She Only Got In Because of Me

Ten minutes before the university application deadline, my childhood sweetheart, Claudia McCarthy, and my best friend, Mike Barrett, teamed up to lock me in a bathroom. At first, I thought Claudia was planning some kind of surprise for me. But a second later, my phone buzzed with a notification: both my password and my application choices had been changed. Only two people knew that password: me and Claudia. Furious, I demanded an explanation. Claudia couldn't have cared less. "Tim, I lost a bet to Mike, so now I have to be his girlfriend for a year. I changed your application. Just apply to Kingsbridge University next year. I'll be waiting for you there." Her matter-of-fact tone left me ice-cold. Then came my best friend's snickering voice. "Tim, Claudia was under a lot of pressure senior year, and I took a lot of that off your plate. It wore me out. So think of this year as my compensation. I'll keep your spot warm for you, and in a year, I'll give Claudia back." Only then did I understand. While I'd been fighting for my future with Claudia, the two of them had been sneaking around behind my back. They'd even tampered with my application, all for the sake of some so-called bet. I screamed with everything I had, "Claudia, change my application back right now, or you'll regret it!" All I got in response was their mocking laughter. The countdown ran out, and the application portal closed. Claudia expected me to keep making a scene. Instead, I just looked at her calmly. What she didn't know was that the only reason Kingsbridge had accepted her was me. She was nothing more than a freebie bundled with my admission. Now that my application had been changed, I couldn't wait to see how a freebie was going to get into Kingsbridge. Chapter 1 By the time I got out of the bathroom, the application deadline had long since passed. There wasn't a trace of guilt on Claudia McCarthy's face. Instead, she acted like it was the most natural thing in the world. "Tim, Mike is craving the chicken noodle soup from that deli on the east side of town. Go get him some. And remember, he has a sensitive stomach, so nothing cold." She was nestled in Mike Barrett's arms, her eyes full of contempt. I stopped in my tracks, and a sour ache spread through my chest. Claudia had tampered with my application and wrecked my future. And the first thing she did after letting me out wasn't to apologize. It was to send me off to buy soup for Mike. I stared at her and said, enunciating every word, "I'm not going." The next second, Claudia flew into a rage. "Tim, why are you so jealous? I told you, I only want you to go there next year. "I have to honor the bet. Do you really have to be jealous about it? If Mike hadn't kept stopping me because he was worried you couldn't handle it, I would've told you back in senior year." I scoffed. They were just enjoying the thrill of sneaking around. And now they were pretending they'd done it out of consideration for me? Did they expect me to be grateful? I shoved Mike aside when he stepped in my way and turned to leave. But Claudia planted herself right in front of me. "Tim, apologize to Mike!" she snapped. I stared at her in disbelief. "Claudia, you and Mike hooked up behind my back and tampered with my application, and now you want me to apologize to him? Why should I?" Claudia wouldn't hear a word of argument. "Because he put up with it for all of senior year! "Every time you and I got close, he could only watch from the corner. Even when he and I were together and you called, he had to keep quiet. You have no idea how bad I feel for him. "I only asked you to wait for another year. Why did you have to lay a hand on Mike? If you don't apologize today, I'm not giving you my notes. Without my help, you will never get into Kingsbridge University!" Looking at Claudia, so smug and superior, I found the whole thing absurd. Did she really think her study notes were some kind of treasure? In three years of high school, I'd only ever ranked above her once, on our very first exam. That night, Claudia had cried her heart out. "Tim, your grades are so good. Will we even be able to go to the same university? When I get home and my mom sees how few points I got, she's going to ground me." Because of those words, I spent the next three years hiding what I could really do. Every single time, I'd score just one or two points below her. I knew Kingsbridge was Claudia's obsession, yet her scores were always stuck right at the very bottom. So I studied like my life depended on it, all so I could bring her into Kingsbridge with me. When the exam scores finally came out, I was the top scorer in the entire state. So I wouldn't upset Claudia, I turned down every interview. Behind the scenes, I got in touch with the Kingsbridge admissions team and fought hard to secure her a spot, even though she still didn't meet their enrollment standard. And now, Claudia was treating all of it as her own accomplishment. I let out a scoff, then looked at her and said calmly, "I'm not waiting a year, and I don't need your study notes. Claudia, the one who won't get into Kingsbridge is you." Chapter 2 The smile on Claudia's face froze. Just then, Mike jumped