Waiting Days

The days that followed were a blur of nerves and anticipation. Elara couldn’t concentrate at school. She sat in classes, her pencil tapping restlessly against the desk, her thoughts drifting far away. She couldn’t help it. Every time her phone buzzed, her heart leapt, only to sink when it was just another notification about a test or a reminder from her mom to take out the trash.

The submission had been sent, but the waiting stretched out in front of her like a hallway with no end. She couldn’t tell anyone—not her parents, not Mika, not even her best friend, Rae, who usually shared everything with her. She couldn’t explain the quiet anxiety that settled in her chest every time she stared at her inbox. What if they didn’t like her story? What if they saw her name and thought, Not yet, Not enough?

She tried to push it all aside. She tried to focus on other things: schoolwork, reading, the occasional phone call with Rae. But every time she walked past the stack of novels on her desk—books from authors who had once been where she was, struggling to make it—her heart felt heavy.

One afternoon, a week later, she was back in the school library, tapping away at her laptop. The soft hum of the library was comforting, grounding her in a way nothing else could. She had to get back to Lark’s story, even if it was just a distraction.

Mika sat across from her, working on his own assignment. He glanced up every now and then, watching her with a knowing look, but said nothing. He understood that waiting could be the hardest part. He didn’t need to ask.

Elara’s fingers hovered over the keyboard. She knew exactly what Lark needed to do next, but every time she tried to write it, the words slipped away like water through her fingers. The story felt like it was holding something back, like she wasn’t ready for it yet.

“I keep thinking about it,” Elara admitted, her voice low. She glanced at Mika.

“About what?”

“The submission,” she said, her eyes flicking to the glowing inbox tab on her screen. “I keep thinking maybe they’ll just... ignore it. Or not even read it. Maybe it’s all just... too much.”

Mika shrugged, unbothered. “You already did the hard part. Sending it. Now, you just have to wait. You can’t control everything.”

“I know. But it feels like I’m waiting for my whole future to come in an email. Like one little message is going to decide everything.”

He raised an eyebrow. “It doesn’t decide everything. It’s just the first step.”

Her lips twitched into a reluctant smile. “You’re right. But it still feels like a lot.”

“Then do something else,” Mika suggested. “Stop thinking about it. Focus on what you can control.”

“I don’t know how,” she muttered.

“Write. Or read. Or... maybe go to that bookstore again? You could finish your scene there. Or brainstorm with Mr. Whitmore.”

She frowned, tapping her pen against the table. “I don’t know if that’ll help. But maybe...”

And that’s when it happened. Her phone buzzed.

Elara’s breath hitched in her chest. She didn’t dare look at it. Not yet. Not until she had calmed down, until she could pretend she wasn’t waiting for this exact moment for the last week.

“Go on,” Mika urged.

Elara unlocked her phone with shaking fingers and opened the notification. The subject line was simple: Orion Fellowship – Finalist Notification.

She didn’t read the email. Not yet. Her heart pounded so loudly in her chest, it was all she could hear. Her breath caught, and for a moment, she forgot where she was, lost in the silence of her own racing thoughts.

“Should I open it?” she asked Mika, her voice small.

He didn’t answer. Instead, he simply nodded, his face set with a calm, quiet encouragement.

Slowly, Elara opened the email. Her eyes scanned the words quickly, but they didn’t make sense at first. She had to read them again.

Dear Elara Bloom,

We are thrilled to inform you that your story, “Dandelion Summer,” has been selected as a finalist for the Orion Fellowship. Congratulations on this accomplishment!

Elara’s breath came in sharp gasps. It was real. It was happening.

Her hands shook as she set her phone down and looked at Mika, who was grinning from ear to ear. She wanted to say something, but the words wouldn’t come. All she could do was smile back, wide and breathless.

She was a finalist. She was actually a finalist.

And she hadn’t even expected it.

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