Archive of Our Own

This was a joke. 

This had to be a joke. 

This was supposed to be a joke.  

And yet, here he was, clutching the formerly neat letter in his hands tightly as he stared with wide, shocked eyes. Wally has read the letter six times to ensure that he wasn’t misreading it— but he had to be, right? Rubbing his eyes, Wally tried to read it again, but out loud this time.  

“Dear Wallabee Beetles, it is with great pleasure that I inform you of your acceptance into Harvard University...”   

Somehow, hearing his own voice say the words out loud still didn’t make this feel any more real. This had to be a mistake— the school got his rejection letter mixed up with this one. Wallabee Beetles was a common enough name in America, right?  

Not right.  

Nothing about this was right.  

Wally sat down and breathed in, trying to think about this logically. And logically this didn’t make a lick of sense. Grades wise he wasn’t very studious— only recently did his grades improve on account of his friends helping him deal with his severe dyslexia. No one realized he had that problem until early high school because— and here’s reason number two— he was a troublemaker. Teachers didn’t want to be bothered with him and everyone assumed he was just stupid and didn’t care. Even Wally thought that until they discovered his actual problem. Regardless, he was always ditching, getting into fights and causing just plain mischief. Why the bloody hell would a top three school want that on their campus?  

The only thing he could think of that could have gotten him in was his athlete status, but even then, it wasn’t anything impressive. He worked outside of school, so he could only manage to be on so many teams. Not to mention the number of times he’s been benched from being too violent on the field.  

Wally carefully put the acceptance letter back in the envelope and shoved it under his pillow. He couldn’t focus on this right now— it was making his head spin.  

This was supposed to be a joke...!! 

Months ago, he and Hoagie had been screwing around and gotten into his mom's liquor cabinet. He doesn’t know who came up with the idea, but they thought it’d be funny to send out applications to schools that they had no chance of getting into.  

In hindsight, it was a pretty stupid idea for a ‘joke’, seeing how sending in an application to Harvard cost him around $70 he did not have. But he was drunk, and it sounded funny at the time. Ha ha, let’s waste their time and get a dumb rejection letter in.  

Look who’s laughing now.  

Here’s a hint, it’s not Wally.  

He can’t even afford this!! 

.... how much does it cost to go, anyway? 

Wally pulled out his phone and did a quick internet search.  

Upon finding his answer, he felt like he could puke.  

Yeah.  

Yeah, he cannot afford this.  

You know what, he thought, he doesn’t need to worry about this. Even if he went, he’d flunk out so he’s just... going to ignore this. Forever. 

-- 

Ignoring his problem and hoping it’ll go away was proving to be rather easy. A few days passed and he didn’t tell anyone about the letter. Hoagie didn’t even remember them sending the applications, and even if he did, there’s no reason for him to think Wally got in. The only thing that had him anxious was all the talk about college buzzing around the school. He wanted to spend his senior year having fun, not listening to everyone panic and cry about their higher education.  

Wally had no interest in college—He had promised his parents he would think about going to community college to get his associates at the very least , but Wally doesn’t like school, so even that stressed him out. He wanted to relax and enjoy the last few moments he had before he had to worry about becoming an actual , real adult.   

Growing up really does blow. 

You know what else blows? Listening to his friends yammer on about their plans after high school. 

(Well. One friend in particular.)  

Kuki had sent in several applications for different schools since the start of their senior year. She wouldn’t admit it, but she was rather stressed out by it. Wally could tell, as he knew her parents were really pushing her to go to a good school. Luckily, she got some of the best grades in their class, so he knew she had nothing to worry about.  

Though that still worried him. This very well may be the last year he gets to have her around as much as he wants. Hoagie was going to flight school but to the nearest one which was an hour drive away, so Wally would still be seeing him, and Abby decided to start off at community college in their town before planning to transfer (She said it was because she wanted to save money, but Wally knew she actually wanted to stay near Hoagie). Kuki was the only one looking for big shot universities.  

He was dreading the day where she tells them what school she chooses and finding out it was on the other end of the world. He remembered her parents had wanted her to apply to schools in Japan—JAPAN. 

WALLY CAN’T FLY TO JAPAN-- 

Okay. He was getting ahead of himself. He knows Kuki didn’t actually apply to schools in Japan, but her parents sure did like to talk about it. Not only that, he thought as he listened to his three best friends yammer on about the future—He knew that his time with Abby and Hoagie would be short lived as well. Abby planned on transferring to a university after community and Hoagie had long term plans to get a job in the sky. In a big way, Wally felt like he was being left behind, and the feeling weighed heavy in his chest. He actively ignored it, but he was the only one who didn’t have any solid plans for his future. He knew he would keep working, but even getting his associates was up in the air. When he thought he figured out what it was he wanted to do with his life, he’d lose all motivation. There was even a minute where he thought about joining the military because at least it would be something.  

His mind suddenly reminded him of the letter burning a hole under his pillow.  

Wally shook his head. 

Going to a top three school for the sake of doing something with his life was as bad of an idea as joining the military, which would have never worked since Wally’s had a problem with authority figures since birth. He hated admitting it, but maybe all the teachers in Wally’s life were right—Maybe he really had no direction in his life.  

“Wally?” Kuki asked, pushing her hair behind her ear as she looked at him curiously. “Are you okay? You've been staring off into space for minutes!” 

Wally blinked hard, looking at her. 

“Yeah. I’m fine.” 

--- 

Wally barely had a chance to drop his car keys on the key hook by his front door before his mom practically ran into him. 

“Wallabee!! Oh, Wallabee how could you!!” 

“Huh!? What—What'd I do now!?” He exclaimed, back against the door in a panic. His mind reeled—Thinking of anything he could have done recently to get himself in trouble with his mom. He flipped off his math teacher today, maybe that old fart called-- 

“You’re a terrible boy for keeping secrets from your mother, you know that!” His mom cried. Wally stared at her, dumbfounded. He noticed she was holding wrinkled paper-- 

Oh shit -- 

“No--Where did you get that--” He exclaimed, quickly trying to reach for the letter. His mother dodged him, pressing the letter to her chest. 

