Page 26 of Hailey Goes to College

I shrug. “I don’t know. I don’t think it’s about money—more about the fact that I don’t really tell them no.” I sigh and plaster a smile on my face. “But I don’t care about that. I want to go with you and that’s what I’m going to do. They’ll have to deal with it.”

The arm around me gives me a soft squeeze. “It’ll be fine. Then we can relax. You’ll love it, I promise.”

We reach my dorm, and Ryan walks me to my room. Before I open the door, he pulls me into a tender kiss, his lips warm and soft against mine. The world seems to fade away, leaving just the two of us in this perfect moment.

“I have one more midterm tomorrow morning and then if you want we can cut out early. I don’t need to be here Friday and today was your last one, right? ” he asks, his forehead resting against mine.

“Right. Today was the last.”

“Ok, let’s leave after that. Pack warm clothes. It gets pretty chilly out there.”

I nod, a smile spreading across my face. “I’ll be ready.”

As Ryan walks away, I feel a flutter of excitement. This Thanksgiving is going to be different from any I’ve ever had, and I can’t wait to see what it brings. Now to just tell my mother I’m not coming home in two days.

Forty-eight hours later, I’m up early, packing my bag with warm clothes and essentials. Kelsey, still in her pajamas, watches me with a curious expression.

“So, you’re really going to Ryan’s farm for Thanksgiving?” she asks while eating a Pop Tart in bed.

“Yeah,” I reply, folding a sweater and placing it in my bag. “It’s exciting, right? I’ve never seen a farm.” She gives me a look. “Okay fine. I’m nervous. Jittery. Nervous jitters of excitement.”

“And you broke the news to your mom and dad?” she asks, eyeing my movements.

I flinch thinking back on the conversation I had with them the other night. It required a video call with both of my parents. My mom of course cried like I knew she would, but my dad was understanding. He told me to go off and have fun and get the college experience. My mother’s scoff could be heard for miles. She even used the line, I’m not upset, I’m disappointed. She had stopped crying before we ended our conversation so I was taking it as a good sign that she wouldn’t be disappointed forever.

“Yes. I told them while you were out the other night.”

Kelsey smiles. “That’s awesome, Hailey. I’m happy for you. I know you were stressed out about going home. Just promise you’ll relax and take lots of pictures and tell me everything when you get back.”

“Promise,” I say, zipping up my bag. “What about you? Any plans while you’ll be back home?”

“Just hanging out with my parents,” she says. “I’m sure I’ll catch up with some of our friends but that’s about it. My mom is trying to rope me into going to her law office Friendsgiving dinner but since I’m not their friend I’m trying to bail on that.”

“Yeah. I don’t blame you for not wanting to go.”

She leans up and dusts the crumbs off of her pajamas. “I think I’m going to tell my parents I’m changing my major.” .”

My hands freeze on the phone cord I was tying up. “Oh my god! Kels! Are you serious? You’re really going to do it?” I ask her in shock.

She nods slowly. “Yep. I’ve given it a lot of thought. I’ve talked with a lot of the people in the drama department and all of them agree that I have something. I could feel it when I was up on that stage. I felt… alive. And I’m not willing to let that feeling go. I’m not willing to trade something that I think I could be good at for something that my parents have told me I would be good at for years. I love law but I’m not in love with it like I am acting.”

I drop the phone cord onto the bed and rush over to hers to hug her. “I’m so proud of you.”

Kelsey laughs through her tears. “Well I haven’t told them yet, but thanks.”

I pat her on the back trying to provide some type of comfort. Before I have a chance to say anything else there’s a knock on our door. I give her a jokingly wide-eye look before going over to the door. When I open the door, Ryan is standing there with his suitcase standing by his feet.

“Hi,” I lean forward and give him a quick peck on the lips. I move the door wide for him to walk in. He lifts my bag and puts it beside his in the hall.

“I’m only a text away if you need me,” I tell Kesley before heading toward the door with Ryan.

She waves goodbye to us before we head to the door as she shouts, “Happy Thanksgiving!”

The drive out of the city is beautiful, the landscape gradually changing from urban sprawl to rolling countryside. Normally a car ride like this would set me into an anxious panic, but with Ryan, I’m calm and comfortable. I’ve been thinking a lot about where my anxiety stems from and I think it was always feeling trapped in the car and not trusting that the person driving would stop. I don’t have anything to worry about with Ryan. I trust him and I know that he would stop the car if I needed him to. I look out the window, watching as the trees become more bare the further north we get.

As we get closer to his hometown, Ryan points out landmarks and shares stories from his childhood. Telling me about the time he and his friends camped out only to walk home in the middle of the night scared because of howling sounds in the night. I listen, fascinated by this glimpse into his past, each story giving me a better idea of the man Ryan has become. It’s clear how much he loves this place, and it makes me even more eager to see it for myself.

When he tells me that we’re only a few miles from his family’s farm I start to get nervous. I’m nervous about meeting his parents. I want to make a good impression so I flip down the visor and finger comb my hair that’s gotten messy from the car ride.

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