Teaching My Bookworm Stepsister

~ A Few Months Later -

Kapri's P.O.V.

*************

"Are you sure you're allowed to do this?" I whispered to Maverick.

"Has being allowed to do anything ever stopped me?" He whispered back.

Okay, he has a point, but still.

"What if they take away our diplomas?" I asked, worried.

Maverick scoffed.

"What kind of di.ckhead would take a diploma away from a crippled person, and her boyfriend who's just trying to help her?" He asked sarcatically. "You have a point, but.." I said, worried.

"But nothing baby." Maverick said.

I opened my mouth to argue with him more, but I didn't get the chance.

"Kapri Lanza!" The superintendent called out my name.

People started to clap. I started to panic. Maverick just scooped me up in his arms bridal style, and walked onto the stage.

"Oh my god.." I mumbled, horrified.

Many people hooted and hollered at us. The adults whose hands I shook only chuckled at us, and wished me well. Thankfully, Maverick made it quick. "Told you no one would care." He told me.

"Put me down." I ordered.

"I will. When we get to your seat," he said.

I rolled my eyes. Maverick set me down in my seat, and bent down to kiss my lips.

"I have to go back to my seat, make sure you scream extra loudly for me baby." He said.

Maverick kissed my lips again, and walked away before I could even reply. I shook my head at him, and laughed.

These past few months have been.. interesting. It's been rough getting over everything that happened to me. But I had a lot of support, and that made it easier.

Liam was nice enough to throw a funeral for Darby. He contacted everyone who ever knew her. It was a nice turn out. I balled my eyes out of her, and was finally able to apologize to her. I just have to hope that wherever she is, she heard me.

Maverick had told me that there was no funeral, or wake for Dale. He asked if I wanted to have one. Since the man was technically my biological father. I think Maverick only asked because he knew I would say no.

Darby was buried next to her mother's remains in New York. Last month, Maverick took me to see her headstone. I'm happy that she can at least be with her mother again.

It was hard to tell my friends about my miscarriage. In the matter of two days, I found out I was pregnant, accepted the fact, started to become happy about it, and then lost the baby in the end. I was devasted honestly. It was much harder to get over than I thought it would be.

As the days turned to weeks, and the weeks turned to months, things started to go back to normal.

Mom sat Maverick and I down, and had a very long talk with us. We were told that we were no longer allowed to be alone in a room with the door closed. Mom was very stern that we were not allowed in each other's rooms after 10 pm. Like we're a couple of kids. None of that stopped Maverick from doing what he wanted though. We respected Mom's rules, except at night. With everything that has happened to me in the last few months.. I couldn't sleep alone anymore. Maverick knew that. So he snuck into my room every night.

Thankfully, Mom never caught us.

"Maverick Penton!"

I clapped and screamed as I watched Maverick walk across the stage. Along with every other girl in the school.

"Whoa!! Yay Maverick!!" I screamed at the top of my lungs.

Maverick's eyes found mine in the crowd. My heart fluttered when he winked at me. I love him so much.

I can't wait to move together.

*****

(Part of Kapri's College Essay)

I thought for months about what I could write to make myself stand out more than your other applicants. When I had first started this essay, I thought about lying. Part of me, a big part, wanted to make up some insane life that wasn't really mine. I wanted to get into Harvard so badly that I was willing to lie my way in.

However, I could never bring myself to do something like that. I might want to be a Harvard student more than I want the ability to eat carbs without gaining weight, but not at the risk of my integrity. My morals should not be lowered just for a college essay. Over this past year, several things have happened to me. Things that I could have written about. I could have easily stood out even if I only picked one of those events to write about.

I still could not bring myself to put them on this paper though. I decided, that after everything I had gone through, that if I was going to get into Harvard, it would be because I worked hard at it. I was going to follow my dreams the way I was originally supposed to. That being said, I know that every person who reads the name on this essay is going to know who I am. My name was all over the news for two months straight, after all. So, I'm sure you will have questions for me. I'm sure you'll be curious about what really happened, and how I'm doing now.

I will be more than happy to tell you during my interview.

********

"This is our last night in this house together." I told Maverick as he crawled into my bed.

"No more having to sneak in here." He grumbled.

I giggled at him.

"Do you think living together will make us hate each other like everyone says it will?" I asked him.

"We already live together babe." Maverick replied flatly.

"Yeah, but.. We have our own rooms, and this house is huge. We're going to be sharing an apartment. A bedroom. A bathroom." I said.

Maverick wrapped his arms around me, and I snuggled up to his chest.

"I think we'll be fine. Even if we argue. We've already strongly disliked each other once before. Now though.. I can make up for anything that irritates you." He said with a smile.

I laughed.

"You sound so confident," I said.

"I am. I can kiss you to shut you up, give you space if you're too angry, or, my favorite option.. Fu.ck your brains out until you forget all about being angry." He said.

I gave him a bored look.

"Or I can eat that delicious pu.ssy of yours. Anything you want." He teased.

"You're so stupid," I said.

"Yeah, but you love me." Maverick said as he leaned in to capture my lips. "You're right," I said. "I do love you."