Elizabeth Jensen sat on Justin Foley's bed as she watched him put on a shirt. "They should be coming in soon, right?" Elizabeth looked down at her phone. "Why do the colleges just want to torture us."

"You said it went well." Justin spoke as he turned to his girlfriend. "I'm sure you got in."

The girl sent him a smile as he sat down next to her. "I'm sure you got in too." She chuckled softly, looking down at her hands. "I just want us to be at the same school."

"Me too, babygirl." Justin stated, lightly pressing a kiss against Elizabeth's forehead. He turned to the closed bathroom door and yelled, "Clay, you've been brushing your teeth for twenty minutes. Are you jerking off."

Elizabeth frowned, scrunching up her nose. "Why'd you put that image in my head."

"Sorry." Justin sent Elizabeth a sheepish smile.

Clay Jensen walked out of the bathroom and waved his arms in the air. "Alright, I'm ready." The two stood up from Justin's bed and grabbed their bags. The teenagers left the shed and made their way into the house. They walked into the kitchen, seeing Matt and Lainie Jensen standing around the dining room table."What's going on?" Clay questioned his parents.

"Justin and Eliza got letters this morning." Lainie spoke, sitting down.

"Holy shit!" Justin smiled, looking down at the two letters laid out on the table. "I mean, sorry."

Matt chuckled as he sat down as well. "Don't be sorry. But please, open it, or Lainie will. It's taken everything in my power to stop her."

The two shared a look before taking their seats and picking up their letters from Sanderson College. Elizabeth quickly tore open the envelope and took out the packet inside. She was about to read hers in her head when Justin started reading his aloud. "Dear, Justin..." He spoke, his eyes moving to the important part of the paragraph. He let out a chuckle, his smile growing wider. "I- I got in."

The girl giggled, throwing her arms around her boyfriend and pressing her lips against his cheek. "I knew you could do it."

"Read yours." Justin laughed, pointing to the paper in her hand.

Elizabeth was terrified to read her letter. She wanted more than anything to go to college with Justin, and this one piece of paper could be the only thing stopping her from doing that. She let out a deep breath before unfolding the paper and reading down the letter. Her eyes widened, and she let out a giggle. "I fucking got in!" She smiled, standing up and doing a little victory dance around the dining room.

"Way to go, kids." Matt spoke to his kids as Justin stood up, wrapping his arms around his girlfriend.

"We are so happy for you." Liane clapped her hands together. "You both have done so, so well." Clay awkwardly sat down at the table with his coffee cup. "And yours is coming, Clay. I know it."

Elizabeth shrugged. "Even if he doesn't get in, he's still going to get a letter."

Matt sent his daughter a playful glare before turning back to Clay. "You're doing so great with Dr. Ellman." He let out a sigh. "We should celebrate, huh? Medgie's for dinner this weekend?"

Justin nodded before Lainie suggested another idea. "Or we could treat the kids to something special?" She shared a look with her husband before continuing. "I hear there's a Gordon Lightfoot concert coming to town that all the kids are talking about." A three of the teenagers raised their eyebrows. Gordon Lightfoot was a code name they would use. "When is that?"

Clay let out a cough, choking on his coffee. He composed himself and then looked up at Elizabeth and Justin, who were speechless. "There is?" He asked his parents. "I- um- I didn't know about that."

"That is a great idea." Matt nodded as he began to pile scrambled eggs onto his fork. "I'm surprised you guys love him like I do." Lianie let out a giggle before Matt began to sing a Gordon lightfoot song. "Sundown you better take care if I find you creepin' down my back stairs."

Justin smiled awkwardly as he shoved his acceptance packet to Sanderson College into his backpack. "Yeah, yeah, yeah." He forced a laugh. "I didn't hear about that."

"No?" Lainie raised an eyebrow. "We'll think of something."

"Come on, dig in!" Matt chuckled, eating his eggs. "I used a new technique with the eggs. It's a touch of cream."

Elizabeth shoved eggs into her mouth and smiled awkwardly. "They taste great, dad." 

*

When they finished their breakfast, the three teenagers walked out of the Jensen Household, and Clay stopped, turning to his sister and her boyfriend. "How do they know about Gordon Lightfoot?"

