Today will be sunny with a 25 Celsius degree of temperature.

You have 50 unread messages from 'Laurel Prep Class of 2019'.

You have 10 unread messages from 'Dear Dreamchasers'. LISETTE RESULT COMES OUT TODAY!

The usual morning alarm clock was renamed by Beth before the morning of her early admission due date. 6:30 AM. Its springy ringtone was just about to knock Beth out of her half-conscious dream. Usually, upon hearing the ringtone, Beth would move her body unwittingly under layers of her quilts like an earthworm, while groping her phone to stop the continuous noise around her.

Last night was different. The dark walls in the room suddenly felt much wider, and the floating moonlight slowly crept around from the window panes to the floor. Throughout the whole night, Beth wrapped herself in the blanket and stared towards the direction of her desk. All of her Lisette University merch was there. The giant banner she took with her that hung right on top of the mirror. The cute teddy bear with a Lisette Art ribbon. The ball point pen with a mini scroll of a smiley student photo. The ceramic cups and earrings made by student artists, bought from the museum shop. The vinyl stickers that sat on the back of her laptop screen.

Beth didn't remember clearly how long she stayed awake. However, she remembered that she was in thought with her eyes open after the lights were off. The night was quiet, with specks of dust floating in the air under the dim lights from the window. She thought intermittently about the sunny Lisette campus she saw from the window of her school bus, the city lights she saw the first day at Laurel, the weekends spent at Laurel space with her friends, the buzzing student activity fair, the ugly cry after her last performance of Dreamchasers, and at last, her lost magic. The path from school to her home was quite long. However, with her friends by her side, she felt that there were still infinite jokes and stories to tell and that the path seemed too short for her never-ending chats. Her thoughts went on and off until her eyes suddenly opened at the sound of the alarm. The scene from her window doesn't feel dark anymore. The sky was dark blue from the top, but on the bottom, a splash of golden was emerging.

Things will be different after today.

Beth had decided that she will go to school on her own today, without Nora and Owen driving her. She planned to have breakfast on the go, head to school, sit down at her usual place, and open up the decision page. People have been doing acceptance videos about their decision, surrounded by friends who either laughed with them or cried with them afterward. Beth thought differently. Though she enjoyed Julianna and Simone, she still hoped that they wouldn't surround her when the time to open up the page came, so she could have time to process it internally first. The Lisette hoodie, hat, and uniform set bought from the museum center all hang around in the closet, washed carefully. Beth imagined that she would wear one of them when this day comes, yet she hesitated when opening up the closet. What if I was wearing those and didn't get accepted? Would I feel embarrassed looking at them again? Would I cry thinking about them again?

At last, she didn't pick any of the Lisette outfits. Instead, she took a Lisette pin from her desk and silently stuffed it into her pocket.

It was early December, so the morning felt chilly. With every breath came white steam dissipating in the air. Hopping onto the subway and leaning against the subway door, Beth watched the sky lighten up while faraway buildings became fast passing lines in front of her eyes.

She had been mentally preparing herself if Lisette didn't work out. Her grades and test scores were a little low in comparison to other Lisette admits. Her family—although they would try their best to support her college tuition—might not afford Lisette without scholarships. Pine Hill Polytechnic Institute, a match school for her, was more cost-efficient and closer to home. It seemed like a more rational choice for her, apart from the fact that it was also in the suburban area.

After forty minutes, Beth arrived at her homeroom. Just as she had wished, the classroom and hallway were both empty. In the corner of the classroom, only one person was sitting on her own, looking at her laptop silently.

'Jules....! You came so early today! How long have you been here already...?'

Julianna looked up to Beth from her laptop, hiding her month behind the laptop screen. Beth couldn't see her full expression.

'What? Did you...did you check out your result yet?'

Julianna almost chuckled upon hearing Beth's question.

'Yes, I did.'

'WHAT DID YOU GET????? TELL ME! TELL ME!'

'Well, I don't know if this is a good thing to let you know: I am gonna be a college student next year!"

'Just let me clear my mind—You. Lisette for next year?'

'Um-hmm. I got admitted. You should check your portal as well. Who knows we wouldn't be classmates of next year?'

Jules. You had become a grown-up young woman. I'm so proud of you. Weirdly, that was the first thought that came to Beth. Watching her best friend growing up with her, there were times in which she felt a little sting in her heart, but that wasn't important for her now. The fact that Julianna was on her way to achieving her dreams mattered more to her.

Nevertheless, Beth had decided to get down to her plan. She just needed to find a small corner with no one watching first.

'Okay, I am gonna do it. I'm gonna do it. Lisette Admissions. Let me try my account name and password...Alright, that worked. Now, just let me press 'enter'. And voila...'

A new blank page popped up from the laptop screen. Within a minute, an e-letter suddenly appeared on the screen.

Dear Beth Ann,

Thank you for applying to Lisette. After careful evaluation of your credentials, the Board of Admission has decided to postpone a decision on your application. In the meanwhile, we will review the materials you have already submitted, as well as any additional credentials you may wish to send us.

✨

Oh well.

Oh well.

