Page 95 of Falling With a Spin

My eyes get a glimpse of the letter in my hand, and it drops immediately to the ground.

Holy.

Fucking.

Shit.

“What is it?” Hunter’s voice comes through my thoughts, and I whip around to look at him.

Fuck.

I haven’t had the chance to tell him that I went to an audition, with everything that happened between going to court and my little spiral - okay, maybe not so little - that it may have slipped my mind. Now, I’m holding either a rejection or acceptance letter in my hand.

“Caleb and I are going to get something from my car,” Taylor says and grabs his hand bringing him off the couch.

“But wait, I wanna know what it is.” He whines as Taylors 5' 9 ass drags Caleb’s 6' 5 right out the door.

I look at Hunter, and everything in me wishes I had told him sooner.

“Okay, so you know how I sent a tape to Juilliard for my application when we were on our way back from your parent's house?” He nods his head, staying quiet to let me continue. “Well I got an email to sign up for an audition slot. I was on the fence about going because why would I? Well, Taylor talked me into it, and I ended up signing up.” I finish quickly and don’t look up, not wanting to see the disappointment or hurt on his face.

He bends down, picks up the letter and grabs my hand with his. “Oh, I knew you went.” He smirks at me and I swear my mouth unhooks from my jaw as it hits the floor.

“W-What? How?” I somehow get the words out in a state of shock.

“Taylor told me, plus you aren’t good with keeping secrets anyways, and it was easy to figure out.” He shrugs, “Now, are you going to open the letter?” He hands it to me, and I can’t do anything but stare at it.

“I’m too scared. Do it for me.” I throw it back at him, squeezing my eyes shut.

A deep chuckle comes from him as I hear the sound of ripping paper. My heart is pounding so loud that Hunter can most likely hear it.

“Okay, you can open your eyes.” He says quietly. When I do, I see Hunter, then the paper facing toward me, and the words that I catch first are

Ms. deKanter, we would like to Congratulate you….

“I made it?” it comes out in a whisper.

“ I made it!” I scream, flinging myself onto Hunter, and a booming laughter comes from him. I can feel it through my whole body, and it makes my smile bigger, knowing that he is just as happy for me.

“Yes, you did, baby girl.” He whispers in my ear.

We stay there for a few more minutes, and then I remove myself from him, still clutching the letter in my hand, staring at it with the biggest smile on my face. It feels like a dream, and I will wake up any minute now, still in the same cycle that I have been in for the last three weeks.

I'm going to Juilliard.

I'm going to fucking Juilliard.

It dawns on me right then that I will have to leave Crestview next year. Leave Taylor. Leave Caleb. Leave Hunter.

When I turn towards him, that's when it clicks for him as well. The front door swings open, but we don’t look away from each other. It feels like my whole world is crashing down right in front of me again. I just got into my dream school, but I would be leaving the one person who has become my everything.

“You didn’t get in, did you?” Taylor stands next to me, but it’s as if her voice is far away. The one thing that keeps my attention is a set of baby blue eyes, and who knows how long I have left to see them.

“Nope,” Caleb’s voice comes out sad but with pride, “she got in.”

“Then why does she look so sad?” Taylor questions, and she is so excited for me that she can’t see why we both look devastated.

“She has to leave us and move to New York,” Caleb says with an exasperated sigh.

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