Isabelle's P.O.V

"I told you before mom, I'm taking a gap year."

I listened as my mother go on about me going to college. It was the same thing whenever my mother called me. We always fought about me not being in college like every the rest of her graduating class. But I wasn't ready for college, at least not yet.

"Honey, you said the same thing last year."

I smiled cheekily, I guess I did say it last year. Oh, well.

"All I'm saying is, just apply for the fall semester. You don't have to make up your mind now, we're still some time away from fall. But if you apply now and you do decide to go, you won't have to worry about late admission."

I knew that I would have to give in and do what she wants, it's the only way I'll get her to stop calling me every day to talk about it. I signed inwardly, accepting defeat.

"Fine mom, I'll fill out the admissions form."

"No need to dear, I've already sent it off, you should be hearing from Yale soon."

I should have known that she wouldn't just leave well enough along. My mother was a control freak, everything in her life and the life of others around her had to be perfect. And almost always, everything had to go her way.

"Really mom? What if I had said no?"

The moment I said it I regretted it. I knew it wouldn't be long before she started with her, 'I only want what's best for you,' speech. I love my mom, but sometimes she just didn't know when to butt out of my life or anyone's life for that matter. The woman was like a dog with a bone.  

"Darling, you know I only want what's best for you. I don't want you to be the only member of our family to not go college. You have a reputation to think about, how is it going to look if a Millard don't go to college."

I sighed and threw my hands up. I am tired of hearing about the Millard reputation. It was one of the reasons I didn't go to college straight out of high school. I felt the need to tarnish the Millard name a bit.

The doorbell rang to my apartment and I almost did a little happy dance, but knowing my mother she sense it and scold me.

"Gotta go, mom, Hillary is here, love ya, bye!"

I hang up before she could reply. No doubt she would have told me how being friends with Hillary was not good for the Millard reputation. If I let my mother have it her way, she'd have me doing breakfast with the Smiths at eight, brunch and then lunch at the country club with the women from her charity group. And in the evening, I'd be placed on display for all my mother's friends to choose for their sons. That was so not the life I wanted for myself. I wanted freedom and fun. I'll leave the military lifestyle to my sister, Irene, she's much better at it than me anyway. 

The doorbell ring again and I laughed. I just knew that my impatient best friend was tapping her foot, and contemplating whether or not to kick down the door. I threw the door open just as the fifth ring came through. Hillary had an impatient and irritated  look on her face. She pushed passed me and walked into my apartment.

I rolled my eyes and closed the door behind her. She's lucky I love her because that was the only reason I tolerated her. She can be an annoying bitch sometimes, but most of the times she's an awesome friend.

I moved away from the door and followed her into the kitchen. She was already in my fridge looking for food. There were only two things that Hillary really cared for in life and those were, food and guys. She could eat as much as she like and never gain any weight. I on the other hand, have to watch everything I eat or I blow up like a balloon and trust me it's not a pretty sight.

As for guys, Hillary attracts them like metal to magnet. She was just simply stunning, with her red curls that seem to shine in the light. Her bright green eyes that draw you in, and her perfect porcelain skin. Oh, and let's not forget her Angelina Jolie lips. Me? Now, I'm just plain. I wouldn't call myself ugly, but I also wouldn't call myself beautiful. I was just simple. My blonde hair was average and so were my blue eyes. My skin was filled with so many freckles, it was like they were trying to invade my body. Guys sometimes do look at me, but mostly as a friend, not a girlfriend. I had a few boyfriends before, but most of them turned out to be jerks who only dated me to get close to my best friend.

Anyway, enough about my dull life, let get back to the reason my bestie was cleaning out my fridge. This was a thing with her. She still lived with her mother, who made her eat healthily, and she hated it. So, she always comes to my apartment to get her junk food on.

"I can't afford your eating habits Hill, I'm already struggling to feed me, let alone your greedy ass. You're gonna have to start contributing to the shopping."

She ignored me and took the chicken and cheese sandwich that she made over to my little dining table. I rolled my eyes and pull out a chair and sat down next to her. I watched her take a bite and moaned, I swear it looked like she was making love to the sandwich. I envy the fact that she could put so many carbs into her body and still look like a Victoria secret model.

"What's it this time Hill? You are never out of bed before ten and it nine in the morning."

