Chapter Twenty-Seven
Dylan
I drove Taylor and I to the college fair at our high school that Monday evening. We entered the gym to see rows and rows of tables lined up. Other students were strolling around.
“Where to do we start?” Taylor said.
“Have you done any research?”
I hadn’t. so I wasn’t going to judge her for not doing any.
“I did some. I think those schools are supposed to be here.”
“What did you want to major in?” I asked.
She frowned. “I haven’t talked to my parents yet, but I’d like to be a nurse.”
“That’s great, Taylor. Why haven’t you told your parents?”
“Because my mother wants me to be an engineer,” she said.
“But your math skills are horrible.”
Of course, that needed to go through another filter. I’d been helping her with her math, and she was terrible at it.
She laughed. She could have gotten mad at me. “Yeah, I know. I’m good at science, but not so good at math.”
“You better talk to them soon. We’re behind, not having applied to schools yet. Don’t waste time applying to a school you don’t want to go to.”
She rolled her eyes. “I know, Dylan. What about you?”
“Computer science,” I said. My favorite class was my programming class. “I’m getting an A in the class without a lot of work. I must be good at it.”
“That’s cool. Must be nice to know what you’re good at.”
“Why do you want to be a nurse?”
“I know this is going to sound odd, but I like helping people. Every year the cheerleaders do community service. I really like it. I figure a nurse is a way to help people and actually get paid to do it.”
“Makes sense. I’m sure if you tell your parents that it will make you happy and you can get a job doing it, they’ll support you,” I said.
She nodded, but I didn’t think she was convinced.
I stopped at the first table. “Computer science?”
The man smiled wide. “Yes, Penn State has a good Computer Science Program. You just need to be ready to take calculus your first semester.”
“I’m taking precalc now,” I said.
“Then you’ll be fine.”
He handed me some brochures. “Thanks.”
“We have prospective students nights coming up next month, if you want to attend. You can ask alumni questions about the school.”
“Okay.” He handed me a card. His excitement was infectious.
Taylor stopped at the next table to look at a school with a nursing program. She read the brochure she was given. “If I go an extra year, I can get my Masters.”
“Does that benefit you?”
“Not sure, really. I’ll have to do some research.”
“Go back and ask. That’s why people are here,” I said as I tugged her back in the direction of the table.
“Hi, I just talked to you. I wanted to know what benefit getting a Masters in Nursing gives me,” Taylor said.
The woman smiled and listed off what she could do with a Masters in Nursing. It sounded impressive to me. Taylor nodded, but I didn’t think she was taking it all in. Hopefully, she’d get the idea of what the woman was saying.
“Thanks,” Taylor said.
We kept walking. “Wow, that was a lot of information,” Taylor said.
“I think the bottom line was that you can do a lot of things. I guess it depends on what you want out of your degree,” I said.
“A lot to think about.” She tugged me in the other direction. “Computer science.”
And so the night went. We looked out for each other’s majors. Both of our bags were full when we were done.
“You want to get coffee?” Taylor said. “I’m not ready to go home.”
“Sure.”
We drove to a coffee shop. I guess this was our second date, in a way. Taylor had her brochures laid out when I got back to the table and put down her drink. “Thanks.”
“What do you think?”
“I think I need to talk to my parents and maybe visit some schools. I have a better idea now.”
“Why didn’t you do this earlier? I didn’t think I was going to college, but now I can, that’s why I didn’t do it.”
“I didn’t want to disappoint my parents.”
“Why would they be disappointed with you being a nurse?”
Taylor shrugged. “I was the only child that my parents were able to have. I think they have high hopes for me.”
“But it’s your life, not theirs.”
“I know.” She took a sip of her coffee. “So, what did you figure out?”
“I know I want to visit a few of these schools. Hopefully, I can do that. Maybe borrow your car and go to them.”
“Sure. I’m sure my dad will let you.”
“I hope so.”
“He might even attend them with you.”
I shrugged. “Your father has done so much for me. I can’t ask for more.”
“You’re the son he never had.”
“I just hope I can stay living with you guys.”
“I can’t imagine he’ll kick you out.”
“If he thinks we’re together, he will kick me out. I’m still not sure us being a couple is a good idea, Taylor.”
“I’m still working on an idea.”
“Well, you better figure it out before they find out on their own. There will be no negotiating with them then.”
She nodded, but I wasn’t sure she really got it. She was a little selfish, but I think it was because she just didn’t understand the life I had led.