“Why didn’t you tell your father and I that you got accepted into Harvard !! Let alone that you were applying!” She demanded, slapping his chest with the letter. “We’re so proud of you! Oh, I’m so mad you didn’t say anything! I need you to go shower because your father went to get a cake—I've been cooking your favorites all day!”  

“Wait--ma--” Wally sputtered, still trying to reach for the letter. “This--that’s a mistake--” 

“Nonsense!” She sang. “Now go get clean! We’re celebrating! Oh, my little boy, going to Harvard ! I can hardly believe it!” 

“No, ma—You don’t understand--” He tried again, but she wasn’t listening. Wally felt his heart hammering in his chest hard, like it could fly out and explode in front of his face. Wally didn’t have a moment of pause. He felt himself get pushed when the front door opened, his dad coming in with balloons. 

“Dad..! Dad, you gotta listen to me--” 

“Son! Oh, we’re so proud of you!” His dad gushed, shoving the balloons aside, giving Wally a tight hug. “Although your mother was real upset that you hid that letter! Joey! Bring the cake in son!” 

“No--Dad, I hid the letter because I’m not--” 

“You know, I had important mission things to do.” Joey huffed loudly, carrying the box that Wally assumed had the cake in it. “I don’t have time to celebrate Wally going to school.” 

“Yes--Yes! He’s right, and it’s fine because I’m not going--” 

“Aw Joey, this is a big day for us!” Their dad laughed, taking the cake from him. “Harvard doesn’t just accept anyone, you know!” 

“They must if Wally got in.” 

“Shut up you little--” Wally snapped, kicking at his little brother.  

“Boys, boys! That’s enough—Go get ready for dinner, your moms been cookin’ up a storm!” Their dad said, having moved between them before making his way to the kitchen.  

God damn it why are they so happy --  

“I’m gonna take your room when you go away.” Joey told him; arms crossed, looking pleased with himself.  

“Like hell you are, ya little punk.” Wally grumbled, moving past him to rush up to his bedroom. Upon his arrival, he was able to tell that his room was much cleaner than it was this morning—no clothes on the floor, soda cans thrown out, bed made-- 

No wonder his mom found the letter, He should have tossed it out when he had the chance.  

Wally threw himself on his bed, shoving his face into his pillow, swearing loudly into it.  

--- 

His mom sure did make a lot of food. 

Wally didn’t have much of his usual appetite, but even if he did, he’s not sure he would have been able to ever finish his plate. His mom kept piling food onto it while his parents yammered on about Harvard, and how proud they were of him. He could barely get a word in edgewise to tell them he wasn’t going. Part of him felt bad for ruining their bliss, but his parents were kind of blissful idiots to begin with, so he’s certain they’ll get over it. Besides, Joey was the smart one. He was in all those gifted classes. He’ll go to—Yale or something. Wally doesn’t need to go to Harvard.  

When Wally saw his parents lift their drinks to their mouths in a moment of pause, he took that as his chance to clear the air. 

“Ma, dad—Listen....I’m--glad you’re happy about all this but—I don’t plan on going.”  

His parents paused in their movements. Joey, who was leaning on his hand, looking bored as he picked at his cake, finally looked up in interest. 

“Don’t be silly, son,” his dad said with a laugh. “Of course, you’re going! You got accepted.” 

“That’s--I know I got accepted dad .” Wally said, biting back his frustration. “I just think.... you know I don’t think it’s a really smart choice!”  

“How?” 

“Well...it’s--I don’t even know what I want to study yet!”  

“That’s why you go to school, dear. You’ll figure it out.” 

“.....That’s true...” Wally muttered. “Oh! It’s expensive! There’s no way we can afford it!” 

“Oh, don’t worry about that son.” his dad waved his hand. “There’s tons of ways around that! Scholarships, financial aid, loans--” 

“I really don’t think loans are a good idea—I mean—Abby says student debt is at an all-time high or whatever! And that most students die before they can even pay off the loans! That’s not a good thing!” 

“Honey, don’t think that we’ll leave the money burden on you. Your dad and I will help out!” 

“Neither of you make that kind of money.” Wally groaned, rubbing his face.  

“That’s for us to worry about, not you.” His mom said. “If it’s for something as important as your education, we’ll do what we can.” 

“But--” Wally tried again as his mom stood up. She touched his head and pushed his hair out of his face, looking at him. 

“No buts,” She told him, tapping his nose. “Give it a chance! Let’s at least go see the campus before you make such a big decision about not going. You might feel differently when you’re there!” 

“That’s right son! It’s at least worth checking it out. Don’t let nerves get to ya!” 

Wally slumped in his seat, looking between his parents, seeing nothing but their stupid hopeful gaze and their proud smiles. Even if he told them it was probably a mistake, that he applied for a joke, they would still find a reason to be happy about it. 

“.... Fine.” Wally said through gritted teeth.  

Joey took a big bite of cake, looking bored again. 

“Don’t worry. Once they meet you, they’ll change their mind.” 

--- 

At two in the morning Wally found himself laying on the roof of his house, staring up at the star filled sky, freezing his ass off in his jeans and hoodie. He couldn’t sleep after dinner, mind plagued with heavy anxiety of his future. He missed the days when he was a kid and his biggest worry was what game he was going to play that day or what was on tv. Wally had been laying on his roof for several minutes, not feeling any better about his situation. He was cursing himself for applying to Harvard for a joke. 

Although, in hindsight, he had to wonder who the joke was on, seeing how he had to pay for the application and go take a test just to even get in the running. 

Man, Wally was terrible at tests. How the hell did he get in? 

Groaning, Wally sat up and decided to climb down from the roof, going for a walk. 

He adjusted himself after he scaled down his house, putting his hood over his head as he walked away from his house. He kept a slow pace, listening to the wind blow slightly against his face and the crickets make their noise. It was overwhelmingly quiet—Wally's thoughts and worries felt like they were on the highest volume. It made him want to kick the trashcan or throw it over a fence just so he didn’t have to hear himself think. 

Wally stopped walking, looking up at the house he had mindlessly walked to. 

