced between my parents and me, his smile growing wider. “It is good news indeed.”
I swallowed, feeling a small flicker of anticipation in my chest. After all the bad things that had happened, was it possible something good was coming my way?
“I know you applied to several schools,” he said directly to me. “And I know you have had your pick of places to go.” He paused, obviously savoring his next words. “In all your college shopping, did you ever consider Emery College?”
My heart almost stopped. It had only been a couple of hours since my terrible phone call to Dr. Cooke’s office. I frantically tried to figure out what the right answer was to his question. Emery had declined my application, and yet that meant they had an application to decline. Which meant that I had, at some point in this changed past, sent them an application.
“Um, yes,” I said quietly. “It sounded like a great school. I thought about going there.” But not now, I thought. Not until I can get my real life back on track.
“You did?” Mom said. “I thought you wanted to go to USC.”
“Well, they said yes, but—”
“USC is a fine school,” Principal Adams interrupted and held up his hands in a calming gesture as though we had been arguing the fact. “But Emery is a little different.”
“Like, Ivy League different?” Dad sounded worried. My family couldn’t afford that kind of price tag—not then, not now.
“Better.” Principal Adams beamed. “Emery College is an extremely exclusive institution and they are perhaps the most selective of all the liberal arts colleges in the country. They take only the best of the best, and they offer a single full-ride scholarship a year.” His eyes danced. “Which is yours, Abby, if you want it.”
“What?” The word felt like a thousand-pound weight on my tongue. I could barely get it out.
“Wait, say that again,” Dad said, sitting forward.
My thoughts tumbled end over end; I tried to find a stable idea to hold on to and get my bearings. Emery had said no; now they wanted to offer me a full-ride scholarship? I didn’t understand. I pressed a hand flat against my stomach, wondering if I’d missed that internal warning system that things were shifting. But there hadn’t been any noticeable pain. No white flashes, no crippling nausea. I looked to my parents for help, but they looked as confused as I felt.
Principal Adams smiled a little. “I know this news is a surprise, but believe me, this is quite an honor for you, for Abby, and for the school. I’d like to introduce you to someone.” He pressed a button on the phone on his desk. “Rachel, would you send him in, please?”
“Abby, what do you think? I mean, I thought you’d settled on USC. Would you like to change?” Mom touched my arm.
It was hard to get a read on what she wanted me to do. Now that things had changed, I didn’t know what kind of conversations had happened before this. I didn’t know if we had argued, if I’d begged and pleaded
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