"Can you believe we're seniors?" asked Marcus as we stood next to our cars in the school parking lot. Just Sam, Lavender, Nia, Marcus and I. No Crystal for obvious reasons, and no Stacy either. Nia said she was in London for a semester, attending an art program at some college.

"Yes, I can," said Sam. "I've been touring colleges all summer, not to mention having to tutor people preparing for the SATs. I can't seem to forget that I'm a senior."

Lavender smiled at him as she sat atop the hood of her mini cooper. "Thanks for tutoring me though. My score went up several points thanks to you."

"Your welcome, just doing my job."

I took a swig from my Red Bull can, Maya's voice played in my head, as the carbonated energy drink filled my mouth. She says it'll give me a heart attack, but I needed the energy to get through the day, and water wasn't going to help me do that.

"Do you know what time you're supposed to meet with Dean Nelson?" Nia asked leaning against her car. I've never seen a car that was more Nia in my life. It was bright red and very....cutesy.

"Mine's not until tomorrow," Marcus responded. All seniors received an email about a mandatory meeting with Dean Nelson. They went in alphabetical order, so I was one of the first ones.

"I go at eight-thirty today," I told them.

"Lucky, I don't go until the end of the week," said Lavender. "That's what I get for having the last name Zeller."

Nia said, "I'm not too far ahead mine's not until Wednesday."

"What is she talking to us about anyway?" I asked. "She has to meet with every single one of us. Why can't she just hold an assembly?"

"She wants to know our intentions. What colleges we're looking into, how our gpas are looking, and she's going to talk to us about our schedules," Nia explained before her phone alarm went off. Pushing off the side of her car, she said, "I have to go. I have a meeting with East Chapel's new transfer students."

"There's more?"

She grinned. "Yes. There's twenty in total and Dean Nelson asked if I could show them around."

"That's great, babe," Marcus smiled at her. He gave her a kiss on the forehead. "I'll see you later."

We waved goodbye. I slung my bag over my shoulder from where it rested on the hood of my car. I'd chosen to drive my porsche today it seemed fitting with this being the first day of senior year.

"I should get going too. I would hate to be late for my meeting."

I stepped into the front office, and sat in one of the cushioned leather chairs in front of Dean Nelson's office. I could hear the freshman asking constant questions about where to go out in the hallway, and I could hear voices coming from within Dean Nelson's office, but they were muffled by the door so I couldn't tell what they were saying. Who could be in there? I was always first when it came to school meetings.

My question was answered when Crystal emerged from Dean Nelson's office smiling. But she did look a bit startled when she saw me.

"Oh, hi, Nick," she said standing next to where I was sitting.

"Hi, Crystal." Her now shoulder length hair was straightened and shiny. She wore sheer white tights under her short plaid skirt. She wouldn't be Crystal, if she didn't tailor her uniform somehow. Her jacket which was once full length had been cropped to fall at her waist.

"It's been awhile," she said looking down at her heeled feet.

"About three months," I said. "Did you have a good summer?"

"Yes, it was great," she replied.

"Did you find yourself?" That is why we broke up, so she could find herself.

She chuckled a bit. "I did. I did find myself."

"Good, I'm happy for you." Whatever that means. I cleared my throat. "Why is your appointment so early. You're last name starts with W."

"I wasn't going to be able to make my appointment, because I'm going to be interning at my parents magazine in the afternoons," she explained. "So Dean Nelson let me schedule my appointment a little early."

"Oh." I can't imagine her appointment was too hard, she's known what she's wanted to do our whole lives. Graduate, go to Parsons, and take over her parents' fashion magazine.

"Nick Ainsworth," Dean Nelson said coming out of her office.

I stood up. "Yes, ma'am."

"You can come in now."

"Bye, it was good seeing you," Crystal said.

"Yeah, I'll see you later." She left and I followed Dean Nelson into her office.

"Good morning, Nick," she smiled at me from behind her desk. A photo of her and Coach sat proudly on her desk and she wore a sparkly engagement ring on her finger. During Whitney's epic meltdown, she exposed their relationship to the entire school. I couldn't believe it. Not because Coach seemed like he would run any woman away, but Dean Nelson is way out of his league.

"Good morning." I said awkwardly settling into a stiff chair in front of her desk. "How are you?"

She smiled stacking a pile of papers neatly on her desk. "I'm well, but as you know, I'm meeting with all the seniors this week. So ask me in a few days, and see if my answer has changed."

"I'll make sure to do that."

"I thought I would get started discussing your schedule with you." She handed me a single sheet of paper. "As you can see a good portion of it is empty."

I looked at my schedule and every period after third was empty. "What does this mean?"

"Usually, you would have a few dual enrollment courses between third and sixth, and as you know football practice would be your last class. But since you quit football and you didn't sign up for any dual enrollment classes there was nothing to put there."

"Oh, so what am I supposed to do then?" Say I can leave. Please, say I can leave.

"You don't have to do anything. Once you're done with your classes you are free to go." Yes!

"But that leads me into my next point," she went on. "Nick, what is it you want to do exactly? Do you want to go to college?"

"I want to be a mechanic," I said plainly. "I want to remodel old cars mostly, maybe learn about foreign ones. I've looked into some institutes in different areas." There was one in Miami that seemed cool. But there's one in Michigan that looks better, I'm not completely sold on either of them.

Dean Nelson nodded silently taking in what I was saying. Not many people around here understood why I wanted to do something so.....domestic. Especially since it would be so easy for me to sit on my ass and live off my trust fund or start opening night clubs like my father, but I don't want to do that. My trust fund kicks in when I turn eighteen and I already have plans for it. I'm going to go to school, wherever that is, and then I'm going to open my own auto body shop. Some call it simple, but I think it'll be great.

She dug around in her desk drawers and pulled out some pamphlets. "Here, I think you'll find these useful."

"Kennedy Automotive Institute," I read the cover. I'd seen this when I was looking up schools last night, it seemed nice. It was close by, only a town over, and they had most of the programs I was looking for. Including one on how to manage older cars. But I read it was extremely hard to get into.

"Have you heard of it?" She asked.

"Yes," I nodded. "It's really competitive."

"That it is," she agreed. "But I think you can handle it. I would like to think your time at East Chapel has prepared you to compete with others."

"It has." I looked up from the fold out brochure. "Dean Nelson, why do you have these?" Not many students here would even dare think of going to a trade school, most have planned to go to the Ivies since they were in diapers, so it doesn't make sense.

"I like to be prepared." She gestures towards me. "And look it came in handy, you needed them."

"I guess you're right, thanks."

"So this brings me back to your schedule. I don't want you to waste the extra time that you have. I want you to apply to some schools, including the Kennedy Institute. It is a tough program to get into, you need three example of work you've done. Do you have that?"

"Uh, I have two." I hadn't planned on buying anymore cars, it seemed like a waste of money right now.

"Can you get a third one?"

Then it dawned on me. I know exactly who to ask, I just hope she says yes. "Yes, ma'am."

She smiled. "Great, I'll be checking in on you to hear about your progress."

"I'll work on it, I promise."