Chapter 2: Before Tomorrow
986 Words
Sunlight streamed through Ava's bedroom window when she opened her eyes.
For a few seconds, she lay still, staring at the ceiling.
Then she remembered.
Kingsley Academy.
The scholarship.
The email.
A smile spread across her face before she could stop it.
She grabbed her phone from the bedside table and opened the email again.
Just to make sure it was still there.
Just to make sure she hadn't imagined it.
It was real.
Ava laughed softly to herself.
Tomorrow, everything would change.
---
Downstairs, the smell of fried eggs filled the house.
Ava hurried into the kitchen.
Her father was already seated at the table.
"Morning, princess."
"Morning."
Michael grinned.
"You checked the email again, didn't you?"
Ava froze.
Her father burst out laughing.
"How did you know?"
"Because if I got accepted into Kingsley Academy at seventeen, I would've checked it every ten minutes."
Ava smiled.
"Maybe I checked it twice."
Michael raised an eyebrow.
"Only twice?"
"Okay, maybe six times."
That made both of them laugh.
Across the kitchen, Grace stood near the stove.
Unlike her husband, she didn't seem particularly excited.
She simply placed a plate on the table.
"Eat before it gets cold."
Ava nodded.
"Thanks, Mum."
Grace hummed in response.
Not rude.
Not warm.
Just practical.
Like always.
---
The rest of the morning was spent preparing for school.
Ava's uniform hung neatly on her wardrobe door.
Her books were arranged carefully.
Her bag had been packed and repacked three times.
Yet somehow, it still didn't feel real.
By afternoon, Michael convinced her to take a break.
"You've checked that bag enough times."
"What if I forgot something?"
"You didn't."
"What if—"
"Ava."
She sighed.
"Fine."
Michael smiled victoriously.
"Come with me."
"Where?"
"You'll see."
---
A few minutes later, they were sitting outside beneath the shade of a large mango tree.
A gentle breeze moved through the leaves overhead.
For the first time all day, Ava relaxed.
Her father leaned back in his chair.
"You know," he began, "I wasn't always this wise."
Ava laughed.
"Who said you're wise?"
"Excuse me?"
She grinned.
"You walked right into that one."
Michael placed a hand dramatically over his heart.
"I can't believe my own daughter would disrespect me like this."
Ava laughed harder.
For a moment, he simply watched her.
Then his smile softened.
"I was serious, though."
"About what?"
"When I was younger."
His gaze drifted toward the road.
"I wasn't much different from you."
Ava looked surprised.
"Really?"
"Really."
"You were a nerd?"
Michael gasped.
"Ava Williams."
"What?"
"I was cool."
She nearly choked laughing.
"No way."
"I was."
"You absolutely were not."
Michael shook his head.
"The disrespect in this family is unbelievable."
They both laughed.
Then his expression became thoughtful.
"I worked hard."
Ava grew quiet.
Her father rarely talked about life before the accident.
"I got my first job when I was nineteen," he continued.
"I wasn't rich."
"I didn't come from money."
"But I believed if I worked hard enough, things would get better."
His voice remained calm.
Steady.
The way it always was.
"I remember being terrified on my first day."
Ava blinked.
"You were scared?"
"Of course."
"You never seem scared."
Michael smiled.
"That's because you're only seeing the older version of me."
Ava thought about that.
Maybe parents weren't born fearless.
Maybe they just learned how to hide it.
---
The conversation continued for nearly an hour.
Stories about old coworkers.
Stories about mistakes.
Stories about dreams.
The kind of stories that made Ava realize her father had lived an entire life before she was born.
Eventually, the conversation drifted back to Kingsley.
Ava's smile faded slightly.
"What if I don't fit in?"
Michael looked at her.
"What do you mean?"
"It's Kingsley."
She fiddled with her fingers.
"Those students are probably rich."
"They probably went to expensive schools."
"They probably know how to act."
Her voice became quieter.
"I don't."
Michael remained silent.
Allowing her to continue.
"What if they look down on me?"
"What if I'm not good enough?"
The words slipped out before she could stop them.
For a moment, neither spoke.
Then Michael leaned forward.
"Ava."
She looked up.
"Do you know what intelligence is?"
She frowned.
"What kind of question is that?"
"I'm serious."
Ava shrugged.
"Being smart?"
Michael smiled.
"Intelligence doesn't belong to rich people."
She blinked.
"It doesn't belong to private schools."
"It doesn't belong to expensive clothes."
His eyes held hers.
"It belongs to anyone willing to learn."
Ava felt her throat tighten.
"You earned that scholarship."
His voice was firm.
"No one gave it to you."
"No one handed it to you."
"You earned it."
A warm feeling spread through her chest.
"If anyone deserves to be at Kingsley Academy, it's you."
For the first time all day, her fears felt smaller.
Not gone.
But smaller.
---
Later that evening, Grace returned from work looking exhausted.
She barely sat down before asking,
"Did you finish preparing?"
"Yes."
"Good."
That was all.
No congratulations.
No excitement.
Just another task checked off a list.
Ava tried not to let it bother her.
Her mother loved differently.
At least, that's what she always told herself.
---
That night, the house became quiet.
The dishes were washed.
The lights were turned off.
Tomorrow had finally arrived.
Or almost.
Ava changed into her pajamas and climbed into bed.
She closed her eyes.
Then opened them.
Then closed them again.
Sleep refused to come.
Her stomach twisted every time she imagined Kingsley Academy.
The students.
The classrooms.
The teachers.
The possibility of embarrassing herself.
Hours passed.
The clock on her wall ticked steadily.
11:17 PM.
11:42 PM.
12:06 AM.
Still awake.
Ava rolled onto her side and stared out the window.
Tomorrow would be the start of a completely different life.
And for the first time since receiving the scholarship email...
She wasn't excited.
She was terrified.
- Writer
