Page 71 of My Totally Unfair Deal

Several Years Ago

Rain taps steadily against the window, the late spring storm casting a gray haze over the campus. I stare outside in silence, watching an ant crawl slowly across the wet sill.

“Hey, man.” Jackson sets a cup of coffee and a paper bag on my desk. “Got you some lunch.”

I don’t respond.

“The landlord’s asking if you’re staying past graduation. What should I tell him?”

Still nothing. The ant is gone now, washed away or hidden.

“Almost every girl I’ve run into lately has asked where you’ve been,” he says, stepping closer. “You’ve gone from the main character on campus to a ghost.”

I nod. That’s all I can manage.

“Harrison?” He places a hand on the back of my chair and spins me around to face him. “I need you to talk to me today. It’s just me.”

His eyes flick down to the gun resting in my lap.

“You were just admiring it, right?” he asks softly. “Waiting to tell me what you think?”

He doesn’t wait for a reply. He steps forward, calmly takes it, and slips it into his back pocket.

“My life’s over,” I say finally, voice raw. “I’d appreciate it if you gave that back.”

“Well, seeing as you stole it from under my bed... tough shit.”

“I’m not going to ask again.”

“You threatening to fight me?” He raises a brow. “You think I won’t lay your rich ass out with one punch?”

I almost smile. Almost. But my chest is cracked open, and it takes too much effort to pretend anything else.

“Why do you think your life is over?”

“That’s what happens when you lose the person you made all your plans with,” I say, my throat tightening. “My brother’s gone.”

I swallow hard. “That’s why I went home a couple months ago. We were supposed to take the MCAT together, get licensed together… Doesn’t matter. None of it matters now.”

Someone knocks on the front door, but Jackson ignores it. He sits across from me, leaning in.

“You really think your brother wouldn’t want you to follow through with what you two planned? That’s all you ever talked about.”

“I could just give up. Take the easy route. Inherit everything and pretend that’s enough.” The words fall flat. “My parents would love that.”

“That’s exactly why you’re not doing it.”

“They’re acting like nothing happened, Jackson.” I wipe at my eyes. “Like he was just a family friend we’ll see again someday. Meanwhile, I’m here trying to survive this shit alone.”

I sigh. “Even if Ididwant to keep going, I haven’t studied for the MCAT in months. I’m probably set back an entire year.”

“Nah, I don’t think so.” He walks over to my bookshelf, grabs a stack of unopened mail, and pulls out an envelope. “Here.”

“What’s this?”

“Your official MCAT results. I already saw the digital version, but they mailed the hard copy yesterday.”

I tear it open, frowning. My name is correct. My score is just four points shy of perfect.

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