Leo sat on a wooden bench at the local park. His muscles throbbed with a dull ache, and his arms felt like they were filled with lead. Just keeping his back straight took effort.
His three best friends stood nearby. Toby, who was comfortably chubby and always hungry, was halfway through a large turkey sandwich. Marcus, the star of the school basketball team, continuously bounced a ball against the concrete path in a steady rhythm. Brooke stood next to the bench, watching Leo closely.
"You look terrible today, Leo," Brooke said, tilting her head. "Are you getting sick?"
Before Leo had to invent an excuse, his phone vibrated in his pocket. He pulled it out and saw his mother's name on the screen.
"Hey, Mom," Leo answered.
"Get home right now, Leo," Elena said. Her voice was unusually bright and energetic. "A large envelope just arrived in the mail. It has the official seal of State University stamped right on the front."
Leo's posture straightened immediately. For the first time in days, genuine excitement pushed through his exhaustion. State University was his only choice.
"I'm on my way," Leo said. He dropped the phone back into his pocket and looked at his friends. "My mom just got a letter from the State. I have to go."
Marcus caught the basketball and spun his car keys around his finger. "Let's go. I'll drive."
Leo stood up. His knees wobbled slightly, but he forced himself to walk normally to Marcus's car. They drove the short distance to the Thorne house.
When they walked through the front door, the smell of roasted chicken and fresh lemon spray filled the air. Elena and Miranda were standing by the kitchen island.
The three immediately stood a little straighter. They had always been slightly afraid of Miranda. She was strict and had zero tolerance for nonsense, but she also cared deeply about them.
Miranda looked at the teenagers and crossed her arms. A sharp, knowing smile appeared on her face.
"Well, well" Miranda said. "The county's loudest children have arrived."
"Hi, Mrs. Blackwood," Toby said, offering a wide, polite smile.
Miranda looked him up and down. "Toby. You are still growing, I see. Mostly outward. Are you still eating everything in your parents' kitchen?"
Toby laughed. "Yes, ma'am. I do my best."
Miranda shifted her sharp gaze to Marcus. "And Marcus. I hope you finally stopped throwing baseballs through your neighbors' windows."
"I aim a lot better now, Mrs. Blackwood," Marcus replied with a grin.
Miranda finally looked at Brooke. "Brooke, you look beautiful. Please tell me you are much smarter than these three."
"I definitely am," Brooke said without hesitation. Then, she stepped forward and put on a perfectly charming smile. "But Mrs. Blackwood, you look more beautiful than the models our age. I feel embarrassed even calling you a grandmother. You and Mrs. Thorne look the exact same age. Like mother, like daughter. You guys seriously need to share your beauty tips with me."
Behind Brooke, Toby's mouth fell open. He nudged Marcus and Leo with his elbow. "Here we go," he whispered. Brooke always knew exactly what to say to win people over.
Miranda's strict expression melted. She blushed slightly and waved her hand. "Thank you, darling. Please, just call me Miranda."
Elena smoothed her pristine outfit and smiled warmly. "Thank you, beautiful," Elena said. She picked up a thick white envelope from the counter and held it out. "Now, open it, Leo."
Leo took the envelope. His heart beat faster. He tore the paper edge and pulled out the thick, folded letter. He scanned the first few lines quickly, then read them out loud.
"Dear Leo Thorne. We are pleased to offer you admission to the State University..." He paused, his eyes widening at the next sentence. "Because of your excellent athletic skills and your performance on the track, we are also offering you a full sports scholarship."
Toby yelled and threw his hands in the air. Brooke stepped forward and hugged Leo tightly. Marcus stepped up and punched Leo hard on the shoulder in celebration.
Pain shot down Leo's arm instantly. The situation was deeply ironic. He had just received a full scholarship because of his physical strength and speed, but currently, he had no strength at all. His body felt completely drained.
He forced the pain off his face and faked a massive smile. "I got in," he said to his friends.
"This calls for a celebration," Elena announced, clapping her hands together. "I made a large dinner. Everyone, into the dining room. "
They all moved to the large dining table. Elena served plates of roasted chicken, vegetables, and potatoes. The food tasted perfect. As they ate, the conversation flowed easily.
Miranda wiped her mouth with a napkin and looked across the table. "So, Leo is heading to State. What about the rest of you? Did your admission letters arrive?"
Toby swallowed a large bite of chicken. "I am not doing the whole college thing, Mrs. Blackwood. I am going to work full-time in my family's business."
Miranda nodded in approval. "That is a very smart, practical choice, Toby. Hard work pays the bills." She turned her attention to Marcus and Brooke. "And you two?"
Marcus and Brooke exchanged a quick, nervous glance.
"We both got admitted to Belmont College," Brooke said quietly.
Miranda placed her fork down on the table with a loud clink. "Belmont College?" Her voice became very strict again. "What kind of college is that? It has a terrible reputation. The culture is completely ruined by wealthy VIP kids who do not care about studying. And it is State University's biggest rival. Why on earth would you go there?"
Brooke let out a soft, defeated sigh and looked down at her plate. "Our parents are making us go. They want us to build rich connections for the future."
Under the table, Marcus kicked Toby's ankle hard to stop him from laughing. Leo quickly took a long sip of his water to hide his smirk. They all knew the truth. Brooke had spent the last six months manipulating and begging her parents to pay Belmont's expensive tuition. She wanted to go there desperately, but right now, she played the role of the tragic victim flawlessly
Elena stopped cutting her food and looked at her mother. "Actually, the education system at Belmont is much better than people think, Mom," Elena said smoothly. "It is just underrated because the academic pressure is brutal. The clubs they run there are designed to break the students down and make them much tougher for the real world."
Miranda frowned, looking completely confused. "How do you know so much about the inner workings of Belmont, Elena?"
Elena smiled. It was a calm, unnerving smile. "Because their chairman approached me a few months back. They want me to join the faculty as the head of a special disciplinary club. I am strongly considering the offer."
The entire table went completely silent. Toby stopped chewing. Marcus stared at Leo's mother. Even Miranda looked shocked.
"When does the college start?" Miranda asked slowly.
"Next week," Elena replied, taking a calm bite of her food. "The same time the kids start their classes."
The heavy silence stretched over the dining room. The air felt thick and extremely uncomfortable. Toby looked around, realizing he needed to fix the mood immediately.
"Speaking of making connections," Toby said loudly, sitting up straight. "Do you guys remember when I connected way too well with the plastic tube slide at the community park?" He looked directly at Miranda. "Mrs. Blackwood had to use two entire bottles of liquid dish soap to pull my hips out of that thing!"
The tension shattered. Marcus choked on his drink, laughing loudly. Brooke giggled, and even Miranda let out a genuine, loud laugh at the memory.
Leo laughed with them, nodding his head. But underneath the wooden table, he rested his right hand on his leg. He tried to squeeze his fingers into a tight fist.
His hand shook violently against his jeans. He could not close his fingers with any real force.
He stopped trying, uncurled his shaking fingers, and placed his hand safely back on top of the table. He looked at his best friends, listened to their laughter, and continued to pretend that everything was perfectly fine.