007, I GOT IN!

EVER SINCE THE FIRST time Avery Valentine had watched Gilmore Girls with her mother and sister, she had her college thoughts set on Yale. She would always use Rory Gilmore as an inspiration and fictional mentor when she was in school.

Avery would always receive high praise from her teachers and peers, some even told her she was the perfect candidate for Yale University. Avery always just smiled and thanked them, never wanting to get her hopes way too high that the rejection letter would burst her bubble.

The eighteen-year-old had earlier applied to a few colleges. Colleges such as Harvard (she had low hopes but only since it was close to home), Yale (of course! Only a three-hour drive from Boston), the University of Alaska Anchorage (close to her parents), and also MIT (also close to home).

Here she was, shaky hands and logging onto her computer. This was it. Avery had a whole audience. Her mother, father, sister and brother were there, as well as Nicolas and Matthew Sturniolo.

Christopher was apparently running late.

"If you get into more than three of them, I'm going to feel so dumb," Matt chuckled from behind Avery.

"Shut up. Don't say that, shorty, you're so smart," she blew him a friendly kiss.

Matt laughed softly at her reply and drummed his fingertips on the rim of her chair. The response letters weren't even for him, yet he was feeling so anxious. Matt couldn't imagine how Avery was feeling right about now.

Remi Valentine impatiently shoved a few pieces of Seaweed Snack into his mouth, snorting as they crunched loudly. "Can we hustle? No offence, Vee."

"Okay!" Avery rubbed her hands together. To be honest, she had been waiting for Chris to show up at the very last minute but as her cursor hovered over the first letter, she realized there was no point in waiting. If he wanted to be here, he would.

Avery squeezed her eyes shut as she hesitantly pressed on the email from Harvard University. Nick exhaled in nervousness, his phone was propped up on Avery's computer to film everybody's reactions.

"We regret to inform you..." Avery mumbled as she scanned over the email, letting out a small sigh. She didn't expect to get in but the feeling of rejection still upset her in a way.

"You were too good for them anyway," Nick commented, staying positive for the sake of his best friend.

Avery grinned up at the boy in glasses, she squeezed his hand that was supportively on her shoulder and continued to log onto the next portal.

"U-A-A, let's do this!" Remi clapped excitedly, he secretly hoped that his older sister would get into a college closer to his house in Alaska, just so they could hang out more.

"Calm it down, Rem," Elsie giggled, pulling her son into her side.

Avery flashed a smile at Nick's phone camera, drumming on the table as the letter loaded onto her screen. "We are pleased to inform you that we have accepted you into our college. I'm in!"

The group exploded with cheers, everyone buzzed with excitement as they waited for Avery to log into her MIT portal. Avery immediately clicked on the unopened letter from them and covered her eyes, letting out a small squeal.

"We are pleased to— HOLY SHIT!" Nick exclaimed as Avery granted him the honour of reading this letter to her.

"SAY SIKE," Avery's head shot out of her hands as she read the lines of the letter. She was in.

Avery spun around in her chair, accepting the sweet hug Matt was waiting with. Avery couldn't help but glance behind Matt at the doorway. Zara sighed softly as she seemed to be the only one that noticed her sister's small frown.

"Yale time!" Zara whooped, hoping to pull her sister out of this momentary sadness. Avery began to grow super anxious as she took a seat back in the chair. She had been anxious for all the other ones but this. This was YALE.

Avery shook away the negative thoughts of rejection and Chris never turned up, she logged onto the portal and inhaled deeply as she hovered her cursor over the large envelope image. Avery clicked it softly, clicking her knuckles in worry.

"We would be honoured to have you in our school, congratulations."

Avery shrieked in joy as she read out the first line of the letter. She shot up from her chair and jumped around excitedly, giving each person in the room a big hug.

"I GOT IN! I FUCKING GOT IN!" Avery yelled as she sprinted through the house as if she were a celebrity high-fiving rows of fans.

——————

iMessage
MATT 😻 & CHRIS😏
private conversation

Matt 😻
Bro... where the fuck are you?

Chris 😏
At Jocey's?

Matt 😻
CHRIS!?

Avery was hoping you'd be here
She was opening college letters btw
You knew that ofc, I told you last night & you
said you would be there.

Chris 😏
Oh my God

Tell me you're joking

Matt????

Matt 😻
That would be lying, sorry

Chris 😏
Fuck.

Matt 😻
Vee got into Yale btw

Chris 😏
Oh Woah
Tell her I'm proud of her!

Matt 😻
I think you should be the one to say that

Chris 😏
Hm, real.
Can u pick me up?

Matt 😻
Why?

Chris 😏
BRO? You just asked me to say it
to her and now you're clueless?

Matt 😻
Ohh mb, yeah. Omw 🙂

Chris 😏
Fuck outta here with that '🙂'

——————

MATTHEW SIGHED AS HE shoved his phone into the back pocket of his jeans. He hugged Avery tightly once more before he excused himself for fifteen minutes.

"Jocelyn, I— uh, I have to go," Chris awkwardly broke the blonde's rant as the pair lay on the pool-side chairs at Jocelyn's house.

