"Charlie, you open it,"

the two ladies nudged

me in my ribs.

I shook my head, afraid

of what is sealed inside

the letters splattered

across the living room

couch.

"Come on, Charlie,

you can do it," Azura

reassured me. "I'm

sure you got accepted

to every single one of them."

I took a breath in and opened

the first letter; the last college

I applied to: Brown.

We are sorry but...

I ripped it up and threw it

into the trash can nearby.

Mother's face went pale and

I just shrugged.

I opened up the next one:

Yale.

We are very sorry to inform you...-

Another crumpled up ball.

And two more, or three.

Two more, the first and second

colleges that I had applied to.

Yet, in this case, will never

even get accepted to: Oxford

and Stanford.

My eyes widened at each of

the letters, my heart took

a step too fast and tripped

down the flight of the stairs.

"Well, Charlie?"

I smiled.

I guess I'm moving to Oxford.