were rele

arents hovering a

red. Abysmal. Jus

l. "Oh, Emily... h

und me. "Don' t worry about it.

t' s fine. Really. Maybe

ur later, her voice la

ores, and they' re... well, they' re not

voice. She' d made the switch. She no

t?" I asked, kee

ngly low, numbers that would get her int

e too brightly. "Maybe we can both go to Austin C

r who,

g a pause hang in the air.

in with your grades?" she ask

ll scholarship to NYU' s Tisch S

he other end

? But... y

t. "Portfolio-based. I submitted my short film scripts and a few experimenta

face, the shock, the dawning rea

liberate failure, and it had cost her dea

stammered. "But... yo

recently," I lied smoothly.

." Her voice was strained. The fake sympathy

I said. "I' m r

quick goodby

small smile pla

hes down.

waiting. And