Decisions

It had been a couple of weeks since the exams ended, and the buzz around school was all about results and university applications. The pressure was high for the Year 12 students, especially since university announcements had just been made. Oliver and Eli, along with a few classmates, were sitting together at lunch, comparing their exam results and talking about their plans for the future.

Among the group were new faces: Leila, a hardworking but carefree girl with a passion for photography; Ben, a jokester who never seemed to take anything seriously, though his natural talent in engineering suggested otherwise; and Chris, a quiet but ambitious student who was always two steps ahead in academic planning.

Eli, as usual, was in the middle of it all, boasting about his exam results. "I'm telling you, guys, I totally aced History. Not sure how, but hey, a win's a win!" He laughed, and Leila chimed in, teasing him about how he always managed to get by without studying as hard as the rest of them.

Everyone was chattering about their plans. Leila was considering art school, hoping to merge her love for photography into something bigger. Ben, unsurprisingly, was looking into mechanical engineering programs, though he joked about dropping out after a semester to become a stand-up comedian. Chris, always the planner, had already narrowed his choices to three top-tier universities.

Through all of this, Oliver stayed quiet, listening but not contributing. He wasn't sure how to talk about his future, mostly because he wasn't sure what it would look like. He hadn't been excited about university the way the others were.

Suddenly, Eli turned toward him, eyes gleaming with mischief. "Hey, Oliver, what about you? You've been quiet."

Before Oliver could respond, Eli snatched his exam report from the table. "Let's see what we're dealing with here!"

Oliver's eyes widened as Eli scanned his results. "Whoa, dude! A-pluses across the board! Math, English, Biology—seriously? And... look at all these scholarships you could get!" Eli's voice was a mixture of amazement and pride.

The group's attention shifted to Oliver, their eyes full of curiosity. Oliver felt his face heat up, flustered by all the attention. He quickly grabbed his report back. "I... I don't know what university I want to apply to yet."

Eli raised an eyebrow, clearly sceptical. "Seriously? You've got all these top schools practically begging for you. How can you not know?"

Oliver just shrugged, unsure how to explain what he was feeling. The conversation soon shifted back to others, but Oliver remained in a cloud of thought, distant from the lively chatter around him.

Later that evening, Oliver found himself sitting at his desk, staring at his university application. His hand hovered over the keyboard, but he didn't know what to type. The glowing screen was a reminder of the weighty decision he had to make.

Sure, he excelled in Math, English, and Biology. He always got top grades without much effort, but none of those subjects ever made him feel alive. The thought of continuing to study math or English felt exhausting. And as for Biology, it wasn't something he could picture himself doing for the rest of his life.

His gaze shifted to the sketchpad lying open on his desk, filled with drawings—some half-finished, some complete. That was the only thing that truly excited him: drawing. Art had become his escape, his passion. It was the one thing that made him feel like he was creating something meaningful.

Slowly, Oliver leaned forward and began typing into his application. He decided to apply to the Faculty of Fine Arts at the top three schools. It wasn't the safest option, and it wasn't what his family expected from him. But he couldn't imagine doing anything else.

He took a deep breath as he filled out the forms, purposefully leaving out his last name so he wouldn't use his family's connections. He wanted to get in on his own merit, not because of his family's wealth or influence.

As he hit "submit," a sense of relief washed over him. For the first time in weeks, Oliver felt like he had taken control of his future, not letting anyone else's expectations dictate it.

It was a small victory, but for Oliver, it felt monumental.