Betting on You

55

f i f t y f i v e

"So if I move this paragraph here, it'll sound better?"

I turned my eyes away from the computer I was using and leaned to my right, peering over Jaime's shoulder and towards her own computer screen. She indicated the paragraphs she was referring to and as I skimmed through them, I shook my head lightly.

"Move it after this one, and instead switch this one with your first," I instructed, sitting back in my seat. "It'll flow better."

She did as I said, sending me a smile. "And is the length fine?"

"What's the page limit?"

"No limit," she shrugged her shoulders, "It just has to be 250 words."

My eyes widened, "You have three pages! Jaime, that changes everything!"

"Sorry!" she laughed before we got aggressively hushed by the librarian. At this point, I was sure she had a special dislike for me and Jaime, and the scowl on her face was evidence enough. "But I just wanted to get everything written down and then I could cut it down from there. I just wanted to make sure I had everything included."

I sighed, shaking my head yet still smiling. "I mean I see your logic, but still."

"Well, I knew you'd be of service," she gave my shoulder a nudge and I rolled my eyes. We both knew she was right and that I didn't mind helping her, either.

Jaime and I were spending some time after school in the school library, which usually remained open about an hour after school let out. Which it had.

We were both working on college applications. Well, kind of.

We, as well as almost all our peers, had done college applications way back in September. With us being seniors, it was important to submit early in the case that early admissions in any way increased our chances to get into the schools we wanted.

It was odd, to think that there were only a few months left of our senior year. It was also odd to think that soon enough, we'd all be parting ways and going on to live more adult lives, depending on where we ended up going.

Jaime had already sent in her applications months ago as well, yet the school had asked for all applicants to submit a short profile on themselves. Which is what she was working on now.

I, on the other hand, was just going over some of the homework from my other classes. I had a couple of worksheets on the Great Depression that I had finally just finished completing, and I was now moving on to chemistry.

Or, I was about to.

"Attention students. The library will be closing within the next five minutes. Please collect your things, and make your way to the exit. Thank you," the librarian's hoarse voice spoke over the p.a system. She repeated her message a second time before stopping, and I watched her leave her desk to see if anyone was hiding in the far back of the room.

"The hour's up already?" I voiced, pouting. "I didn't even get to start my chemistry yet."

"Ugh," Jaime groaned, saving her document on her USB drive before beginning to shut down the computer she was on. I did the same. "I didn't get to finish the profile."

"Send me a copy of it when you're done and I can help you out some more," I offered, grabbing my papers and sliding them into a folder, and then the folder into my bag. "Since you have all the information you want to include, hopefully, it's not that difficult."