All I Ever Wanted

“That doesn’t make any sense. You got into NYU, which is a really difficult school to get into.” Max says, taking the awful piece of paper away from me. Okay, so my dream school just told me that I’m not accepted nor rejected. Could be worse?
I lean into Alex and he hugs me tight. He’s all I need, really.
“Talk to your guidance counselor about this on Monday. He’ll know what to do.”
“Yeah… okay.”
I stare at the remaining unopened letters. St John’s and Hofstra. Do I even care?
“Don’t you want to open these?”
“Not really.”
Alex sighs and picks them up, opening them himself.
“Both accepted. Baby, you should be so proud of yourself. FIT will accept you in no time. And, NYU, like your brother said, is tough to get into. My cousin, who I think is a pretty smart girl, didn’t get in last year. You’re amazing. Don’t let one letter tell you otherwise.”
“I have to call Luke.” I suddenly remember. He’s getting his letter from NYU today. He did early decision, meaning if he gets in, that’s where he has to go, no matter what.
“Here,” Alex says and hands me my cell phone. My brothers leave with my college letters, saying that they’re going to frame the NYU one. They’re freaking ridiculous.
The phone rings only once before Luke answers.
“Hey,” is all he says.
“…Hey… So? Did you get in?”
“To NYU? Yeah, of course I did! … How about you? FIT?”
“Um, well sort of. I’m waitlisted.”
“SERIOUSLY? That’s fucked.”
“I did get into NYU, though.”
“How does that make any sense? I mean, not that FIT is a bad school, it’s a great school, but NYU is…. It’s NYU. If you got in there, you should have gotten into FIT no problem. What the fuck is that about?”
“I don’t know. I’ll talk to Mr. Brown on Monday. It just… it sucks,” I admit, and I feel Alex put his hand over mine.
“I know. I understand. Hey, can we do something tonight? Like, a movie?”
“Well, Alex wanted to do something-”
“Alexis, do I ever care what Alex wants to do?”
I laugh a little. He’s right. Every time Alex ever suggests what we do, Luke ignores it.
“No, you’re right. Hold on,” I put the phone down and turn to Alex. “Do you mind if we see a movie with Luke tonight?”
“Whatever you want to do.”
“Okay. Thank you. . .” I put the phone back to my ear. “Ok, you pick the movie. Pick us up at 6?”
“You are so demanding…Fine. But I refuse to be the third wheel tonight. Invite someone.”
“Like who? You’re my only friend.”
“What? This is news to me. I always thought we had tons of friends.”
“I’m hanging up on you.”
I snap my phone shut and look over at my boyfriend. He’s staring at his notebook, which is open on his lap.
“What are you writing in there?”
Before I can take a peek, he closes it.
“Nothin. Just writing some songs and stuff… You’ll see eventually, I’m sure.”
“Okay… so Luke is going to pick us up at 6,” I say, and he nods.
“Sounds good. But, Lex,” he starts, holding my face in his hands “Are you okay?”
“Yeah I’m okay…”
“About FIT, I mean.”
“Oh. No, but I will be. I have you, after all. And I’ll get in.”
“Of course you have me. I’m here for you.” He kisses me softly before announcing that he ‘has had to pee for two hours and can’t hold it in anymore’, and he gets up to use the bathroom.

“Are we seriously seeing this movie? It’s a chick flick!” Max complains when I hand him his movie ticket. He agreed to come tonight on one condition: that I buy him his ticket and whatever food he wants. I only agreed because I would have felt bad if Luke was, once again, the third wheel.
“Yeah. Don’t bitch to me about it. Luke picked the movie.”
Max glares at Luke and Luke just grins.
“Be quiet, Max. Show your sensitive side for once. This is going to be a great movie. And besides, Hugh Dancy is beautiful,” Luke states, glaring at Max. He takes chick flicks seriously; especially ones that Hugh Dancy is in. And I have to agree; he is pretty hot.
“Whatever. I’m not going to like it.”
“So, Luke,” I interrupt the argument. “What’s going on with you and that guy?”
“Oh. You mean James. We’re not on speaking terms.”
Max laughs and attempts to cover it up with a cough.
“What?! What happened? I didn’t even get to meet him!”
“We just stopped talking. No big.”
“Oh… You’ll meet someone better.”
“Where did you meet him?” Max asks.
“Rite Aid,” is Luke’s response.
“Oh. My girlfriend Kelly works there. The one on South Broadway?”
“Yeah. Why didn’t you ask your girlfriend to come with us?”
“She’s busy.”
“Oh.”

After the movie, which was pretty good, we hang out near the entrance until we can decide what to do next. Max and Luke are arguing about whether the movie was good or not.
“It was ok, but there were way too many girly things. Like, I was bored at some points.”
“Of course you were! You’re so…”
“So what?”
“Ridiculous!”
I roll my eyes at Alex and he laughs. They’ve been going back and forth like that for five minutes. I’m about to tell them to stop when I feel someone tap my shoulder.
“Hey, Lex.”
Her voice is one I know. I know it’s Jessica before I turn around. And when I do, she’s standing there smiling like I would be happy to see her.
“Hi?”
“So did you get your FIT letter?”
“Why are you talking to me?”
My question throws her for a second but she recovers in no time.
“Because… we’re friends.”
“Oh. Are we? I thought you didn’t want to be my friend.”
“Lex… Those girls… they’re just-”
“They’re your friends, Jessica. I don’t need you.”
She stares at me for a second before nodding.
“Okay. Fine. Bye.”
She walks away, back to the girls she came here with, and I actually feel good that she’s officially out of my life.