Someone Else

Chapter 10

Matteo and Giovanni didn't even visit me this summer. Unbelievable. And their parents made excuses for them!

I had decided to go to Sydney with Steph and we hung out at the beach and went hiking all summer with Keith, who's surprisingly shy for a 5'9 rugby player.

This year I quit the cheer team and focus on my writing. My first book is being published next month!

"I still can't believe you quit the team." Julian said, stuffing his face with a bean burrito. He'll regret that later. "Without you, we'll never win any competitions!"

I laugh. "You guys are good without me. Plus, I am up for a scholarship at Columbia that's not because of cheerleading."

"But come on Lia, you don't even need a scholarship!" Steph exclaimed, banging her hands on the table. "Just come back to the team, we need you."

"Guys, she left. Just respect her choice." Chase said, picking fries off my tray. "Why don't you have auditions for someone else to fill the slot?"

Julian groans. "We tried but all the talented people are already on the team or already quit the team!"

Really? I find it hard to imagine there's no one else in this school who can replace me. No matter, I am not going back to the team unless I suddenly wake up loving cheerleading.

Realistically, it's not a wise career choice for me, since my aspiration in life is being an engineer s***h author s***h super ultra successful.

"Well then you're royally screwed with turds on top." Chase said.

I smack his hand away from my food. "Where are you guys going anyways?"

"UCLA." Steph and Julian said at the same time.

Chase hesitates for a split second. "Princeton."

"Ooh, ivy buddies!" I said, nudging his shoulder.

"So, have you told Liam about it yet?" Julian asked.

I pout. Why's he always gotta ruin my fun? "Well, no. I can't imagine he'll take it that well."

"Why don't you just go to his school?" Steph asked.

That's an excellent question. "Well, I used to dream of going there but now I'm dreaming of Ivy League and New York!"

"We'll never see you guys again." Steph cried, pretending to wipe away tears. "I don't know how I'm going to survive without your notes!"

I roll my eyes. "Make your own notes then?"

"It's just not the same!"

Chase laughs. "You should work on your work ethic in college, UCLA isn't a walk in the park like high school."

"This is a walk in the park?" Julian demanded, throwing his arms around. "Ugh, college is gonna kill me."

"Guys, calm down." I said, crossing my arms. "Everyone will be just fine and we'll see each other again! We can call and text and video chat- We're living in the modern age for crying out loud! Plus, there's always high school reunions."

"Yeah but by then I'll probably be fat and addicted to alcohol." Steph sighed.

Steph, fat? No way. I'd easier imagine a skinny panda. But the alcohol addiction might just happen. When she and Keith broke up, it got really ugly really fast...

"I can probably tutor you, but I'd charge twenty bucks an hour." I teased.

She perks up. "Deal!"

"Oh, count me in too!" Julian said.

I huff and Chase pats me on the back sympathetically. Damn me and my 4.0. He has a 3.9 and the others have a 3.5 due to my notes and my ability to fit an astounding amount of information on a 3 by 4 inch note.

"Do you think you and Liam will break up?" Julian asked.

"I don't know. No?" I said, frowning. Liam and I are still going strong and steady. I don't know if I have the heart to tell him that I'm going to study in New York instead of here like we planned. He's going to feel so betrayed.

Especially since I made such a fuss about getting in.

Steph and Julian share a knowing look and I pretend like I didn't see it. For some reason they expect us to break up. Is it because Liam isn't a douche monkey like Amelia's other exes?

Jake and Macy moved away last year so thankfully I don't have to look at their sour faces anymore.

Lunch period ends and I go to the AP calculus 2 room early and set up my beloved Casio Classwiz calculator and notebook.

Just one more month and I graduate from high school. Then I'm one summer away from starting college! I'm so excited I can barely contain myself.

___________________________________

98, 100, 95, 98, 100, 100 and 1530 on my SAT. Yes! That scholarship is mine!

I show off my final grades to my parents and we go out to a fancy 2 Michelin star restaurant to celebrate.

"To our amazing daughter!" Mom toasted. We clink glasses and I take a sip of the sparkling cider.

"So, what will happen to that boyfriend of yours when you're off in New York?" Dad asked.

Really? Them too? I thought they liked Liam! "Why does everyone think I'll break up with him?"

"Everyone thinks you can do better."

No, I can't. That's the problem. Liam is the only person to ever love me that way without wavering for even a second. Since I have a neat 50% scholarship, I felt courageous and asked for a single suite which I was granted.

"We'll last." I assured them. Or was it for myself?

"Just don't hesitate to try new things and meet new people, okay love?" Mom said.

"Okay. I'll do that." Actually, I'm going to be exercise my right to be an introvert and only leave my dorm to go to class or to get food. "So, I applied to Colombia, NYU, Yale, and Brown. I was accepted into all of them except Brown. They wait-listed me, surprisingly."

"And you still went with Colombia? Why is that?" Mom asked, her voice sounds a bit smug.

Because they're Ivy league and Yale is only offering 30% scholarship, which is better than Harvard not offering me anything. "I don't know." I said instead.

"How have you and Matteo been doing? I haven't seen him or his brother for years!" Dad said, playing right into mom's hand.

