Chapter Four

Eleanor's POV

Wyatt's mom wasn't about to be outdone. She jumped right in. "Well, my Wyatt's no slouch either. That boy stayed up past midnight every single night working on his applications. Just the other day, he told me his acceptance letter was coming any day now and that I should start planning his celebration!"

"Oh, congratulations to you both! Those boys are going to do big things!"

All that praise went straight to their heads. They kept going back and forth, subtly trying to one-up each other, each convinced her son was the more impressive one.

I sat in a corner with a glass of juice, taking in the whole show.

Brody and Wyatt, those two idiots, had lied to their families all summer long to cover up what they'd done to their applications. They'd even faked screenshots of acceptance letters to fool their parents.

The way they saw it, as long as they could stall until school started, there'd be no going back. Their parents could hit the roof all they wanted, but they'd just have to live with it.

Suddenly, the music stopped.

The principal walked onstage, beaming, and took the mic. "Parents, students, it's time for the most exciting part of the night! We're handing out acceptance letters right here, live, to this year's grads who got into some of the best schools in the country!"

The crowd broke into applause.

Brody's mom and Wyatt's mom shot to their feet, craning their necks toward the stage, waiting for their big moment.

But one student after another went up and got their letter, and their sons' names were never called.

The two of them started getting restless. Their smiles were slipping, and they kept glancing around.

Right then, the ballroom doors swung open.

A delivery guy in uniform hurried in, out of breath, holding a few thick envelopes up high.

"Sorry to interrupt! We've been slammed today, and a few acceptance letters didn't make it out in time. I saw the addresses were all close by, so I figured I'd just bring them over!"

His voice was so loud that the whole room went quiet.

Brody's mom and Wyatt's mom lit up and practically jogged over to him.

"Is there one for Brody Sinclair?"

"What about Wyatt Donovan?"

The delivery guy checked the envelopes and nodded.

"Yep, yep. Brody Sinclair, Wyatt Donovan, plus one for Eleanor Hastings. Got 'em all right here!"

He handed the envelopes to the two women.

Their hands were shaking as they held them. From the looks on their faces, you'd think their sons were already walking across the stage at an Ivy League graduation.

Up onstage, the ceremony was hitting its high point.

The principal took the envelope with my name on it, opened it, and glanced inside. He broke into a huge grin.

"Tonight isn't just about graduation. We've also got something the whole school can be proud of!"

"Eleanor Hastings, come on up here and get your acceptance letter to Yale University!"

The room erupted in applause.

I stood up and took my time walking to the stage, everyone's eyes on me, full of envy.

The principal handed me the letter himself. I took it, smiled, and thanked him.

"Eleanor makes our whole school proud, and she's one of our top graduates this year!"

The principal turned back to the audience, clearly on a roll. "That delivery guy also brought letters for two more of our students. Why don't we all celebrate them together?"

The two moms couldn't wait another second. They tore open their envelopes right there.

"Come on, let me see which Ivy my Brody got into..." Brody's mom was smiling so hard her eyes were practically shut.

But the second she looked down at the paper, her smile froze.

Same thing with Wyatt's mom, right next to her.

She rubbed her eyes hard, held the paper closer, and read it again. Her voice went shrill. "What... What the hell is this?!"