in front of her. He looked at me and put on a show of earnest concern. "Tim, stop being so stubborn. All through high school, Claudia's grades were always better than yours. And as soon as the scores came out, the Kingsbridge admissions office accepted her right away. "Why would you curse her and say she won't get into Kingsbridge? All she wants is for you to wait a year. With her notes, you might even do better next year." With that, he leaned in close and lowered his voice. "Tim, Claudia has been mine since way back. While you were out there studying, she and I were in here 'studying' too. For the rest of your life, you'll only ever get my leftovers!" I couldn't take it anymore and slammed my fist into his face. Mike went down like this was exactly what he'd been waiting for. Frowning, my eyes blazing, I grabbed him by the collar, ready to demand answers. Instead, Claudia slapped me hard across the face. "Tim! You're going too far! I told you to apologize to Mike, and you punched him? You've lost your mind! "And you're cursing me, saying I won't get into Kingsbridge? The only one who won't get into Kingsbridge is you! After all, your dad is a convict!" I froze where I stood. Three years ago, my father, Charles Greenwood, had saved Claudia from a gang of thugs who'd cornered her in an alley. He accidentally went too far defending her, and to this day, he still hadn't been released from prison. Claudia's parents, Russell and Judy McCarthy, had felt terribly guilty toward me, so they'd arranged an engagement between Claudia and me. Back then, Claudia came to my house all the time to apologize and comfort me. That was exactly why I'd believed we were on the same page. Yet now, she was using my father to attack me. I glared at her, my eyes so red they looked ready to bleed. But Claudia wasn't the least bit afraid. She lifted her chin high. "If your dad hadn't saved me back then, I never would've gotten together with you. "Now that I see what a vicious person you are, I wish your dad had never saved me at all!" Seething, I shoved them both out the front door and roared, "Get out! Get out of my house!" Claudia stumbled a couple of steps. Once she'd steadied herself, she checked on Mike first. Only then did she turn to me and make her threat. "Tim! Unless you get down on your knees and apologize to Mike, I'll never forgive you! "Without my tutoring, you won't even get into a decent university. I'll be waiting for you to come crawling back and beg me!" Without sparing them a glance, I slammed the door shut. That night, I gathered up everything that had anything to do with Claudia and threw it all in the trash. My mother, Wendy Greenwood, was confused. "Tim, don't you like Claudia? You always treated these things like treasures. Why are you suddenly..." I paused. Before the application deadline, I never could have imagined things between Claudia and me ending up like this. In just one day, I'd learned the whole truth and cut her out of my heart for good. I shook my head and said bluntly, "It's over between her and me." Chapter 3 My mother didn't say anything more. She only reminded me to return the engagement token the McCarthys had given us. I nodded and headed over to the McCarthys' house. The moment I rang the doorbell, the door swung open. When Judy saw me, the warm smile she used to greet me with was gone, replaced by a hint of contempt. I didn't dwell on it. I simply took out the sapphire pendant the McCarthys had given us and said evenly, "Mrs. McCarthy, Claudia is with someone else now. I'm here to call off the engagement, so please give me back the emerald bracelet." Mrs. McCarthy took the pendant awkwardly and hesitated. "Tim, try not to take it too hard. After all, Claudia is a Kingsbridge student now, and you didn't get in anywhere, so you'll have to repeat a year. Even if you didn't call off the engagement now, the gap between you two would only keep getting wider. "But our family remembers what your father did for us. Don't worry. I'll have Claudia tutor you so you can get into university." She said it all with an air of superiority. I never expected the McCarthys to turn on me so fast. When my father first saved Claudia, the McCarthys couldn't thank us enough. Now, after just a few words from Claudia, they'd decided I'd never make it into university, and their whole attitude toward me had changed. I sneered and was about to turn her down when Claudia walked out of her room. There were still red marks on her neck. When she saw me, she mocked, "Tim, I thought you'd hold out longer than this. You couldn't even last a day before coming over to apologize, huh? "I told you, unless you get on your knees and beg, I'll never forgive you. Mike, come out here! My lapdog's here to apologize." She called toward her room. Mike immediately walked out, shirtless. He wrapped his arms around Claudia, looking pleased with himself. "Tim, we're best friends. No need to get on your knees and grovel. Just slap yourself a few times right here and apologize to us, and we'll call it even." Mrs. McCarthy acted as if she didn't see them humiliating me. She even stood off to the side like she was watching a show. My gaze turned cold. "I'm here to call off the