"It's gotta be a coincidence, right?" Justin shrugged.

Elizabeth nodded. "He probably is actually playing a concert."

"When has Gordon Lightfoot ever played in Evergreen?" Clay was, of course, overthinking the situation. "I don't even know who Gordon Lightfoot is!"

"They probably just heard us using it out loud." Justin stated as the three began to move to the car. "I mean, they just want to connect. They don't know anything. Or they wouldn't be talking to us about going to college."

Clay shook his head, crossing his arms over his chest. "The two of you going to college."

"Dude, you're going to get in somewhere." Elizabeth told her brother. "You need to chill out. You are a fifteen, and I need you back at like a regular Clay eight."

"Yeah, let's go." Justin nodded, opening the passenger side of the car and getting inside.

*

Elizabeth sat next to Isabel Henry during an HO meeting as Estella De La Cruz spoke about the police officers in the school. "Things are only getting worse. They're putting cameras in the locker rooms. That's got to be violating some law, right?"

Girls around the table murmured as they nodded. "Then they'll change the laws." Ani Achola spoke, shaking her head. "It's a fucking police state."

"Jess, you need to talk to Bolan." Isabel raised her eyebrows at Jessica Davis, who was at the head of the table.

Jessica furrowed her eyebrows, looking down at her hands. "You guys, I haven't been totally honest with you." The girls leaned forward in their seats, wanting to hear more. "At the beginning of the semester, Bolan asked me to give him my input on the security measures and to give him updates on how people were reacting to everything."

"You've been fucking helping him?" Elizabeth let out a scoff, leaning back in her seat.

"I just-" Jessica let out a sigh. "Look, I wanted to help make the school safer. I swear, he never told me about the drill or- or any of this stuff!"

Estella shook her head. "But you've been lying to us."

"Guys, I'm sure that Jess was just trying to do what she thought was best." Isabel spoke up from her seat next to Elizabeth.

Ani nodded. "Yeah, it's not always easy to know exactly the right thing to do when you're trying to protect people."

"Okay, well, now that everything is screwed, is there anything that we can do?" Elizabeth puckered her lips after she spoke.

Jessica frowned. "I already tried talking to Bolan. He doesn't listen to me anymore."

Ani shrugged. "Maybe this is bigger than us. Maybe we've got no power here."

"Yeah." Jessica spoke, looking down at the table. "Story of my life."

*

Elizabeth closer her locker and turned, but walked straight into someone's chest. She fell back a little bit and looked put to see Zach Dempsey. "Hey, I just wanted to say congrats on Sanderson." He smiled, looking down at his hands. "Justin told me the two of you are really excited to go."

The girl nodded. "Thanks." She hugged her textbooks to her chest. "Do you have any idea what's up next for Zach Dempsey?"

"No fucking clue." He chuckled, licking his lips. "I don't even know if I'm going to graduate."

Elizabeth's smile turned into a frown. "What?"

"Yeah, I'm kind of failing everything."

"Dude, you need to graduate." She let out a chuckle. "I know you don't want to be here for another fucking year." Zach looked down and shook his head. "I can help you try and get your grades up if you want."

Zach nodded slowly, looking up at the girl. "Thanks, 'Liza." Zach wrapped his arms around the girl, pulling her into a hug.

*

After the school day had finished, Elizabeth made her way to Monet's to ask Justin if he wanted her to pick any food up for him for dinner. She walked into the cafe and then up to the counter, but there was no Justin Foley in sigh. She furrowed her eyebrows before asking one of the workers if Justin was out back. "No, he actually got fired." The girl spoke, scoffing. "I'm surprised he didn't say anything."

She left the cafe and thought he could maybe be out in the alleyway behind Monet's. He would go there when he needed to be alone. She walked out back, and saw Justin sitting in a chair with his head in his hands. He looked back at her and then quickly down at the ground. "Hi." He spoke quietly.

"What the fuck?" She crossed her arms over her chest. "You're supposed to be inside working. But, I guess you don't work there anymore, do you?"

"I quit."

The girl shook her head. "Don't fucking lie to me. They told me you got fired." She noticed him sniffle. "Are you high?"

Justin let out a chuckle. "Yeah, whatever."