So this is what it's about. She still thinks I'll end up with Matteo, who's a whole five years older than me. I mean, that's not too much, plus, his family is probably five times richer too.

Admittedly, our offspring would be beautiful. Oh my god, I need to calm the f**k down.

"I don't know, I only ever talk to Giovanni anymore and that's rare since he's so busy all the time." I said.

Our food finally arrives and I dig into my medium rare steak. "I'm going to be double majoring, business management and mechanical engineering with minors in psychology."

"Aren't you afraid you're taking on too much work?" Dad asked.

Too much work? There's no such thing. "No, I mean, I only have class on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday; two classes those days in the morning and afternoon. Other than that my schedule is wide open to join clubs and stuff. I'm taking on more so I can graduate in three years."

"We know you know what you're doing but try slowing down. There's no rush to finish college."

Yes, there is. I want to be over with that and then go to work immediately to be financially independent.

"I just want to get the most out of my time there."

They wouldn't understand, I know. Their parents were rich, and their parents' parents were rich too. Their marriage was arranged strategically to merge the businesses but they were lucky enough to find love. Sometimes I'm reminded that I'm not quite Amelia. I was born into a poor family and was poor up until the moment I died.

I honestly wouldn't half mind if they arranged a marriage for me. As long as it's not a Luciano, I'm perfectly fine with it. Marrying into the mafia is the same as tucking a gun into your waistband without the safety turned on.

We go home and I start packing up slowly. I really should tell Liam...

Fucking hell, just rip off the band-aid. He will respect your decision.

I call him.

"Bubba, I have some big news for you!" I said when he picks up.

"What is it?"

Rip it off. "I'm going to college in New York."

Silence. Deafening silence. Okay, the bandaid is off at least. "I thought you wanted to go here?" He asked after a long while, he sounds disappointed.

"I know but Colombia is... I thought you'd be happy for me." No, I didn't, but maybe guilt tripping will work.

"You do realize we're never going to see each other when you're there right? I'm busy! I can't fly out to New York."

Did I ever ask you to? "So we can't see each other. We can make long distance work, bubba."

He sighs. "Look, I don't know. Let me think about it." He hangs up.

I don't feel as devastated as I thought. Liam isn't going to break up with me, right? All because we can't f**k while I'm in college? Liam wouldn't do that, he's not that kind of guy!

I text Matteo that I'm going to be in Manhattan; it doesn't go through, as per usual.

I text Steph to come by with her car and climb down the vines. She gets here in ten minutes and we go to town.

"Why do you want another tattoo?" Steph asked as we walk into the tiny tattoo parlor. It may not look like the best, but I went here last time and I was not disappointed.

"Because I'm going to college! I want something new to celebrate this new chapter in my life." I explained.

The mute lady tattoo artist, Cherry, waves me over to sit down. "What do you want?" She writes on her chalk board.

"I'll have to write it down, can you free hand this?" I asked.

She nods curtly and lets me write it in a notebook she keeps on her at all times.

आकिञ्चन्ये न मोक्षोऽस्ति किञ्चन्ये नास्ति बन्धनम्।

किञ्चन्ये चेतरे चैव जन्तुर्ज्ञानेन मुच्यते॥

There is no redemption in poverty and no binding in prosperity.

Whether there is poverty or prosperity, an individual gets liberation by conscience.​

"I'd like this right here." I said, lifting up my shirt.

She motions me to take it off completely and I do so. "Right above my hip bone here, please." I said.

She sanitizes the area and uses a pen to mark off where I want it. She raises her eyebrows with a silent question. Here?

"Yes, please. Exactly there, two lines." I said, leaning back.

Steph sits on a stool on the other side and watches intently. I know she wants a tattoo but her parents would literally disown her.

Cherry puts sort of a plastic over her little table and then the tattoo gun. Her tiny ink pot thing has some sticky white stuff under it, I assume it's to keep it still has she dips.

When she starts I groan and close my eyes. I do my best to stay relaxed. This would have been better if only I had alcohol or something.

The whole thing takes an hour and a half. When Cherry's done I look at it for the first time. Oh, that looks so good!

"How much Cherry?" I asked as she bandages me up.

She hands me a little kit like last time and erases her board. 35.

I pay her fifty. "Thanks, I'll miss you when I'm in college!"

She smiles and rolls her eyes.

Steph and I go to a McDonald's and order a family meal as we always do.

"How are you so sure about yourself?" She asked suddenly.

"You only live once right?" I said. She doesn't realize that I'm completely not serious when I say that.

Steph has had issues with her self image for a long time. It's only gotten worse since Keith. He broke up with her because he needed to focus on his career and no other reason. But she believes it's because she wasn't good enough for him.

"I'll really miss you." She said, sniffling.

"It's not the end of the world, we still have three more months until college!" I exclaimed. "So, where do you want to go? Mexico? Jamaica? Iceland?"

She grins. "We haven't been to Mexico yet, haven't we?"

"No, we have not." I agreed. "What do you say? Tomorrow, you, me, Chase, and Julian go on a road trip to Mexico for two months?"

"I'll tell them right now!"