Kuki’s bedroom light was still on, unlike all the other lights in her house. She’s not usually a night owl, but she had mentioned that she wasn’t getting as much sleep as usual. 

He thought about seeing her. It wouldn’t be the first time he snuck into her room at night to hang out, but he had to stop because her dad nearly stabbed him when he caught them watching a movie at midnight. 

….Eh. It wouldn’t be the first time Mr. Sanban has tried to kill him, won’t be the last.  

Wally ran across her lawn to the large tree that stood by the side of her house. He easily climbed his way up, carefully moving through the branches until he made it to her window. Wally peeked inside, seeing Kuki at her desk, notes and books open. Wally gave a quiet knock, watching Kuki’s bun bounce on her head as she looked up. He noticed her bangs were clipped to the top of her head with a comically large rainbow monkey hair clip. She saw him and flew out of her chair, moving to open the window. 

“Wally..! What’re you doing here?”  

“Couldn’t sleep—Why’re you up so late, huh?” he asked. “Lemme in before I break the branch.” 

Kuki moved aside, letting Wally climb his way into her bedroom. She looked at the clock on her bedside table and rubbed her face. 

“Oh gosh...I didn’t even realize it was that late.” She admitted.  

Wally walked over to her desk, pulling off his hood. Her desk was covered with college prep books, practice tests and admission essays. 

“I’m no whiz when it comes to school, but I hear sleeping is a good way to help you pass tests.” He pointed out. Kuki sighed, walking to her desk and half heartedly attempted to clean it.

“I know, I know. It's just—some last-minute prep, that’s all.” 

“Your parents making you apply to more schools?” 

“Three more have been added to the list.” She answered with a look of exhaustion. “Two of which I’m already late for applying to because they only just heard of them.” 

“Man, you must have applied to a thousand schools by now. Do they know you can only go to one?” 

“They want their bases covered.” Kuki said, crossing her arms with a shrug. “And it’s not a thousand. It’s like.... I think I’ve applied to nine.” 

“Nine ? God damn.” 

“Language.” Kuki scowled, giving his arm a light pinch.  

Wally waved a dismissive hand, moving to sit on her bed. Kuki followed him, kicking off her slippers. 

“Well, you’ll get into all of them, probably.” 

“I hope not, my dad made me apply to this all girls catholic college three states away.” 

Wally made a face. 

“Alright, you’ll get into most of them. Fuck that one.” 

“Language ...!” 

“Yeah, yeah.” He rolled his eyes. “You’re not even catholic? Aren’t your parents Shinto, or something?” 

“I have a feeling that doesn’t matter.” Kuki laughed softly, removing the rainbow monkey clip from her hair. “Have you...thought about what you want to do after high school...?” 

Wally let out a heavy sigh, laying back on her bed. 

“I know you don’t like talking about it,” She said quickly, looking down at him. “But we’re going to graduate soon and... I just want to make sure you’ll be okay. That you’re doing something...Even if it’s work! Working is good too...! ...You look upset. Don’t be upset.” 

“I’m not upset.” Wally grumbled. Kuki knew he hated talking about this stuff, but she wouldn’t stop worrying over what he was going to do after high school. Part of it was nice, being fussed over. He knew it was because she worried about him. It mostly left him frustrated and snappish though. 

“Are you sure? Because your brows are super tight.” She said, smiling softly as she pressed her finger to the space between his eyebrows, smoothing out his frustration. Wally couldn’t help but chuckle, looking up at her.  

(She was really cute...) 

“.....Actually uh....” he started, only to pause and look away from Kuki’s eyes. 

“I uh.... I actually...Did apply. Somewhere.” 

“OH!” She gasped loudly. 

“Shh! You want your dad to kill me again...!?” 

“Sorry...!” Kuki whispered quickly, sitting up on her bed at attention. “You did? Where? When? Why didn’t you tell me? Did you get in? Wally...!” 

He didn’t expect her to get so excited, damn. Wally swallowed hard, shifting before sitting up, bringing his knees up to his chest. 

“It... wasn’t a planned thing.” He told her slowly. “It was uh—spur of the moment, ya know?” 

“Did you get in?” Kuki pressed; eyes wide. “Where did you apply? Is it a state school?” 

“.... You could say that ...” Wally swallowed hard, glancing down. “I... I got in.” 

Kuki gasped again, covering her mouth in glee.  

“Oh Wally! I’m so happy for you!” She squeaked. “I know how tests and all this stuff makes you nervous but I’m so proud of you...!” 

“Thanks...” He coughed. “I don’t think I’m gonna go though.” Kuki’s shoulders slumped. 

“What? Why?” She asked, big eyes filled with concern now.  

“I--Just—You know—I don’t see it working out.” Wally said with a shrug, pushing a hand through his messy hair. “I’m not really.... a college guy, you know? School and me ain’t always been good friends.” 

“You don’t know that; you’ve never been to college. And college is totally different from high school, Wally! Most people do better there then they do in high school.” Kuki said, scooting closer to him. “Have some faith in yourself.” 

“It’s not about faith—It’s about knowing myself. And myself sucks at school.” 

“Well, clearly you’re better than you thought, because you got accepted.” Kuki said, stubbornly.  

“I just don’t see the point of going for the sake of going. I’ll just flunk out.” 

“You will if you keep that mindset!” Kuki exclaimed. “Wally, you’re capable of so much more than you seem to think! If you don’t want to go, that’s fine—but don’t not go because you don’t think you can do it. Plenty of people found success without going to school—some even flunk out and find success! They do because they work hard and believe in themselves. Whether you go to school or not, you still have to work hard to make it happen. And you can .” 

Kuki poked his chest firmly. 

“You can do anything you set your mind to. You just need to believe in yourself more.” 

“....” Wally pulled his hood back over his head. “I think you believe in me enough for the both of us.” 

“Because you’re my best friend and you deserve it.” Kuki huffed. She moved to sit right next to him, bumping shoulders with him. “At least think about it, okay? No harm in going to the school to check it out. And if you really don’t like it, do something else!” 

Wally sighed, leaning his head on hers. 

