Stephan(62)

Now I had gotten back my trial HSC results, I was thinking about my future a lot. Where I wanted to be next year and what I wanted to do. Earlier in the library I had looked up student loans for university and the university courses I wanted to take. The more I looked the more I wondered what Stephan would do. Where he would go? What would happen to us? What did he expect to happen? When my thoughts had steered in that direction I’d started to feel physically ill, which caused me to realize how much I really cared and loved Stephan. I’d wanted to run home then, but it occurred to me home wasn’t really mine, it was Stephan’s parent’s house. I didn’t have a home.

Stephan and I needed to talk and I wasn’t looking forward to it one bit. I was terrified. When he got out I was going to ask him to drive us to the beach or somewhere we could talk. I needed to be on mutual ground. A place that wasn’t his family’s.

The bell rang and I straightened, moving down and away from the door so I didn’t get trampled but still in the line of sight for Stephan to see me. The hall had been empty before but was now filled with teenagers. The door to the classroom opened and students flowed out, Stephan one of the last. A girl I’d seen before, called Britney, I think, was talking to him and flirting. I wasn’t worried though because when Stephan saw me his whole face lit up. His big baby blues brightened and his dimples popped making him irresistibly handsome.

Stephan came straight to me ignoring the girl he’d been talking with. “Hey, little bit.” He leaned down and kissed me, his lips fusing to mine and sending delicious warmth through me.

Smiling, I wrapped my arm around his waist. “Hi, I decided to wait.”

“I’m glad you did.”

We exited the school together and I held him tight snuggling against him. I loved how affectionate Stephan was. I’d never had much before Stephan, so I lapped it up with him.

I didn’t say anything until we were in the car and out of school grounds. “Can we go to the beach or a park, somewhere we can talk?”

“Er…yeah, sure. What’s up?”

“Nothing is up, well there is, but I think once we talk and find out what’s going on there won’t be.”

“Jade, you’re making me nervous.”

Nibbling on my lip I gazed out of the window. I wanted to tell him there was no reason to be nervous, but I was myself so I couldn’t lie to him. He went to Central Reed Creek Park.

Getting out we sat on the bench by a huge tree. “Will you tell me now what’s up?”

“What university are you going to next year?”

“I was looking into two. I had wanted to be with Derick. The best two for my business courses are Newcastle and Labrador on the Gold Coast Queensland. They have it at other Unis but they have really big class sizes and I’ve not heard of the teachers.”

I had looked at Newcastle, it had my courses but I wasn’t sure about how easy it would be to get a job there. I hadn’t looked into any out of state universities. The one that looked most appealing to me had been Sydney University. I had people I knew who already wanted to go there and I knew I could get a job. Did this mean Stephan and I wouldn’t be together next year?

I was scared but this had to be said. Taking a deep calming breath, I gazed at Stephan. “I was thinking Sydney University. So where does that leave us?”

“What the fuck?” He gathered me onto his lap and squeezed me tight against him. “What do you mean where does that leave us? It leaves us together. It leaves us sitting here talking about our options, because I can tell you now I will be with you. You will be with me. You’re mine. My soul mate. The love of my life. We just need to figure out what’s best. Have you looked at either of the universities I’ve mentioned?”

He stroked my back in a soothing motion. “I haven’t looked out of state. I did a quick search on Newcastle, and they have the courses I want, but I’m not sure I could get a job easily there.”

“Why would you need a job?”

“To help with rent and food. I can’t live with your parents forever. The Centerlink benefits won’t be enough, not with everything I’ll need for my course.”

Stephan sighed. “Let’s say for a moment you didn’t need to work. Where would you go?”

“I don’t know because it isn’t an option. I know I qualify for a government student loan, but it pays for Uni not anything else.”

“Jade, you don’t. Not now my parents were appointed your guardians.”

“Wha? No. I’m eighteen now. They do—”

“Yes, they do. You’re even on our healthcare until you’re twenty-five, married or pregnant. Then you’ll be back on just Medicare. Even then you wouldn’t because we’d get our own policy.”