Daisy in a Meadow

20 - Universities

On a boring Wednesday afternoon, I was sitting with Elias, Malcolm, and Andre in the cafeteria, as I always did during lunch.

"Haf yu gise afflied to unibersity yef?" Malcolm asked through a mouthful of spaghetti.

Andre's left eye twitched and I crinkled my nose in disgust.

"What did we talk about, Malcolm?" Elias slowly asked, as if he were speaking to a toddler.

Malcolm gulped his food and sadly looked down. "I know, I know. Swallow first and then speak."

I stifled a giggle.

"Anyways, as I was saying—have you guys applied to universities yet? Applications are due in like three weeks now."

"Yup," Andre perked up at the mention of anything school related. "I applied to every single one of the Ivys. Yale's already accepted me into their mathematics program, but I'm leaning more towards Brown."

With a proud grin, Elias patted him on the shoulder.

"Atta boy!" Malcolm cheered, banging on the table.

"Andre, that's incredible!" I exclaimed.

He blushed from all the looks he was receiving, as people were now beginning to glance at our table. In an effort to divert the attention, Andre cleared his throat and glanced at me.

"It's no biggie," Andre bashfully murmured. "Anyways, what about yourself, Daisy?"

"Lemme guess," Malcolm laughed. "Full ride to Harvard?"

"I'm not that smart," I rolled my eyes, "and besides, I'm not applying."

"Yeah, Harvard's a bit of a tricky one," Andre nodded understandingly. "I mean, have you seen that acceptance rate?"

"I don't mean I'm not applying to Harvard, silly. I mean I'm not applying anywhere."

Malcolm's mouth dropped open, Andre frowned, and Elias merely gazed at me with probing eyes.

"Wait, what?" Andre looked at a loss for words. "Are you waiting closer to the deadline?"

"No."

"Are you taking a gap year?" Malcolm suggested.

"More like a gap life," I shrugged. "Anyways, is it so hard to believe? Not everyone wants to spend the next few years of their life doing even more school."

Andre frowned. "Well, yeah, but you're so... you."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"You're just so—"

"Smart," said Malcolm.

"Intelligent," added Andre.

"Nerdy," Elias chimed in.

I glared at him, to which he smirked.

"If you don't plan on going to university or college, what are you gonna do later in life?" Andre asked.

"Hmm, I'm not sure. If I'm lucky enough, I'll get promoted to assistant manager at the restaurant in a few years."

Andre blinked at my response. Thankfully, he was distracted from asking me any further questions when Malcolm began to drone on about some new video game.

"So that's your big plan?" Elias murmured to me. "Work as a waitress for the rest of your life? Get bossed around by some manager who doesn't give a crap about you, deal with annoying customers who hardly even see you as a person, just to maybe get promoted?"