“I’ll think about it.” he told her. Wally could practically hear Kuki smiling. God he was weak when it came to her. 

“Good.” She said, hugging his arm. “Oh, you didn’t tell me what school you applied to.” 

“You won’t believe me.” 

“Why would you say that?” 

“Because you won’t.” he snorted. Wally (reluctantly) pulled away from Kuki and reached into the pocket of his sweatshirt. He pulled out the folded, somewhat crumbled letter and handed it to her. She blinked at him curiously before looking down at the paper, unfolding it.  

He watched her read it closely. Watched her eyes get so large he thought they might pop out of her head. He watched Kuki read the letter over and over, touch it, flip it over before deciding to look at him. 

"Harvard ?” Kuki breathed, in shock. 

“Harvard.” Wally confirmed.  

“...Wow...” Kuki breathed out. “I don’t know what I was expecting... Congratulations Wally.” 

“Thanks.” Wally muttered, glancing away. “Still have all that faith in me?” 

“Of course I do.” Kuki said, not missing a beat. “Just because I’m surprised doesn’t mean my faith has weakened.” 

“You’re too nice.” Wally gave a dry laugh.  

“No, I’m just right.” Kuki insisted. “I’m happy for you Wally. If you decide to go...I think you’ll do great.” 

“.... Thanks Kuki.” Wally said softly, looking at her past his bangs. “That....it means a lot.”  

More than she could possibly know.  

Kuki smiled sweetly at him and Wally felt his worries temporarily fly away. When she glanced back at her desk, she sighed, losing her smile. 

“I still have so much to do...” 

“Do it later.” Wally told her. “It’s almost three in the morning. You should sleep.” 

Kuki made a soft sound of agreement, pushing herself up to turn off her desk lamp. Wally got up as well, watching her before moving to the window. Kuki looked up when she heard him open it. 

“Are you leaving?” She asked, blinking widely at him. 

“Uh--Yeah? You’re goin’ to bed, aren’t you?”  

“Yes but...” Kuki shifted, holding her college prep book to her chest. “I was just thinking...it’s been a while since we had a sleep over. We used to do those all the time, remember?” 

“When we were kids, yeah.” Wally gave a dry laugh. “That was before your dad decided to hate me for breathing in your direction. If he catches me I might not live to see Harvard.” 

Kuki waved her hand. “Daddy’s out of town for work. Mama doesn’t check on me like he does.” 

“...You want me to stay?” He asked, his heart pounding fast suddenly. Kuki’s cheeks pinkened as she turned back to her desk, haphazardly moving things around.  

“If you don’t want to, just say so--” 

“No-I—I want to...!” Wally blurted out. “I--I’ll stay. If you want me to or...whatever...” 

“...Then...Stay.” Kuki said softly, setting her books down at last. After taking a deep breath, she suddenly bounced over to him, smiling widely. 

“It’ll be fun...! We may not have a chance to do this again, you know...”  

“We won’t if you go to that all-girls school.” Wally laughed at her sour expression as she moved over to the bed, pulling the covers back.  

“Get in, sassy pants.” She ordered. 

“In the bed?” Wally stared at her. 

“Of course the bed. Where else would you sleep?” 

“The floor? I don’t think we’re gonna fit.” 

“It’s not the same if you’re on the floor!” 

“What does it matter, dummy?”  

“It matters! In.” Kuki demanded, pointing at the bed with authority. She was such a weirdo, Wally thought as he kicked his shoes off and climbed in. Kuki got in after him—Wally felt his face burn when he realized just how close they were in the bed. 

“Y-Ya know—I feel like your bed was a lot bigger when we were kids.” he commented weakly, trying to watch where his hands went. 

“Aha...That’s your fault. You’re the one who grew taller in eighth grade.” Kuki huffed, shifting against him as she tried to get comfortable. Wally tried to ignore it, focusing on his feet that were hanging off the end of her bed. They shifted some more—Kuki elbowing Wally in the ribs and Wally almost pushing her off the bed before Kuki huffed, sitting up with determination. 

“Okay! Lay back—Flat on your back, right now.” She demanded, face red with furrowed brows. 

“Don’t get pissed at me—I told you this wouldn’t freakin’ work.” Wally snapped; his cheeks equally warm as he did as she asked. Once he was flat on his back, Kuki fixed the blankets and moved to lay her head on his chest, body pressed to his side. 

Was this better or worse? Wally isn’t sure. 

“That’s more comfortable, right...?” She breathed. Wally swallowed hard, trying to will his heart to stop beating so fast. 

“...Sure. Yeah, it's—fine...”

“Good…” She breathed. “Good night, Wally…”

Wally breathed out a good night, letting his eyes fall shut as he listened to Kuki slowly and swiftly fall asleep against his chest.

--

After Kuki learned of Wally’s most unexpected acceptance into Harvard, she encouraged him to tell Abigail and Hoagie. Their responses were as expected, with Abigail surprised but over all happy for him with a touch of light teasing, Hoagie, however--

“Wait, is that the school you applied to when we were both waste--I meaaaaan--” He attempted to save himself when Abigail gave him a stern look.

Overall, the result of sharing his acceptance wasn’t so upsetting. They gave Wally more or less the same advice on his dilemma on whether or not he should go, so he was willing to put his faith in his friends and give the school a fair chance. His parents arranged for a visit to the school with a proper tour and everything he didn’t think of. Everything happened so fast and suddenly he was stuck in a car for two days with his parents who insisted on singing bad 90s Australian pop music the entire drive to Massachusetts while Wally was stuck in the backseat with his baby brother. Joey dedicated much of the drive to either sighing loudly, reading (which made Wally car sick just watching him) or trying to get in touch with his friends back home for ‘mission related business’.

Wally kept himself business with his headphones to block out the music his parents blasted the entire drive and messaging his friends. Hoagie was the most responsive, sending memes and stupid selfies to distract him from his nervousness. 

“Get me a Harvard sweatshirt so I can pretend I’m important,” he had messaged Wally several times, begging for any and all souvenirs. 

