The Girl Next Door Chapter 31

The next day, Sunday, Kate got a call from Rachel in the late morning. Kate had called Rachel the night before to tell her about the fight, but hadn’t answered her phone. Rachel was coming up for a game in March over her spring break, and the two of them had continued to talk on an almost-daily basis.
“You called last night?” Rachel asked Kate.
“Yep,” Kate replied. “I had a fight with Amanda and Ashley at the mall.””Seriously?” Rachel asked.
“Yes, seriously,” Kate stated. “They were telling me how they didn’t like the ‘new me,’ I guess. Just cause I stick up for myself now, they don’t like me.”
“Screw them,” Rachel told her. “Good for you to stick up for yourself. Tell me everything that happened.”
So, Kate told her the story, and Rachel congratulated her on ditching them.
“Are you really serious about Pitt?” Rachel asked her. “With considering it and everything?”
“I am,” Kate said. “Ever since the Pens came back, I’ve really been thinking more about Pitt, and how I want to stay here.”
“You staying up there for Sidney?” Rachel asked. “You guys have only been dating for four months.”
“I know, and it’s not all for Sid,” Kate explained. “I love Pittsburgh, and I want to live here. It’s home. But, yes, part of me wanting to stay is so Sid and I have a chance. I love him, Rach. I don’t want to lose him.”
“He seems like a great guy Katie,” Rachel said. “I don’t blame you for not wanting to lose him. You never know if you don’t take a chance.”
“You’re right,” Kate agreed. “And I don’t take many chances ever, and when I do, they usually turn out well.”
“Same with me too,” Rachel agreed. “Hey, I gotta go, parents are ready to go out to brunch. I’ll talk to you later! And follow your heart Katie, you’ll make the right decision.”
“Thanks, talk to you later!” Kate said.
And with that, Kate sat in her room to think for awhile. Her parents were out, and would be for a couple of hours. Kate sat in her room, deep in thought. She had been thinking about this for over two months now, and when her parents came home, she would tell them her decision about college.
*****
Two days later, Sidney came back to Pittsburgh, and so did the rest of the guys. Kate got a phone call from Sidney, telling her that he was back, and he asked her if she wanted to meet him in an hour so they could hang out. She said yes, and an hour later, he picked her up.
“Hey!” Kate said, hopping in his car.
“Hey!” he replied back, leaning over to give her a kiss.
Their kiss was long and passionate. When they broke apart, he reached for her hand, and then started to drive.
“I need to talk to you Sid,” Kate said.
“About what?” he asked her.
“College,” she said.
“What about it?” he asked.
“I’ve decided where I want to go,” she explained. “And before you say anything, I just want you to listen to me.”
“You have my full attention sweetie,” he told her. He turned off the radio.
“I’ve made up my mind, and you can’t change it,” she told him. “No ifs, ands, or buts about it, okay?”
He nodded, and he felt that she was bringing bad news.
“I’ve thought so long about this, long and hard,” she began. “And while you were gone, I sat down and thought even more about it. I thought about us, what I want to do with my major,” (Kate’s major was public relations, with a minor in journalism, she wanted to work in PR for a sports team someday), “and I made my decision.”
She paused for a second, and broke the serious look on her face with a smile.
“I’m going to Pitt,” she told him, with a huge smile on her face.
He looked at her and smiled.
“You don’t have to stay here just for me,” he said. “The whole long-distance thing, we could make it work.”
“Hey, I said no ifs, ands, or buts!” she laughed. “Sid, I want to do this. I want to stay here with you. I want to go to college here, I love it here. I can’t imagine being anywhere else, except here in Pittsburgh with you.”
“I want you to stay here too,” he said, giving her hand a squeeze. “I love you, I can’t imagine you being anywhere else either! All along, I was hoping you’d pick Pitt.”
They sat there for a minute, smiling at each other.
“Katie,” he said.
“Yes Sid?” she asked him.
“What if the team moves?” he asked.
“We’ll think about that if the time comes,” she told him. “Right now, I just want to be here with you.”