Page 49 of Hers to Kiss
“Too bad, because you’re going to get it.”
“Not if I can help it,” Pete mumbled.
Bertie intercepted his path toward the door. She put her hands on his arms. “Please, Peter. Just think about attending Cornell and doing both! You can get an education and put your apps out into the world. Many people are doing both. Working and hustling on the side. Or doing school and their side project. It doesn’t have to be either or.”
Her pleading words made sense. The only thing holding him back was his father had expected him to go to Cornell. Just the thought that he would validate his father’s goals for his life made Pete’s insides squirm. Why couldn’t anyone trust him with decisions for his own life?
“Even Mom thinks it’s a good idea,” Bertie added. She dropped her arms, probably sensing he wasn’t going to run anywhere and maybe he was reconsidering.
Which he was.
Mom was Bertie’s ace.
“She put you up to this?”
Bertie shook her head. “No. But I know she’d want both for you.”
His brows came together, and he looked around the office as though he wasn’t aware that they were the only two there. “Where is Mom? I haven’t seen her. When was the last time I saw her?”
“Um…” Bertie bit her lip.
Guess she didn’t know either. “Last time I saw her was in the cafeteria this morning. She can’t still be in there cleaning. The lights were out when I did my rounds.”
“Maybe she went to bed already. She’s got her own group this time.”
“Yeah, maybe.”
“I think she was with that day trip group earlier. She’s probably been running around ever since.”
“I guess you’re right.”
Bertie reached up to lay a kiss on her brother’s cheek—which Pete thought was odd. Their relationship improved when he was in high school. Maybe she sympathized with his plight as the lonely, nerdy kid who’d be tormented for four years.
Either way, she wasn’t mean to him anymore, and they got along better than ever. But not worth hugs and kisses.
“Goodnight, little brother. Sleep tight.”
Her smile haunted Pete all the way back to his bunk. His sister had been right about considering doing both. Pete had never really wanted to go to college, but he understood the pride of a parent to have your kid accepted to a prestigious school, let alone attend and graduate. Cornell wasn’t the only Ivy League that accepted and offered a scholarship, although its program was the most appealing and the scholarship offered more than the others.
Pete yelled at the kids to stop screaming—boys. He never had this much energy growing up. Maybe if he wasn’t hypnotized by his computer, he’d be running ragged as well. He might’ve become a jock.
Nah.He was too smart for that.
Voices dulled to a murmur, which satisfied Pete. He crashed into his bunk and stared at the bottom of the bed above him.
Cornell or his dream.
Or both.