It feels a little weird, but at least it means that maybe I still have a chance.

'I got deferred. Now I don't know how to feel about it. It's not a rejection, but it just makes the waiting time longer.'

'Don't worry. What about we think together about ways to turn this around? Writing a letter of continued interest might work.'

'Sure. Anyways, I'm just happy that you will be a Lisette student for next year! From the first time I met you, I knew that you would definitely amount to something significant in life.'

For the whole day, the Laurel Class of 2019 group was bombarded with streams of messages regarding college decisions. Some were rejoicing over their acceptance with the whole grade. Some reported feeling unwell in school after getting a rejection. Some even quoted articles about admission data across top high schools in the city. On the subway back home that day, Beth muted all the messages, in an attempt to have some 'me time' for herself. Her phone still buzzed inconsistently. Several classmates and acquaintances who worked with her before didn't forget that her Lisette acceptance didn't come for the day.

'I've heard that you've been deferred. I'm really sorry!'

'The better is yet to come, gurl!'

The defer rate of Lisette, according to the counselor, was 30%. The early acceptance rate was 20%. Statistically speaking, half of the early applicants were rejected, including some really strong ones. Indeed, this year, there was gossip running around in the Laurel high school student circles that even Marie-Lisette student artists got rejected in the first round. Beth glanced at all those messages quickly, putting her phone back in her backpack when she was down. The deferral letter didn't strike her like a lightning bolt as those people made it to be; instead, she felt a little elated and disappointed simultaneously inside. I had never been as outstanding as many I have met in this city. Lisette must have seen something sparkly, something precious in me, right? It made sense for Beth that Lisette wanted Julianna. There was nothing to complain about—Julianna had consistently made top achievements for her dream since primary school. Ronald Jameson, the best science and technology school in the nation, was once the target she aimed for. With her credentials, getting into Ronald Jameson might not be unreachable. There were various guesses on why she chose early admission to Lisette instead. Julianna said that her life attitude changed. Maybe something happened with her family? Maybe she liked the school environment of Lisette? Maybe she looked forward to meeting like-minded people at Lisette? Anyways, none of those mattered for now.

The days after the Lisette results day moved quickly. Soon, Simone had committed to a pretty good liberal arts college. She had decided to take a gap year first, traveling and making music around the world, collecting life stories from new friends.

On the last day of the semester, a large package arrived at Nora and Owen's apartment, from Pine Hill Polytechnic Institute, addressed to Bethany A. Clementine. It was left untouched on the bedroom desk until Beth returned home. 'There's a surprise for you. Why don't you open it up yourself?' Owen asked. With a deep breath and several scissor cuts, a thick, glittery green booklet revealed itself, alongside stickers and a small flag. A crucial moment just revealed itself. C-O-N-G-R-A-T-U-L-A-T-I-O-N-S! The golden engraved words were written right in front of the booklet. I can't believe that I will be going to college next year now.

Now, all the three girls had all become college pre-freshman for the winter holiday.

Julianna and Simone often came together to Nora and Owen's place to hang out with Beth during the holiday. Beth, half-heartedly committed to Pine Hills by now, often nagged Julianna to show her Lisette things. It seemed that Julianna began to find her type of people—those who would appreciate discussions of scientific theories during lunch, philosophical paradoxes during a party, and modern art in the dorms. After she sent out her self-introduction into the freshman group, within one day, several replies stacked up under her feed, asking her to be a friend or a potential roommate.

Each day spent with Julianna and Simone was filled with jokes and carefree fun for Beth. At the end of the day, the three people often sat under the sunset, bathing in the evening breeze, watching the river tides come and go. Faint streetlights stood on the shore, lighting up the evening as the sun went back to its cradle. It felt a little sad. Well, nonetheless, the me in the future would remember this time when we three sat together like this.

For the other half of the winter holiday, Beth decided to pack her things and go back to her hometown. It has been two and half years since she first arrived at the unfamiliar Laurel airport; now, she was already on her way into adulthood. Many things happened in the two years. There were simply so many words to be said! She imagined the moment waiting at the door of her parent's house, announcing 'mom, dad, I am going to college!'. She thought about walking into her old room, picking up dusty photo albums on the corner of her window, feeling the texture and stitches of childhood clothes Madison made, and watching kids heading to school early morning. Maybe the morning noise would feel different this time. Maybe the incessant chattering of people would be pleasant to hear. People that once appeared in her life—would they still be in town? What have they become for now?

During a dinner, she brought up this idea with Nora and Owen.

'I'm thinking about going home for some days this holiday. Probably see my parents and tell them about my last year of high school. Perhaps I can meet people from my childhood as well.'

'That's a good idea. We will be keeping all of your belongings safe here. Do you miss your hometown already, honey?'

'Well, at least it's the place that I grew up in. I've been feeling out of touch with it for quite some time. Maybe this time things will feel different.'

'Say hello to your dad and mom for us. They would be so proud to see you, to see their precious daughter become a college student.'

'Although...I don't feel like a college student right now.'

'You will someday.' Nora grinned. 'You will feel it from yourself.'