“I got in! It’s done.” I turn around to face him and he picks me up and swings me in a circle.

“Congratulations!” I bury my face in his neck. I plant ten tiny kisses and then I wish kisses were like seeds and that they’d grow so I could keep him. He’d normally be opposed to this sort of public display of affection—we hold hands at school and that’s it—but today, Harvard day, he makes an exception. No wonder he’s glowing.

“I can’t believe it. I mean, I knew I had a shot, but I don’t know. For the rest of my life, I’m going to get to say I went to Harvard.” I don’t remind him that he’s getting a little ahead of himself and that he still needs to get through four years. Then again, unlike me and my SAT scores, I doubt he’s worried that his acceptance is some sort of glitch. He belongs at Harvard. He’ll do great there.

“I knew it. Never had a single doubt,” I say. “And for what it’s worth, I’d love any city you were in. I could even become a Patriots fan.”

As soon as the words are out, I cringe. Both cheesy and presumptuous. Great. Levi and I haven’t talked at all about what next year means for us. I’m assuming the worst-case scenario—sometime in the next six months, I’ll get my heart smashed into a thousand pieces. Then I’ll go off to college—probably somewhere far away from Boston, despite the fact that I wasn’t joking and I do dig a good duck tour—and I’ll be distracted by all the shiny newness of freshman year. Eventually, I’ll get over Levi and he’ll transform from a person into an indelible memory. He’ll become the story I tell new friends when we stay up late into the night talking about our first loves.

Levi doesn’t seem fazed by my uncharacteristic gushing.

“Harvard!” he says, like he still doesn’t quite believe it. I spot Shola farther down the hall, and when she sees Levi, she comes running over.

“You got in?” she asks, eyes wide.

“I got in,” he says, his grin so big it eats his whole beautiful face.

“Congrats. I’m really happy for you,” Shola says, giving him a big hug. I’m sure on the inside she’s jealous and rightly pissed off that she didn’t get the benefit of applying early decision even though it’s her first choice too.

There’s still room for her at Harvard, of course, assuming they cough up enough financial aid. Last year, they took eight kids from Wood Valley, which means there should be about seven more spots.