"Justin-"

"You love Zach."

"How many times do I have to tell you I love you, not Zach."

Justin let out a sigh. "You actually like him."

"Justin, I don't really understand where all of this is coming from." Elizabeth looked down at her feet before his head snapped over her.

"Tell me you don't." Justin spoke with wide eyes. "I can see it. He's better for you, because I'm a fucking mess." He chuckled, leaning his head against his hand.

Elizabeth shook her head. "I don't think that."

"Well, I am." He looked down at the ground. "And I'm not going to get better, so.." He shrugged. "It's better to be with him than to- uh- sit around and wait for me to OD." She stepped closer to him and tried to take his hand, but he quickly pulled his hand out of her grasp and stared down at her hand. "Get out of here. Okay? I didn't ask you to come looking for me. I came to the fucking alley for a fucking reason."

"Can't you just let me be there for you?"

"I don't want you here for me." The boy let out a scoff. "Go and smile at Zach some more so he can fall even more in love with you."

Elizabeth let out a deep breath. "Can't you fucking stop with getting so jealous of Zach?!" She practically screamed at him. "He has always been a friend. That is all he will ever be. I don't fucking want Zach. I want you, and I fucking tired of you comparing yourself to him."

"You're right." Justin nodded. "I'm fucking pathetic." He turned away from her. "So just fucking leave me alone, because I don't you anywhere near me." The girl's eyes widened as she took in what he said. She opened to mouth to speak, but no words came out. She just simply nodded and left him alone in the alleyway.

*

The three Jensen teenagers sat at the table as they heard their parents arguing as they walked down the stairs. "I'm not saying I don't care." Matt spoke as he rolled up the sleeves on his button up shirt. "I'm just saying now might not be the best time to be going to some stupid-"

"It's not stupid." Lainie snapped, cutting off her husband. "And we made a commitment to do this, for them."

"Is it for them? Or is is really just for us?" Matt questioned his wife as he reached the bottom of the stairs.

Lainie shook her head, making her way into the dining room. "You wanted to see us?" Clayed asked as he sat in between the fighting duo.

"Yes." Lainie nodded, grabbing her purse. "Uh- We are on our way out for date night."

Clay nodded, slowly. "Why so many date nights lately? And- And what commitment did you make?"

"Oh, we're committed to keeping the romance alive." Matt smiled from behind Lainie. "Here is some money for pizza." He placed a twenty dollar bill on the table.

Lainie looked down at her watch. "And, we are actually running late, so be good."

The two made their way out of the house, and Justin called after them, "Yeah, you too!"

Clay let out a sigh. "That was weird, right?"

"They're probably going to a weird meeting of their sex cult."

Clay made a disgusted face at Justin's comment. "Dude, why would you put that in my brain?"

"Sorry, it's date night." Justin snickered, staring down at his phone.

The Jensen boy shrugged. "They've been on like a half a dozen dates this year, and they never look like their enjoying them."

Justin sent Clay a smirk. "Maybe that's why they keep going. They're trying to keep the magic alive."

"You would know all about keeping the magic alive, right, Justin?" Elizabeth let out a scoff, crossing her arms over her chest, as she finally spoke up.

Elizabeth continued to glare at Justin, while he was trying to not make eye contact with her, and Clay was ignoring the whole situation. "Maybe that's because they're not dates at all."

The boy walked over to the window and looked outside before grabbing his phone and quickly exiting the house. Justin furrowed his eyebrows as he watched clay leave. "I'm going to go upstairs." Elizabeth spoke, standing up from the table.

"Do you want me to come with you?"

Elizabeth raised an eyebrow. "Really? I thought you didn't want me anywhere near you."

"Baby, you know I-"

"Didn't mean any of it?" Elizabeth shook her head. "You meant every word of it. I could see it in your eyes." She let out a sigh. "And it's okay. You don't always have to want to have me there to comfort you, but you could at least be nice about it."

Justin looked down at the ground. "I'm sorry."

"You're not, though."

Rewritten
Word Count - 2439

An: I cannot believe this is the 60th chapter holy crap! Thank you to everyone who has helped get this story this far! I love you all!

Please vote and comment your ideas for the finale!

Have a nice day, lovelies💕