Page 212 of The First Time
She got in.
This must mean she got in.
I rush inside even though I'm limping. "Lizzy!"
Her bedroom light flicks on. She pulls the door open, and wipes her sleepy eyes. "You're supposed to be the one who warns me it's a school night."
I wave the letter.
"What? Hold on." She steps into her room and returns wearing her trendy black glasses. Her eyes go wide. "I can't open that."
"You have to." This is the best news in forever. Lizzy got in. That means she can stay here. With me. My best friend, the one person I trust, can stick around.
"No." Her eyes pass over the return address. Her lips press together. "You open it. Please, Kat." She presses her palms together. "I can't. I can't even think."
"Are you sure?"
"Have I ever asked for your help when I wasn't sure?"
"Have you ever asked for my help?"
She laughs. "I never have to."
It's true. I'm a little… overbearing. I know that. But I can't help it. Lizzy almost died that day three years ago.
It's cheesy, yeah, but I really do feel lucky she's alive.
Alive and ready for an awesome future.
She deserves it.
I tear the envelope open and unfold the letter.Dear Ms. Wilder; We are proud to offer you acceptance—
My heart swells. Warmth spreads out through my body.
She got in.
Everything is going to be okay.
We'll make it work. Somehow.
"You're not saying anything." Her fingers curl around my wrist. "Is it bad? Tell me it's not bad."
I shake my head. "It's good. Really good."
She scans it carefully. "Oh my God." A smile creeps onto her face. "Kat! I… I can't believe it!"
"I can." I wrap my arms around my little sister. She works so hard. She deserves it.
"But we can't afford this. Not unless they're offering a full ride. And NYU doesn't do that. It's not like if I got into Columbia."
"We'll find a way to afford it."
"Will we?" She stares back at me, studying my expression. It must be obvious I've got nothing, because she sighs and crushes the letter into a tiny ball. "I still have Stanford and USC. And there are bunch of SUNYs."
And other schools far, far away. "We'll find a way to cover your tuition."
"It's not the end of the world. The school in Albany is great and only a few hours on the train." She moves towards her bedroom. "It's okay, Kat."