Eventually, they made it to their destination. Wally barely had any time to get in the shower of their hotel to wash the road stink off of him before his parents dragged him to the campus for a tour.

Facing the university was overwhelming to say the very least. Wally did not scare easily but for some reason this three hundred year old building almost gave him the shakes.

The tour guide was a preppy woman in a grey blazer who reminded Wally of Kuki’s mom, except she was younger and smiling more. She didn’t look like the sort of person Wally would usually talk to, but then, no one he saw on school grounds looked like anyone Wally would associate with. He was finding it harder and harder to picture himself at this school, where the sheer intensity of the school loomed over him like a dark cloud, ready to swallow him whole. Which couldn’t just be his anxiety because most of the students looked on the verge of a break down, eyes wide and sleepless as their shaky hands gripped their coffee cups.

Or maybe that was just the college experience.

Wally hadn’t been paying attention to a word their tour guide was saying, which he knew he was supposed to do, but it felt like his parents were getting more out of this then he was at this point. Joey was wondering too and fro, which his parents didn’t notice and Wally didn’t care enough to point out so long as he stayed out of his way.

“And here is the courtyard where many of our students like to spend time. And--Oh! Look at the time!” The tour guide said. “It's almost time for your meeting!”

Wally snapped back to reality.

“Meeting?”

“Oh yeah, we forgot to mention it son!” his dad said easily. “We scheduled you a meetin’ with the advisor!”

“You what !?” Wally sputtered. “Dad! Why didn’t you say anything?!”

“Oh it's hardly a big deal son! They’re just going to give you an idea of what to expect when you come here.” His dad laughed, waving his hand dismissively.

Sometimes Wally wished his parents weren’t such airheads. His entire body remained tense with nerves and a mild to moderate layer of irritation the entire walk to the offices. The imposing air of the building did little to ease his anxiety and Wally found himself worried that his hoodie and ripped jeans were going to cause them to rip his acceptance letter in half. He kept running his hands through his hair, still messy and damp from his earlier shower.

“Here we are! I’ll let Ms. Kenzie know you’ve arrived.” The tour guide said. Wally wanted nothing more than to run away. Instead, he sat down and pulled out his phone, quickly going to the group chat he shared with his friends. 

“GUYS IM MEETIN AN ADVISOR WTF DO I DO,” Wally sent in a panic. Several ellipses appeared in response.

“Oh crap,” Hoagie eloquently replied, followed by, “RIP.”

“Don’t worry. Advisers are there to help you, not threaten your life.” Abby said rationally.

“U dont know that,” Wally typed back, huffing out a breath of air.

“It’s true!!! They’re v helpful!!” Kuki said, several emoji’s attached to her statement. “They mostly help you with class schedules and help you figure out your major!! No sweat!!”

Shit, Wally thought, he doesn’t have any idea what his major is. He’s totally screwed.

As his phone vibrated with several messages of support, advice and stupidity from his friends, the lady at the front desk told him this ‘Ms. Kenzie’ would see him now. He stood up slowly, only to notice his parents stayed seated.

“....Uh--Aren’t you guys comin’?” He asked, blinking slowly.

“Oh, no dear.” his mom said. “I don’t think you need us for this--just go in and make a good impression! Fix your hair first though.”

Wally touched his hair fast, eyes wide. “You’re making me go alone..!?”

“Come on son, it’s not a big deal. This is something you’ll have to get used to from now on anyway! Honey, do you know where Joey is? I think we misplaced him.” His dad said, standing up.

“Let's go find him, I think he was at the vending machine. Go on, sweetheart, dont keep her waiting!” His mom smiled, pinching his cheek as they abandoned their first born son to the dogs. He was left standing alone--being stared at by the admin assistant who pointedly told him yet again that he was ready to be seen. Swallowing hard, Wally tried in vain to fix his hair and sweat shirt before opening the door to the office. Wally’s eyes fell on the women sitting behind the large wooden desk, typing fast on her computer as she looked up from her work.

“Mr. Beetles? Please, come in.” She said, speaking in an accent Wally managed to identify was from New Zealand. She was younger than he expected, having assumed all the adults in this place to be as old as the school itself. He did as she asked, sitting in a chair in front of the desk, watching her type some more before she suddenly turned her attention on him.

“How are you enjoying your visit?” She asked, expression not unkind, though strangely unreadable. “Have you ever been to Massachusetts before?”

Wally shook his head. “No. It’s uh--It’s nice. Very green.”

She nodded, slowly smiling.

“You’re from Australia,” She commented. “I knew that from your file, of course, but I didn't think you’d sound it.”

“Oh--Yeah. It fades in and out sometimes, mostly when I’m at work. My little brother sounds more American than I do.” Wally said, feeling some tension leave his shoulders. 

“I’ve had some vacations to Australia--Lovely country, beautiful beaches. Don’t care for the bugs though.” Wally managed to laugh.

“Yeah, the insects are killer. I uh--I’ve been to New Zealand once,” he said, rubbing his hands together. “It was nice--Lots of….sheep.” That got a proper laugh from her.

“Oh you don't have to tell me that. Points to you for placing my accent, though. Not many people can.” She winked at him before leaning forward. “You relaxed now?”

Wally blinked widely at her.

“Your shoulders are no longer attached to your ears.” She commented, pointing at him with her pen. “Don’t be nervous. You’ve already been accepted. This meeting is to help you, though I get the sense that you weren’t expecting this.”

“How can you tell?”

“Your hair is wet and most students over dress for these sort of meetings, even when they don’t have to.”

“Yeah uh...My parents forgot to tell me they arranged this.” Wally admitted, shifting awkwardly in his seat.

“That’s fine. Like I said, there is nothing to be nervous about.” Ms. Kenzie said, leaning back in her chair. “Do you have an idea of what you may want your major to be? Harvard is known for law and medical, but we excel in other fields of study as well.”

Wally shifted his eyes downward, looking at his dirty sneakers.

“I don't know what my major is…” This answer did not bother Ms. Kenzie.