"What? Why?"

Chris frowned quickly. "Matt said sum'n came up."

Jocelyn Wright didn't buy this for a second. She knew it was about Avery Valentine. Did she care? Obviously, she thought Chris liked her. Was she happy he was going to see the brunette girl after days he spent days hiding out at her house? Of course!

"Chris?"

"Yeah?"

"Can you tell me one thing?"

"That depends..."

Jocelyn sighed, forming the words into a sentence. "Do you... like me? I just feel like sometimes you're all like 'oh, Joce, you're the best!' and other times you're just... dry."

Christopher's eyebrows furrowed, he appeared to have taken in Jocelyn's words and began to grow deep in thought. The blonde began to lose hope. She had really thought that Chris liked her for her but his hesitation made her think she was just a distraction.

"Yes," Chris blurted, watching Jocelyn's face brighten. "Yes, I like you, Jo."

"Woah. I like you too."

Chris grinned softly. "I'll be over tomorrow, same time as today!" He called as he walked back inside the house since Matt had notified him that he was outside.

There was a weird feeling in Chris's stomach that began to bubble after he told the blonde girl he liked her. Did he actually like her? Questions flooded his mind at once. Chris silently climbed into the car, softly acknowledging his brother.

"She was uh... she was looking for you," Matt broke the comfortable, but unusual, silence.

"Who? Aves?"

"Mhm."

Chris nodded slowly at his brother's response. It wasn't like he and Avery were on talking terms, or even friendly terms for that matter, but he still felt awful that he missed her college acceptance letters. He promised her he would be there. He was there when she sent her applications out but he wasn't there when she received the letters back.

"'She get into all of 'em?" Chris softly asked his brother whose eyes were fixated on the road.

"All except Harvard. She was happy though, you should have seen her face. It was like that time her parents agreed to her staying with Zara, only way happier," Matt chuckled softly, his best friend's reaction replaying in his mind.

Chris laughed quietly, a faint smile masked his lips as he stared ahead of him. He really missed Avery and he could not wait to see her.

Matthew pulled into the Valentine sister's driveway, parking beside Theo Valentine's rental car. The two brothers made their way into the house, hearing the faint chatter and ABBA songs playing softly from the TV.

Avery was in the kitchen with Dylan and Anabelle who had dropped everything and ran over as soon as they heard the news. Avery's back was facing Chris but as soon as Anabelle spotted him she pulled Avery Jane to the backyard patio.

Obviously, Anabelle knew her friend wanted to see the boy but she didn't think it was the best idea for her to turn around and be startled by the sight of the boy she had not talked to in over a week.

Avery immediately grew occupied with baby talk with Sophie Carter, which had Anabelle letting out a sigh of relief. Anabelle Carter trailed back inside, a can of Dr Pepper in hand. Chris stood in front of the girl, stopping her from socializing with Elsie who was cooking up a storm.

"Hello, Chris," Anabelle politely greeted him, taking a couple of steps back so she could comfortably speak to him.

"Hello, Belle. Why did you take Aves outside?"

Anabelle hummed in fake confusion. "Oh! She was missin' Soph."

"Right... so you won't mind if I go say hi?" Chris lifted an eyebrow, testing if what Anabelle had really told him was the truth.

"I guess not. Just don't be a jerk, yeah?"

Chris lightly scoffed but still gave the girl a side hug, he couldn't not greet his friend. Anabelle watched as the boy made his way outside, chuckling a little bit as Avery jumped in fright.

"Hey," Chris smiled softly.

"Hi..."

"Congrats on Yale, by the way. That's like... so crazy. I'm proud of you, Aves."

Aves. nobody had called her that for a whole week.

"Thanks, Chris," Avery mustered up a smile.

Chris beamed down at her, opening up his arms for a hug. Avery hesitantly melted into his puppy eyes, wrapping her arms around his neck.

"I'm sorry, Avery. I really am. I was a dick and there's no excuse for that."

Avery rested her chin on the boy's shoulder. "You were a dick, but it's okay. I forgive you."

"Mhm. How is John? Jase?"

"Jess. He's good. Haven't told him about Yale though," Avery smiled softly, releasing Chris from the hug.

"Cool. Is he coming tonight?"

"Where?"

"Here? Are we not doing a celebration sleepover?"

"Ohh, yeah! No, he isn't coming. It's just going to be the six of us," Avery giggled softly at Chris's obvious tenseness fading away.

Chris nodded, feeling a little bit better from her answer. He bent down, picked up baby Sophie and walked back inside the house. 

( 💟 ) MAL SPEAKS,

haha, james bond number!

sorry if this chapter seems a little
distant to the storyline, i just think
it would be good for aves to go off to
college and for some more drama to
happen 🤭

i have the most stressful week ahead of
me so i thought i shout publish chapter
seven tonight, and possibly chapter eight
later this week!

my dog is staring at me like a lunatic right
now so i will be heading out! have a wonderful
night/day, and good luck to all my US baes who are
starting school soon or already have!

xoxo, mal <333