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have already been out the door.
    “Oh, just go already.” She laughed as she handed me the letter and waved me out of the kitchen.
     
    It took all my restraint to keep from running or skipping my way over to Byron’s house. I truly hoped he had gotten gold. As great as silver was, it would mean he would train at a different school for up to six years depending on which profession he chose. I just couldn’t imagine being separated from Byron for that long. Besides, whoever had the higher rank did the proposing. And that just didn’t fit with my daydream of him getting down on one knee and declaring his eternal love for me as he placed the ring on my finger.
    I was still giggling to myself when I rang his doorbell.
    No one answered. He must be in the middle of a call with family.
    So I waited.
    And waited.
    It felt like ten minutes had passed, but still no one had answered the door. Maybe I had bad timing and rang it at the same time he was showing off his gold letter and getting a loud response of joy. So I rang it again, and waited some more.
    I was debating ringing it again when the door slowly creaked open. “Hi, Camille.” I said excitedly before noticing the red rim of her eyes. She had been crying. “What’s wrong?” I asked, but she just shook her head. “Oh, Cam, it’ll be okay. Byron and I are leaving for training this year, but next year it will be your turn. Plus, we’ll be back to visit during breaks. You could end up at the same career college as us – and who knows, in the end we could still end up as each other’s neighbors.” I reached forward and gave her hand a sympathetic squeeze.
    I felt guilty. This whole weekend I had been so wrapped up in my own emotions, I had completely forgotten how hard this would be on Camille. In one day she was losing her brother and a close friend.
    Camille pulled her hand back and flatly said, “That’s not it.”
    “Then what?” I was confused. She gave me an annoyed look that said I was stupid if I couldn’t figure it out on my own. And then, slowly, it dawned on me. “No. It’s not possible.” I shook my head in disbelief. “I never admitted it before, but Byron’s smarter than me. There’s just no way he could have gotten red. It’s just not possible.” I waited for Camille to tell me it was all a huge prank – but she didn’t.
    “It’s worse than that,” she spat at me. “You should leave.” Her usually sweet beautiful face had contorted into an ugly, hateful expression.
    “Then there has to be a mistake. Someone messed up in the calculations; we can appeal it, and make them retest him…”
    I jumped as a loud boom emitted from the kitchen. “Get rid of her,” a gruff voice that barely resembled Mr. Levenson’s snarled.
    Camille disappeared up the stairs as Byron stormed out of the kitchen toward me. His eyes, like Camille’s, were red-rimmed from crying, but right now he looked absolutely livid. It only made me more frightened for him. I had never seen him like this.
    “What are you still doing here? Can’t you ever listen? Camille told you to leave!” he growled at me.
    I felt my perfect little world collapsing in on itself and turning upside down. “But I don’t understand!” I protested.
    “Then understand this!” he snarled and shoved an orange letter in my face. “My life is over now. There’s no future for me and you. Just forget about me. Forget you ever knew me.” He balled his hands into fists. His knuckles were bloodied. The noise I heard from the kitchen must have been Byron punching something. Automatically I reached for his hand to examine it. He snatched it back. “It’s nothing. I’m nothing now. Just go.”
    “Don’t say that, Byron. You’re everything to me!” I cried. I was starting to shake.
    “Not anymore I’m not. Look, I’m starting to lose the little patience I have left, so don’t make me ask you to leave again.” His fists balled even tighter. He was shaking too, now. I couldn’t