“Not a problem. Very common, actually. Take your time to think of what you may be interested in and then you can schedule another meeting where we can hash out the details. Until then, I can help you get an idea of what general education classes you can start with--”

“Uh--Ma’am?” Wally cut her off. “Sorry, I just--I don’t know yet if I’m going to come here.”

Ms. Kenzie blinked and leaned forward in interest.

“Oh? Do you have another school you’re looking at?”

“....Not exactly, no.” Wally admitted. “This is...actually the only school I applied to.”

This answer seemed to interest Ms. Kenzie as she set her pen down, her full attention on Wally.

“You don’t say? Color me curious, why did you apply if you weren’t sure you wanted to come here?”

“.....You could say it was a spur of the moment thing.”

“Quite a moment, I must think, seeing how you have to jump through hoops just to apply.”

“Honestly, I didn’t think I’d get accepted.” Wally said, his leg bouncing with nerves. “I’m still not sure how it happened, I’m not the sort of person who goes to this kind of place.”

“I know,” She agreed. “That’s why I picked you.”

Wally’s head snapped up as he stared at her with wide eyes.

“Huh?”

“I’m on the board of the people who get to pick what students we accept. I saw your application and decided I wanted you here.” She said easily with a shrug. “You impressed me.”

“I--Impressed you?!” Wally’s mouth fell open, gapping at her. “H-How!?”

“How? Mm. Well, I suppose I could tell you. Especially if that's all that's holding you back.” Ms. Kenzie said, pushing her dark hair behind her ear. “Simply put, you were one of the more unique applicants we’ve received. You might have noticed how Harvard has a very specific brand of student it likes to accept--I personally like to challenge that. I’m one of the younger members of the board so I often go out of my way to look for students who have more to offer than sweater vests and good grades. That's not to say I’m careless about who I pick, of course. Your application stuck out to me in a number of ways. Firstly, the picture you submitted is you sticking your tongue out with sunglasses on--”

Oh come on, Wally thought, how drunk was he!?

“--Gave me a bit of a laugh, honestly. Secondly, your test was interesting. You didn’t score perfectly, but you had a unique way of finding the answers to the test then anyone else did, especially for the ones you got right. That stood out to me--I like it when people can find the right answers through different means. It shows you can adapt to situations rather than get stalled by the rules. Your admission essay was good too--lots of personality, especially compared to others I’ve read. All in all you simply stuck out to me and I feel like you could benefit from studying here, as well as us benefit from having you.”

Wally could not believe what he was hearing. His idiocy stood out to her? She liked his stupid drunk selfie? This was the absolute last thing he expected to learn on this trip to a school meant for the elite.

“With that out of the way,” she went on, standing up from her seat. Ms. Kenzie walked around her desk to stand in front of it, leaning against the wood as she looked at Wally seriously.

“Harvard is still a school meant for people dedicated to taking their studies and their future seriously. There is no changing that, of course. Now I understand your hesitance, but I encourage you to give this some very serious thought--It’s not cheap to attend and we expect our students to do only their very best. Being out of state you’ll be on your own as well--As much as we’d love to have you, I do not want you to join our institution if you are not ready for the challenge. Is that clear, Mr. Beetles?”

Wally’s mouth felt dry, so he nodded instead of speaking. Despite the intimidating seriousness of what she was saying, Wally did not feel talked down to. She was right, anyway--he really did need to think about it.

“Good.” She smiled. “Now, we still have some time-- I’d be happy to help you go over a general education plan regardless. Even if you choose to go to a different school, this advice will be helpful either way.”

Wally agreed and thus, they spent the rest of the meeting discussing possible classes he could take for the first two semesters of school. She gave him a bunch of papers, pamphlets and books for him to look at and study up on--mostly regarding the school, the majors they offer and the like. He did his best to pay attention and take the meeting seriously. He didn’t understand why, but he decided he liked this woman, which was rare as Wally has a history of disliking anyone in the education system. While she seemed no-nonsense, she had a kindness to her that Wally wasn’t used to receiving from teachers. When their meeting officially ended, she walked him out and shook his hand as they said their goodbyes.

“It was a pleasure meeting you, Mr. Beetles. I sincerely hope we meet again.” She told him.

--

Wally laid on stomach in his hotel room, charged with babysitting Joey for the night, who was busying himself with whatever movie was on TV.

After his meeting, his parents wanted to wander around the campus for a bit longer before they all went to have a well deserved lunch. They pressed Wally for details about the meeting and all the paperwork he was given, to which he said with annoyance that they should have joined the meeting if they were going to bother him for a play by play. They were unbothered, too excited by the day's events. So excited that they decided to have a date night and yet again abandon Wally, only this time with Joey. Wally’s phone pinged as he noticed the movie Joey had on was probably not age appropriate. Picking up his phone, he threw a pillow at his brother.

“Hey, change the channel. I’m pretty sure you’re too young for slasher films.”

“No way, you watch them all the time. I’m not even scared.” He said, casually squeezing the pillow against his chest.

“I’m older, of course I watch them.” He said, glancing at his phone. It was a text from Kuki.

“How did everything go?” it read. Wally sat up--right as Joey threw the pillow right back at him.

“I’m hungry. Feed me.” he whined. “I want pizza!”

“Fine,” Wally sighed. He noticed Joey kept the movie on and rolled his eyes, opening his laptop to order the food. If he wanted to be scared, let him. Wally watched worse when he was younger. As he typed in the order, he pressed the call button on his phone.

“Hey!” Kuki’s voice rang out happily. “How did it go!! Tell me everything!!”

“Hey,” He said, stupidly unable to stop himself from smiling at the sound of her voice. “It went...okay. Pretty good, actually. The advisor gave me a bunch of stuff to look over and helped arrange some possible classes for me.”

“Aw see! I told you that’s all it was going to be.” she said. Wally could practically hear the smile in her voice. “You should listen to me more--you know I’m always right.”

“You are not.” Wally gave a snort. “But whatever, fine, you were right this time.”

“Wally, pizza..!”

“I’m ordering it, Joey, can it.”

“Ah, babysitting duty, huh?” Kuki giggled. “Me too--Although I wouldn't have thought your parents would leave you the first night.”

“Of course they would, you know that's the only reason they keep me around.”

