Choices: College -- A Caffè Americano Challenge Short

“What do you think?”

“I think it’s just right for you, bro.” It was amazing what coffee could do to his brother, Samuel thought, Jake looking exactly how he did before he moved across states just so he could pursue his pre-med studies. He ran a hand through his thick hair and studied the brochure Samuel held in his hands, “I thought that you were going my way first, but then I noticed you were taking up BA and not BS.”

“Medicine just isn’t my type,” Samuel muttered, glancing next at the papers inside the brown manila envelope that was mailed. “So from here, I drive or take the train.”

“I’d drive. You can get gas at least and drive around during breaks to the café nearby or hang out elsewhere until your next class,” Jake suggested.  “Unless you want to dorm to save up on gas or anything.”

“No, no. I just want to go to college and study. I already aced the SATs,” he stretched and took a drink of coffee, “Aced them as much as I could. Manhattan accepted me and I’m enrolling as a Psych major. I just want to study, graduate, and then do police training.”

“Y-You want to do police training?” Jake’s eyes were wide as he sat down, “Are you serious, Sammy? Be like dad and go for the NYPD…?”

“Shut up,” Samuel hissed, and lowered his voice. “No, I’m not going to go like dad.”

“Then what do you plan to do–”

“I don’t know,” he admitted. “I don’t know for now. But I’ve researched. They don’t care which course you take, but it’s nice if you took something that could be beneficial.” Jake listened, “So I decided to take Psychology. It was either that or Sociology, but Psych seemed like a better choice,” the younger of the two sighed. “If I took Psych, I’d be able to get into people more. No, not like that, goddamn. I’d know what makes them tick, whether child or adult.”

“Does dad know…?”

“He might have. I hinted it to him a bit.”

“How about mom?”

He sighed. “I don’t think she’ll like the idea a lot.”

“I wouldn’t blame her. Samuel,” he looked at his brother at the usage of his first name, Jake struggling to let the words come, “Is this what you want? You can always end up helping people in other ways. Child development. Therapy. I don’t know – you can pursue an additional BS Psych and I’ll help you get through it, but…police?”

“You told me you’d be supportive!” Samuel accused. Jake lifted his hands in defense.

“I do support you, Samuel. It just took me by surprise that you wanted to go in this direction…although you do strike me as the type, come to think of it.”

“So it’s okay with you?”

“Hell yeah it’s fine with me.” He ruffled Samuel’s hair, “Just took me by surprise, see. You’ll do great there. Plus, you’ve got dad to help you out after you graduate, at least.” He smiled sheepishly, “Mum was a teacher and dad’s a cop, so I had to rely on myself for a bit as I got through studying. Thesis was a pain in the ass.”

“You’ve got nine ten years more.”

“I know, I know. Doesn’t get any easier.” Samuel started to laugh when his dad entered the dining room, carrying the paper and smiling wryly at his two sons who sat by the dinner. “Heya, pops. Guess you know where this guy is headed…”

“He knows,” Samuel cut in. Nathan raised a brow before walking to the fridge, fetching a can of soda and opening it before looking back at his sons. “I told dad when I was still applying.”

“I was just as surprised as you were, Jake.” He chuckled to himself and drank, “Thought Samuel wanted to follow in my footsteps and work for the NYPD. Do you?”

He darted his eyes away from his father’s and hastily grabbed for the papers inside the envelope. “I’m thinking about it.”

“You’ve got four years. Don’t stress too much on it. Jake, have you decided which medical specialty to take?”

“H-Hold on, pops, you just told Sammy that he’s got four years–”

“Med School is different, Jake.” he sent the older brother a hard look, “You have to at least narrow down your top three.”

“I did, I did. Pediatrics, Cardiology and Neurology.”

While Jake and Nathan talked (and argued), Samuel merely glanced at his welcoming papers and at the of the campus that was included.

He wanted to get to studying immediately, which was new for him.

Then again, he thought, this was college. High school was different – here, he’d be able to focus on something he really wanted to focus on…but Jake’s words resonated in his ears.

Do you really want to take up Psychology?

Of course I do, he thought agitatedly. Better than studying something that wouldn’t prove to be essential in the future. Besides…I’m already accepted. Wasting that opportunity would be that – a waste.

And dad’s okay with it. Jake’s accepted it. Mom…needs to accept what I plan to do. Which isn’t fucking definite yet. But I’m on my way.

Hopefully.

I just want to get out of here.

“–what do you think?”

“What?”

“I asked what you thought of Jake going into pediatrics,” Nathan replied. Samuel gave a shrug.

“It’s alright. He likes kids; it should work out nicely with him.”

“See? I told you, you should go to pediatrics instead.”

“Pops, Sammy’s busy reading his college stuff. Come on. Let’s talk about this in the living room with mom.” Jake stood and shot a wink at his brother, Samuel rolling his eyes yet giving a discrete thumb up, leading his father to the living room.

At the silence, he looked back at the papers and began to read once again:

Congratulations, Mr. Samuel Peters!

We are pleased to tell you that you have officially been accepted as a student for the following semester, having chosen to major in AB Psychology. Included are the following: the campus map, the…

On and on and on. He skipped to the ending, having reread the letter a dozen times since it had arrived.

We hope you see you soon.

You will, he thought confidently, setting the paper down, You will.