Hope It Gives You Hell

[Zoe's Point Of View]

Tour's been so much fun, and I was definitely going to miss it. Everyone in the bands have been pretty nice and were completely welcoming...

...however, colleges weren't being so welcoming.

Technically they were... but they were being damn annoying about it.

I didn't have to be applying for college yet... but I figured I'd get a head start on it while I could. And it would make Liz, Patti and Sarah feel better about the task at hand. They'd gotten word back from the colleges they'd applied to and we were now sitting in the middle of parking lot at midnight with numerous flashlights, a bowl of skittles, and a pile of envelopes for each of them.

"I don't want to do this." Patti sighed, her voice on the edge of a whimper. Liz glared at her.

"And you think either of us want to?" Liz asked a bit harshly, then sighed as well.

"You guys are really stressing about this, aren't you?" All three of them gave me the "look" and I laughed nervously. "Okay, guess you are."

"I don't want to do this." Sarah glared at her pile of envelopes, which was slightly larger than Patti's and Liz's, probably due to the fact of her over-achiever-ness.

"Don't look at me." Patti shivered. "I'm freaking terrified."

"Ugh, fine, I'll go first." Liz pushed two purple skittles through her lips before seizing the first envelope in her pile.

Washington State University

We are sorry to inform you that you did not make it into our school.

"Damn it, there goes Washington."

"NOOOOOOOO!" Sarah cried, throwing her hands up in frustration. "How are we supposed to go there together now?!"

"You don't even know if you got in yet!" Patti yelled back at her. Liz laughed and shook her head, then reached for another envelope and opened it quickly.

Trinity Valley Community College

We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted into Trinity.

"FUCK YEAH! SCHOOL WITH SHARDELL!" She shouted obnoxiously.

"I think she got in, how about you?" I asked. Patti and Sarah laughed, but Liz smiled weakly.

"Sorry, I'm just excited that I got in somewhere."

"Oh shut up, you were bound to get somewhere, you're brilliant." I tossed a skittle at her and hit her in the forehead, making her glare at me.

"Alright, let's just stop this and all open our KVCC letters for positive vibe!" Patti suggested, sifting through her pile of envelopes. Sarah and Liz did the same as I played with my flashlight and nibbled on a couple more skittles. Minutes later, they all had the same answer.

"Let me guess, it doesn't take a genius to get into that school?"

"Not really. It takes talent to not get in that school." Sarah shrugged. "Come on Lizzy, two more." Liz picked up one of them and opened it, staring for a moment.

"Well?" Patti was on the edge ofher seat the curb, staring at Liz intently.

"I didn't make it into Western." she replied somberly.

"That school sucks anyway." Sarah quickly took the letter and ripped it up, making all of us, including Liz, start laughing.

"Well know you wanted to be in their music program, but I'm sure you won't worry too much when you're getting it on with Patrick in California." Damn. Cue the glare again.

"Patti, open your letters before I kill this girl." Liz laughed and threw a couple skittles at me.

"SKITTLE ABUSE!" Sarah yelled. We stared at her and she chuckled nervously. "Heh, sorry. Continue Patti."

"HERE GOES EVERYTHING!" She shrieked before tearing apart the envelope. We sure were being noisy for it being midnight.

"So?"

"Shit. Next one!" She quickly ripped up the paper and reached for the last one, but Liz grabbed a piece of it and I read over her shoulder.

We are pleased to tell you that you have been accepted to Western Michigan University.

Ouch.

"Damn it all. God damn Michigan State and your fucking not good-ness but not accepting people anyway! What the hell?!" Patti went on a swearing binge for a moment, but then quickly slowed to a finish.

"You gonna be okay?" I asked, a little scared that she'd start swearing again.

"Eh, I'm happy. Two outta three ain't bad."

"Hah, Fall Out Boy reference… wait, you only applied to three schools?!" She nodded and I shook my head.

"Patti's not much of a school person." Sarah smirked.

"Shut up overachiever." Patti shoved her shoulder.

"Oh HALE no!" Sarah pushed her back with a laugh, and Liz looked at me.

"Zoe, I do believe you're the most mature here tonight."

"You're probably right about that."

"SUCCESS BABY! Michigan State!" Sarah cheered suddenly. "Oh, I probably should have waited until everyone was paying attention.

"You, what the fuck?" Liz teased. Sarah rolled her eyes.

"Ignoring you." She tore open her third letter and read quickly before sighing. "Of course, Northwestern sends me a bunch of crap in the mail freshman and sophomore but they don't want me to go to school there."

"What the hell?" I was severely lost. "That's weird."

"I know, right?"; She ripped open another, getting more excited.

"Well?" Liz asked.

"Well what? You didn't open that last one." Sarah pointed to an unopened letter in Liz's lap.

"Uh, I didn't apply anywhere else." Liz looked strangely at the envelope as Sarah smirked.

"Patrick?" I mouthed to her silently, and she nodded. Liz pulled the papers out and studied them for a few minutes wordlessly.

"Well? Get on with it woman!" Patti yelled, ending the silence.

"I got into Bryan College… but how?" She looked genuinely confused. Epic fail.

"Patrick, duh. Sarah, quit procrastinating." I stuck my tongue out at Liz and she raised an eyebrow at me.

"Don't make me bite you."

"Kinky."

"I didn't make it into Harvard either!" Sarah announced loudly.

"You actually applied there?!"

"Eh, for laughs. I didn't think I'd make it." She tore into her second to last one and grinned. "Eff yeah, Trinity!"

"Why did you two apply to a community college in Texas?" Patti asked with a laugh.

"Because we're straight up gangsta." Since Liz has NEVER said anything like that, at least from what I know, we all stared at her. "Sorry…"

"Actually, we have a friend who goes to school there." Sarah corrected, glancing at her friend as if she was crazy.

"No procrastination, open up the one from Wazoo and get on with your happiness." Patti urged. Sarah slowly opened the envelope and read the first line of the paper. We sat in silence as she stared blankly at the sheet of paper.

"Not this again…" Patti sighed, stealing the paper from Sarah and standing up. "WE ARE PLEASED TO INFORM YOU THAT YOU HAVE BEEN ACCEPTED INTO WASHINGTON STATE UNIVERSITY!" she yelled to the entire world. "Good job Sarah! At The Crisco."

"Yaaay Sarah!" I cheered, sort of to myself, causing all of us to laugh.

"EFF YEAH WORLD! I GOT INTO WASHINGTON STATE!" She shouted in excitement.

"You're going where?!" A frustrated voice sort-of whimpered out behind us.