“Oh stop,” Kuki said. “Come on, tell me more--how's the school? Is it nice?”

“It's old as balls. Everyone here has a stick up their ass and wears sweater vests.”

“Language. I looked it up online, the campus looks pretty nice.” Wally gave a grunt.

“Actually uh--Turns out the advisor I saw is on the board…..I don't actually know what the board is, but basically she’s the reason I got accepted.”

“Oh..!” Kuki gasped. “Really!?”

“Yeah…” Wally glanced at Joey, who was engrossed in the suspense of the movie. He stood up and went out to the balcony.

“She told me that I was accepted because I was ‘unique’. Something about the way I answered questions on the test. I don’t know--she thought I stuck out and said something about me adapting to situations?” Kuki hummed on the other end. Wally could clearly picture her nodding along, playing with the end of her hair in focus.

“I think she has a point.” Kuki replied. “I’ve seen your tests--you always manage to find a totally different way to whatever the answer is.”

“Yeah, but this is a really serious school, Kuki. I don’t know if I’d get away with doing stuff the way I like to.” he sighed, feeling his insecurities buzzing inside of him. “The people that come here….they’re like, really smart.”

“Wally,” Kuki spoke firmly. “You’re smart too--You’re just...smart in a different way. That's not a bad thing.”

“That’s a real roundabout way of calling me dumb.” he said, giving a dry laugh.

“It is not--Oh I wish you were here so I could smack you..!” Kuki snapped. “I really mean it--You have a lot of potential, you just...I don't think you’ve ever been challenged or--had teachers believe in you. That could change for you at that school.”

Wally thought about that. Challenged… Ms. Kenzie used that word earlier today as well.

“....I know you mean it.” Wally muttered, leaning against the rail on the balcony, watching people swim in the pool below him. “It’s just…. I’m--scared, Kuki. This is all happening so fast, you know? I went from being totally aimless--worrying about you guys all moving on without me to...to possibly moving several states away from my family and friends? To a school I never dreamed of getting into? I don’t think I’ve ever been so stressed out about something like this in my life.”

Wally heard Kuki shifting on the other end--he pictured her curling up on her couch, probably in her pink pjs that she loved.

“Honestly...me too.” She said softly. “A lot is changing very fast...and I don’t want to lose contact with you or Hoagie or Abby--you guys mean so much to me. So...I get it. But...My mom always tells me that life doesn’t end after high school. Things may change, but that doesn’t have to be a bad thing. Besides, you’re crazy to think that if you moved we wouldn’t still bother you.”

Wally laughed at that, his heart swelling as he listened to her. He couldn’t picture not seeing Kuki everyday like he always has--That honestly was the hardest part about this.

There was a loud knock suddenly. Wally turned and saw Joey through the sliding glass door, waving.

“Pizza’s here!” he yelled through the door.

“I gotta go.” he said into the phone. “I’ll call you tomorrow, okay? Thanks for...all of that.”

“Of course.” She said, voice quiet. “Good night Wally.”

Hanging up, Wally went and got the pizza. He spent the rest of the night eating the food and watching the rest of the movie with Joey, who did a poor job of pretending not to be scared. Afterward, he tucked him in before throwing himself in bed as well, replaying the conversation he had with Kuki over and over in his head as he scrolled through his phone. He nearly jumped when he felt the bed shift before he saw Joey sitting by him.

“Can I sleep with you?”

“What? No, go back to your bed.”

“Please..!” he begged. “If a killer breaks in he won’t notice me if I sleep here.”

“That's not how that works and I told you you shouldn't have watched the movie.”

“I-I’m not scared because of that…” He lied before making big eyes at Wally. “Please? You’re tough..! You can handle anything Wally, so a killer wouldn't stand a chance…!”

Wally stared at him, deadpan for a moment before sighing.

“Fine, get in here.” Joey beamed and threw himself under the covers, pressing as close to Wally as he could.

He can handle anything, huh…?

--

After a few more days of sightseeing in Massachusetts, Wally and his family made their way back home. He was eager to get back as it wasn’t often he spent this much time away from his friends. He wasn’t sure how he was supposed to live away from them like this, but that's a worry for later. The second his dad parked the car, Wally threw himself out of the car. He rushed to throw his suitcase in his room before grabbing his gift bag and dashing out of the house. They all arranged to meet up at Abigail's house as her family were out for the night.

Once he arrived, he nearly kicked the door open.

“Miss me?”

“Not anymore.” Abby commented, holding a soda in her hand as she stood near the stairs. “Seriously, one of these days you’re going to actually break my door.”

“You’re back!” Kuki squealed, rushing at him before throwing her arms around him. He nearly fell backwards, only saved by Hoagie, who had grabbed his arm and pulled him in while Kuki dangled from his shoulders.

“What’d you get me?! Come on, gimmie--” He grinned, trying to grab Wally’s bag. Wally moved it out of his reach.

“Some welcome back! Maybe I didn’t even get you anything.” He said as Kuki finally let go of him. Hoagie complained as Wally dug in the bag. He faced Abby before flipping off her red hat and placing a Harvard baseball cap on her head. With extreme force Wally then threw a ball of fabric at Hoagie’s face, knocking him back on the couch. He recovered faster than Wally would have liked, grinning wide as he held up the Harvard sweatshirt he had begged Wally for.

“Yes!! Everyone’s gonna totally think I went to the school.”

“Or they’re going to think you’re a poser.” Abby teased. “Thanks for the hat Wally.”

“No problem. And for you…” Wally faced Kuki, handing her a small gift. It was an enamel pin designed with the Harvard sigel. Kuki had been getting into pin collecting lately so he knew this was the perfect thing for her. He was right, of course, because she beamed and bounced as she accepted it.

“Oh Wally, I love it!!” She gushed, cheek pink. “Thank you!”

Wally watched her grab her backpack and pin it to the fabric. He was glad she--well, all of them, really--liked the gifts. Abby said she ordered food so Wally threw himself on the couch, crushing Hoagie in the process as they asked him about his trip. He made some vague responses about it as he took it upon himself to put a movie on. They didn’t push him for more information, content to simply enjoy themselves for the night. Wally felt at ease for the first time in a long while.

