Page 18 of The Blairville Legacies

“But look, you’re going to meet new people, and the campus is so big, you’ll probably never run into each other.”

I turned to Mia, unable to get a word past my lips.

I had spent far too long saying goodbye to him internally. I had applied to many universities and colleges in Canada and even in the United States. The same response has always come: rejections. And it had always been because of my grades. They didn’t say it, but I knew it. My grades weren’t good enough.

I tried to push the thought away, but it somehow boxed itself forward.

I wasn’t good enough.

My eyes wandered to the papers on my desk—a pile of disorganized documents, at the top the scholarship I had received only because I had been involved in Blairville, all the clubs I had joined, all the events I had helped to organize.

Ezra’s words came up, and with them, the guilt.

“You should be happy that you can study at all without having to pay anything.”

Maybe he was right. I was ungrateful for my undeserved good luck.

Butthis?I had assumed that they would all go to private universities. Their parents were so rich, and they were all so smart. Even if they hadn’t been... WhyVanderwood, of all places? All doors were open to them...

I understood that Julian was going to Vanderwood, and I didn’t care. Buthim?

He would stay here. So would I.

“Mady.” My vision sharpened, and instead of the images in my head, I saw Mia again. She touched my arm. Her skin was a heater, as always. “You won’t even look at him with your hot ass.”

Her encouraging smile made me smile, too, and I blinked away the tears.

A rhythmic buzzing sounded – Mia’s cell phone.

“Dad?” Mia turned away from me, and I looked out the window again. “Yeah, I’m at Mady’s.” My gaze slid over the facade of the white house next door. “See you in five minutes then.”

Mia slid the phone back into her pocket and turned to me.

“My dad. There’s dinner.”

I nodded, and Mia turned to leave.

“One question...” I put in, and she paused while walking, turning to me. “Do you know who these new neighbors are?”

Mia glanced out the window. “An old friend of my father’s.” Then, shrugging, she looked back at me. “That’s all I know.”

Chapter 3

Julian

When I arrived at the bottom of the stairs, Ms. Adams was standing in the kitchen, smiling kindly as always. She had already stowed the groceries in the cupboards, and it looked like she was just waiting for me.

“I don’t know what her problem is, but I really appreciate you helping us out,” she sighed, smiling in my direction.

“Anytime, Ms. Adams.”

My selflessness was at a point today where it hadn’t been in a long time. I didn’t know what had driven me to help this rude girl.

“Julian.” She looked at me urgently. “How many more times? Feel free to call me Diana.”

“Okay, ...Diana,” I corrected myself uneasily.

It wasn’t often that I was treated so well by people of her kind.

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