Despite her desire to move past the past, Keeley found herself constantly thinking about her ex-husband. It wasn't entirely her fault; his perplexing behavior made it difficult to ignore him. No matter how strangely he acted, she needed to forget about him. She'd wasted enough time already.

Leaning back in her chair, she realized how long it had been since she'd done anything for herself, what with all the Aaron drama. She hadn't seen her friends since Valentine's Day—a memory she preferred to forget. She'd vowed to live her second life to the fullest, but stress had prevented her from enjoying anything.

On her commute home, Keeley tried to think of things she'd always wanted to do but hadn't had the chance. Getting her PhD, working in a research lab, saving for a trip to Europe with her father—all years away. As a high school senior, she couldn't think of anything she wanted to do now.

She supposed she could work on getting her driver's license. Unlike many in her building, her dad owned a car. In her "first life," she hadn't bothered getting a license until Aaron insisted. He must have been ashamed of her inability to drive. Many New York City teens didn't bother; subways were readily available. Keeley had no intention of leaving the city, but a license would be useful for future business trips if she became a world-class researcher. She wouldn't spend all her time in the city then.

She decided to sign up for driver's ed when she got home, but a large envelope on her doorstep distracted her. Picking it up gingerly, Keeley nearly shrieked when she saw the NYU insignia: her acceptance letter!

With everything else going on at school, she'd almost forgotten. Her hand trembled as she recalled the first time she'd opened such an envelope—the initial excitement turning to regret.

"I got in! I got in! I got in!" she shrieked, clutching the letter to her chest and dancing around the living room. NYU's acceptance rate was under 30%, making it a significant achievement. Her dad would be so proud! Maybe he'd take her out for steak to celebrate. She couldn't wait to tell him!

Since he was working late on a bridge project, she called Aaron first. He answered on the third ring.

"Hello?"

"Aaron, guess what!!"

"What?"

She pouted. "I told you to guess."

"Your dad won the lottery," he guessed flatly.

"Oh, fine, I'll just tell you," she said impatiently. "I got into NYU! Can you believe it? With so many applicants, their acceptance rate has been dropping, and they still want me!"

"What do you know; you're smarter than you look. Congratulations."

His cold tone held a hint of warmth, making Keeley's heart pound. His words suggested otherwise, but she knew he was impressed. Aaron could be like that.

"Thanks! I think. What about you? Heard back from anywhere yet?"

She flopped onto her stomach on the bed, kicking her feet as they talked.

"Yes, I'm going to Harvard. It's a family tradition."

Keeley's heart sank. "Oh. That's impressive. It's almost impossible to get in."

Boston was over four hours from New York. Scheduling anything with Aaron was already difficult, and Harvard's coursework was incredibly demanding. Attending schools in different states would likely end their friendship.

"I know," he replied simply.

Keeley wasn't sure how to respond. Before she could, Aaron had to go to dinner.

She lay on her bed, conflicted, before pulling out another acceptance letter—from Boston University. It was a backup school with a 50% acceptance rate. If she went there, she could stay with Aaron.

Their relationship had improved so much; she sometimes thought he might like her back. She didn't want to waste that effort, but could she give up her dream school for an uncertain relationship?

The reply deadline was in May, giving her several weeks to decide. She agonized until one Saturday, when Aaron held her hand for the first time since Valentine's Day. His happy half-smile sealed the deal; she couldn't let him go.

It was the wrong choice. She shook her head at her past self's stupidity. Nothing would stand in the way of her dreams this time, especially not unrequited love.

Keeley texted her dad, Jeffrey, and Lydia. Her dad couldn't reply, but the others were thrilled.

Lydia texted: "Girl, that's amazing! Since I got my UC Berkeley scholarship last week, we should celebrate!"

Jeffrey replied enviously: "So lucky! I've only heard back from George Washington University—my backup." He wanted Columbia, but its acceptance rate was nearly as low as Harvard's. His scores and extracurriculars were excellent, but competition was fierce.

"That's still a really good school," Keeley comforted him, then invited them both for pizza and root beer floats.

"Tonight?" Lydia asked.

"Why not? My dad's working late, and I'm not in the mood to be alone."

"Sure, I'll meet you at Reggie's in an hour and a half."

Jeffrey couldn't make it on such short notice, but Keeley said they could get ice cream once he heard from Columbia. If he got in, they could celebrate; if not, ice cream was a tried-and-true pick-me-up. Millions of girls didn't turn to Ben & Jerry's after breakups for nothing.

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