At some point, Abby and Hoagie dozed off, with Abby in the recliner and Hoagie half on the couch. Wally glanced at Kuki, finding she was still awake beside him. She gave him a smile, pulling her hair over her shoulder.

“Listen,” Wally said, voice low so he doesn’t wake his friends. “I thought about what you said--on the phone that night?” Kuki shifted to face him, eyes wide with interest.

“Yeah..? And..?”

“And...well, this whole thing is really insane and scary--and chances are I’ll probably flunk out. But ,” he said quickly, putting his hand on her face as she was already beginning to argue with him. “But...I kind of like scary. I don’t know why, but I really want to give it a try? That lady seemed to really think I could do it, and I’ve never had a teacher believe in me before. I want to...make my parents proud. I want to make you proud.”

Kuki touched his hand that he had pressed to her face, pulling it down and holding it in her hands. Her gaze was soft as she squeezed his hand.

“I’m already proud of you. So...You’re going? You’re going to Harvard?”

“Seems like it.” Wally said, feeling rather giddy just saying it out loud. “It’s just going to suck being away from you guys.”

Kuki smiled wide, still holding his hand, something he was having a hard time not focusing on.

“I’m so happy for you Wally,” she said, trying to keep her voice down. “You’re going to do great. And don't worry about us--we’re not going to leave you alone.”

“Yeah, well--You’ll probably be really busy, what with all the schools you’ve applied to…” Kuki swallowed in response, looking down at her lap, her thumb creasing his palm.

“Actually, I’ve heard back from some of the schools and...I think I know which one I’m going to.” It was Wally’s turn to look interested, and very much was.

(Please don’t be the all girls Catholic school.) 

“You see, I also sort of….applied to Harvard.” She said slowly. “And I kind of sort of got in too.”

“A-Ah--Huh?? What?” Wally said, louder than he should have. Kuki shushed him, carefully standing up, pulling him by the hand as she led him outside on the front porch.

“I got in,” She repeated. “And I thought….Well, if you’re going, I should go too..!”

Wally was shocked but utterly delighted by the news. The two of them at Harvard together--It made the idea of going to the school much less intimidating. He couldn’t believe his luck--

“Wait,” he said suddenly. “You’re not just going because of me, right? Because I want you to come but--you applied to all those schools so--I don’t want to muck up your plans or whatever.” Kuki paused, looking away.

“Um….actually,” she said softly. “It’s more for me than it is for you.”

Kuki turned away from him for a moment, breathing in deeply, as through she was trying to calm herself. It was dark, but Wally could see from the porch light that she was flushing as she nervously played with her hair.

“Wally, when you were gone, I realized something. It’s something I think I’ve always known but didn’t fully realize it until you left… You were only gone for a few days, and yet I felt so --sad that you weren’t right at my side. And I thought about how if you go, I’ll have to always deal with this...this weird emptiness I felt in my heart and--I don’t want to feel that way again. I don’t want to be away from you. I don’t think my heart could handle it.”

Wally stared at Kuki, his face heating up in embarrassment, flattery and--

He rubbed his face hard, trying to hide his flush as he shifted awkwardly where he stood, pulling at the strings of his hoodie.

“W-Wow--Uh--That's--” He sputtered. “Uh--sorry I did that? I--I mean….I didn’t...I didn’t like being away from you either…”

“Yeah…?” Kuki whispered, eyes staring up at him--big, shiny and beautiful. 

“Yeah…” Wally breathed, his mouth running dry. “The whole time I kept thinking--’Man, there's no way I’m gonna be able to live far away from everyone’...But--more than that...Bein’ away from you is...way too hard to think about.”

Kuki’s hands somehow sneaked their way into Wally’s hands, small and soft. His heart was pounding, not unlike how it gets when he’s about to get into a fight with someone, yet he felt frozen where he stood. Kuki was closer now, and once more Wally isn’t sure how he missed that detail. Was she always this close to him or--

Time, which had seemed to slow down, had fully stopped when he felt her kiss him. All Wally could feel was the intense pounding of his heart and the sweet warmth of Kuki’s lips before she pulled away, time speeding back up once more.

“I can’t believe you made me make the first move…” she breathed, their noses brushing. “That's--so not gentlemanly of you…”

Wally didn’t know what to say, so he settled on, “...Aren’t you a feminist?”

It was the wrong thing to say, because Kuki turned red and slapped his shoulder.

“That’s not-- you know what I meant!! You’re so--”

In an attempt to save the mood he so thoroughly destroyed, Wally cupped Kuki’s cheeks, slowing down her words as he kissed her again, heart soaring as his body warmed with happiness. Kuki kissed him back, her arms wrapped around his shoulders as she stood on her toes. Wally pressed her back to the wall, unable to help himself as he kissed her more, although from what he could tell Kuki certainly did not have any complaints of his actions. Wally felt like he could die happy, yet at the same time sustain entirely on kissing Kuki. So picture his frustration when a tapping on the window tore them apart.

“Hey,” Abby’s muffled voice sounded on the other side of the window. “Make out on your own porch.”

The two reddened, Kuki hiding her face in Wally’s sweatshirt as Wally defaulted to anger, flipping Abby off.

“Mind your own damn business Lincoln!”

“It’s my porch!” She laughed. “Get back in here before Hoagie eats all the pizza, lovebirds.”

With that, Abigale removed herself from the window. Deeper in the house Wally could see Hoagie, half a pizza in his mouth, pretending to make out with it. Wally decided he’ll kill him later. He looked at Kuki, who was embarrassed but smiling. Wally realized he was smiling as well and pulled her closer to him, not wanting to let her go.

“So...we’re going to Harvard together.” 

“Seems like it…” Kuki replied, playing with the strings of his sweatshirt.

“We’re gonna turn that school upside down. You and me...” Wally said with a grin. Kuki laughed, kissing his cheek before--

“Ah...By the way. We should keep this quiet until we leave. Because if my dad finds out about us I will end up going to that all girls Catholic school.”