I waited for her to finishing chewing. She took a sip of her apple and mango juice to wash the food down then answered.

"Ok, I know we like said that we were gonna like ditch going to college and stuff, but...I like had and epiphany and I saw myself like graduating, so I like couldn't ignore that, right? I mean, what if god is like telling me that I should be in college? I can't just ignore god now, can I?"

I quirked my eyebrow up at her, not believing a word she said, epiphany my ass.

"Does this has something to do with a guy?"

She looked slightly embarrassed and I chuckled. I just knew my best friend, most of her big decision were based on some guy. As much as I tell her to do what pleases her and not some douchebag who's just using her for sex, she never listens to me. She would get hurt then promised to never do it again, then along comes another hot guy and off she goes on that roller coaster again.

"It's different this time Izzy, Ash is sweet and kind and he's so into me. The way he looks at me makes me feel special...I think I'm in love with him, Izzy."

I wanted to scream at her and tell her that she was making a mistake, but I didn't. I remembered how that turned out last time. We'd just start screaming at each other then we'd stop speaking to each other for weeks and she'll still go and make her mistakes. I wanted to be there for her when she do need me.

"Which college did you apply to?"

Her jaw dropped and she looked at me like I've lost my marbles.

"Are you ok? You sure you're feeling well?"

I scrawled at her then took her plate and bit into her half eaten sandwich. Man was it good, it was like sex wrapped up in bread. Delicious.

"Ok, like who the hell are you and what have you don't with my best friend?"

I picked up a cucumber from the plate and threw it at her. She turned up her face in disgust and swat the cucumber away.

"Eww, that's just gross! Do you have to be so immature?"

I laughed and threw another cucumber at her. She scrawled at me and stood and I smiled then continued eating her sandwich.

"This is really good."

I said, but she continued Scrawling at me.

"What?" I said.

She sat down back in her seat and answered. "You're seriously not gonna like, yell at me for being stupid, or try and talk me out of following after another guy?"

I pushed the plate away. "And what good would any of that do? It's not like you're gonna listen to me. I've decided to be the supporting friend instead of the condemning friend."

Hillary looked perplexed. She was staring at me like I just dropped from space and told her I was about to obliterate earth.

"Like seriously? You're cool with me breaking my promise to follow a guy to college?"

I nodded my head. "Yep, I'm as cool as a cucumber. Just tell me what college you applied to so that I can do the same."

"You're gonna come with me?!"

The excitement in her voice could break glass.

"Sure I'm gonna go with you, beside, who else is gonna be your annoying conscience?"

She laughed and I joined in.

"OMG! This is going to be awesome! We've like, got so much to do. There's like clothes and shoes and where we're going to live. But first we've gotta like, drive down there and see what the place is like. We so don't wanna leave it till the last minute, cause all the dorm rooms that will be available will be crap. OMG! We're so going on a road trip. Yale, here we come!"

I just sat and stared at her. She was talking so fast I couldn't keep up. All I heard was, 'OMG! Clothes, shoes and live. Crap, OMG! And Yale,' the rest of whatever she said was lost to me. And I wasn't going to make the mistake of asking her to repeat it.

"Yale huh, Well I guess we're going to college, my mother is going to be so happy."

If I didn't know better I would have thought that my mother set the entire thing up. My mother is good but she's not that good, is she?

"...love him and he's going to love you, I like just know it."

I hadn't the foggiest what she just said, but I smiled and nodded. No need to tell her that I wasn't listening. Hillary squealed and I cover my ears from the sound. I swear I felt the ground shook.

"Calm down, if you aren't successful in whatever you're going to major in at college, at least you can still go work for DC as the black canary. You night have to dye your hair blonde, but you're got the screech down."

Hillary just rolled her eyes at me and continued squealing. After about one minute of her ear popping screech, she stop to look at me. I didn't like the look she had on her face, I know whatever it was I wasn't going to like.

"Why are you looking at me like that?"

The weird look was still on her face but it was followed by a smile. I didn't like that smile either. Whatever was going on in that head of hers was not good. The moment she opened her mouth I know I was doomed.

"All we have to do now is find you a boyfriend."

The moment the words left her mouth, I thought about that guy I met at the hospital. It's a shame he was already taken.