The College List I Crossed Out To Escape His Shadow Chapter 01

The College List I Crossed Out To Escape His Shadow Chapter 01

The day our SAT scores went live, I had dinner with Leo Calloway’s family to celebrate.

His mother Diane Calloway said, half-joking, “Sasha, any plans to date in college? If so, you two should coordinate your applications. And honestly, you could do a lot worse than our Leo, you know.”

The secret I’d buried deep inside me was suddenly dragged into the light.

My face flushed hot, and my eyes instinctively flicked toward Leo.

He didn’t look up.

But I caught it, an unmistakable flicker of disgust on his downturned face.

In eighteen years, it was the first time I’d ever seen that expression on him.

I stood there, frozen, completely at a loss for how to respond.

“Oh, come on, love is personal. Let’s not meddle with the kids.”

My mom smoothed things over and steered the conversation elsewhere.

Leo didn’t say another word for the rest of the meal.

That night, I went home, opened my list of target schools, and quietly crossed off the one I’d copied from the back wall of our classroom, Leo’s dream college.

***

That little incident didn’t leave a rift between the adults. 　　But for me, I couldn’t be around Leo the same way anymore. 　　I thought he felt the same.

Except the very next day, he messaged me first. 　　[Come over this afternoon. Let’s hang out.]

It looked no different from before.

But I agonized over how to reply. 　　Eventually, I typed back: [Okay.]

Then I asked what time he’d come. 　　He didn’t respond.

By lunch, I was a nervous wreck. 　　So anxious I couldn’t even settle down.

I waited until three o’clock before my phone finally rang.

“Are you home? I’m coming over now.”

I twisted the hem of my shirt and said quietly, “I’m home.”

After I hung up, I turned down my mom’s invite to the movies and told her I had plans with Leo.

We didn’t live far apart, just across the street, Maplewood subdivision to Maplewood subdivision.

I figured he’d be here any minute.

So I changed and went downstairs to wait.

That wait dragged on for another two hours.

I stared at the string of unanswered calls on my phone and debated whether to try again.

But would that make me look clingy?

What if he had a genuine emergency?

I was still editing a message when someone tapped my shoulder from behind. 　　“Sasha. Let’s go.”

Leo startled me so badly I clutched my phone to my chest, terrified he’d seen the draft.

Just as we were leaving, I ran into my mom coming home. 　　“Sasha, Leo, you two are heading out?”

Leo flashed her a polite smile. “Just dinner, Mrs. Hart. Not playing around.”

My mom nodded. “Don’t be out too late.”

When we got to the restaurant, I stopped dead.

A whole crowd of people I didn’t recognize swarmed Leo with familiar hellos.

Maya Vance glanced at me and squeezed in next to him.

“So Sasha’s the one you were waiting for. Why didn’t you just invite her to hang out this afternoon? Why wait until dinner?”

So he’d been with them all afternoon.

Then why drag me here?

I trailed behind him, waiting for an answer too.

“Let’s eat, aren’t you hungry?”

Leo didn’t take the bait. He just herded everyone inside.

They all laughed and settled into the booth.

Except there was no seat for me.

I stood in the doorway, unsure what to do. 　　I want to go home. 　　That was my first thought.

I practiced the words in my head a hundred times before I finally mustered the courage to step forward.

“Leo, I…”

“Why aren’t you sitting down?”

Leo cut me off, turning around.

Every conversation at the table stopped dead. Everyone stared.

He scanned the booth, saw it was full, and eventually flagged down a server for an extra stool, wedging it next to him.

“Sit.”

The words I hadn’t said caught in my throat, but I sat down anyway.

And the second I did, I regretted it.

I couldn’t wedge into a single one of their topics.

So I sat there stiffly, sipping soda after soda.

Halfway through the meal, Leo suddenly shoved his phone in my face. 　　“Hey Mom, yeah, I’m eating with Sasha. Be back soon.”

I barely got a smile ready before he yanked the phone back and hung up.

He hadn’t said one word to me the entire time.

And he didn’t introduce me to anyone else, either.

That was the moment I started to understand why he’d called me here.