I Was Meant For More

Chapter 6: The Road I Chose

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The days after my admission results passed in a blur.

While everyone else was busy celebrating their college plans, I buried myself in preparation for Defense Technology Institute.

I read everything I could find about the aerospace engineering program. I studied introductory material, reviewed physics problems, and even started teaching myself concepts I'd never had the chance to learn in school.

For the first time in years, I wasn't studying because I wanted to keep up with someone else.

I was studying because I wanted to see how far I could go.

A week before orientation, an unfamiliar number called me.

I almost ignored it.

Then the caller left a voicemail.

"Sonia, it's Silas. Please call me back. We really need to talk."

I deleted the voicemail.

The next day, another number called.

This time, I answered.

"Sonia?"

It was Silas' mother.

I stayed silent.

"I heard you got into Defense Technology Institute. Congratulations, sweetheart."

"Thank you."

There was an awkward pause.

"Silas has been very upset lately. He keeps saying you won't speak to him because of a misunderstanding."

I almost laughed.

"A misunderstanding?"

"You know what young people are like. They make mistakes."

"Changing someone's college application isn't a mistake," I said calmly. "It's a choice."

She went quiet.

"Sonia, please. You've known Silas your entire life."

"Exactly," I replied. "That's why I know what he did wasn't accidental."

I ended the call before she could say anything else.

That night, I opened the old cloud folder again.

The screenshots were still there.

So was the recording from graduation.

I didn't want revenge anymore.

I wanted distance.

My future self had warned me about one thing more important than Silas and Rachel: I had spent too many years sacrificing myself for people who never asked me to stay because they loved me. They wanted me nearby because my presence was convenient.

I wasn't going to make that mistake again.

The morning of orientation finally arrived.

I stood in front of the mirror wearing a simple navy blazer, my admission letter tucked safely inside my bag.

Mom knocked on my door.

"Ready?"

I smiled at her reflection.

"More than ready."

The drive to campus took nearly two hours.

As the gates of Defense Technology Institute came into view, my heart began pounding.

The campus was larger than I'd imagined. Beyond the main buildings stood enormous laboratories, research facilities, and a hangar-like structure with a massive aircraft model displayed outside.

I stepped out of the car and stared.

This was the place I'd once dreamed about.

The place I'd given up for Silas.

The place my future self had told me I was meant to reach.

Mom squeezed my shoulder.

"Go," she said softly. "You've waited long enough."

I nodded.

Then I walked through the gates alone.

During the orientation session, a professor introduced the aerospace engineering program and explained the research opportunities available to first-year students.

My hand shot up before I even realized it.

"Professor, what qualifications do students need to join the propulsion research team later on?"

He looked at me with mild surprise.

"You're already thinking about research?"

"Yes, sir."

He smiled.

"Keep that enthusiasm. Students who ask questions like that usually go far."

Those words stayed with me throughout the afternoon.

When I returned home, there was one final message waiting on my phone.

It was from Rachel.

"I heard you're already making connections at Defense Technology Institute. Don't get too proud, Sonia. College isn't high school."

I looked at the message for several seconds.