engagement. I already gave back your pendant. Now return my family's bracelet." I held out my hand to Claudia. The bracelet was on her wrist at that very moment, but she showed no sign of taking it off. Instead, her expression soured. "You want to call off the engagement? "Tim, didn't I already tell you? Things between me and Mike will only last one more year. You're breaking off our engagement over one year?" She looked completely stunned. I understood. Even now, she still believed I was hopelessly devoted to her. I said calmly, "That's right. I'm calling off the engagement." Claudia's face stiffened, then she let out a couple of cold laughs. "Fine, fine! So this is how you're trying to get my attention? Then let's call it off! Just don't you dare regret it!" With that, she yanked the bracelet off her wrist and hurled it to the ground. It shattered on impact. My eyes reddened as I glared at her. Claudia knew full well that bracelet had belonged to my late grandmother. She just wanted to hurt me. I picked up the pieces of the bracelet, fighting the urge to scream. Soon. Claudia didn't have long left to gloat. As I turned to leave, I heard her voice behind me. "Tim, tomorrow's the day the Kingsbridge acceptance letters arrive. My family's throwing me a university send-off party. Since you waited on me hand and foot for three years, I'll let you come and bask in my glory. "After all, you'll never get anywhere near Kingsbridge for the rest of your life." Claudia smiled, her eyes full of smugness. I dug my nails into my palms to keep from laughing out loud. By changing my application, Claudia had single-handedly ruined her own chance at Kingsbridge. I couldn't wait to see how she was going to pull off tomorrow's party! Chapter 4 The next day, the McCarthy house was bustling from first thing in the morning. Mr. and Mrs. McCarthy cheerfully greeted guests as they came and went. Plenty of neighbors had already gathered there. As the guest of honor, Claudia stood right in the middle of it all, beaming. There was even an engagement party banner hanging off to one side, with a photo of Claudia and Mike beside it. Mrs. McCarthy kept explaining to people, "The Greenwood boy was the one who called off the engagement. He said he wasn't good enough for our daughter. "And he's right. He can't get into university and has to repeat a year. He and Claudia just won't have anything in common anymore." I found the whole thing ridiculous. When Claudia and I got engaged, our families had only exchanged tokens. There had never been an engagement party. This time, Claudia was not only throwing one, she was combining it with her university send-off party. And on top of that, Mrs. McCarthy was pinning all the blame on me. When I showed up, a lot of the neighbors started whispering. "The Greenwood boy actually came? He looks like he's here to make trouble." "You can't really blame the McCarthys. Claudia got into Kingsbridge, and the Greenwood boy didn't even get into university. And his father's a convict on top of that. Nobody would put up with that." The more Claudia heard, the more smug she looked. She hooked her arm through Mike's, walked up to me, and sneered, "Tim, I didn't think you'd actually come. "Then again, it makes sense. This is probably the only time in your life you'll ever see a Kingsbridge acceptance letter with your own eyes." Mike gave me a smug look, too. "Tim, I really have to thank you. If you hadn't been smart enough to call off the engagement, I never would've had a chance. Claudia even said she'd talk to the admissions office for me so I could go to Kingsbridge too. "All of this was supposed to be yours, Tim. You were just too impulsive." He shook his head with fake pity. I just found it laughable. I'd had to work hard to convince Kingsbridge to take her. Mike's scores were so bad he'd have to pay his way into even a diploma mill. And he was actually dreaming of riding Claudia's coattails into Kingsbridge. I nearly laughed out loud. Claudia looked at Mike, her eyes full of tenderness. "You're the only one I'd go to this much trouble for, Mike. It's all my fault for coming to my senses so late. Otherwise, I wouldn't have made you hide for three years." With that, she turned to me and said condescendingly, "Tim, once you've seen the Kingsbridge acceptance letter, you can leave. After all, we have nothing to do with each other anymore, and I don't want Mike to get the wrong idea. "Of course, if you get down on your knees and apologize right now, I might give you another chance. Even though we'll be worlds apart from now on, I'm loyal to old ties. You can stay here and take care of my parents." Before she could finish spouting her fantasy, a roar of noise rose from the street. Car after car pulled up toward the McCarthy house. A wall of cameras, the Kingsbridge admissions team, and a crowd of reporters all made their way over. Claudia lit up with excitement. She hurried forward to greet them. The next second, the crowd went right past her and headed straight for me. The Kingsbridge admissions officer placed the acceptance letter in my hands with a smile. "Congratulations, Mr. Greenwood, on getting into Kingsbridge as the top scorer in the entire state!"