Hi! This is a modern version of the selection series! I hope you all like it, I'll try to get the characters right but I'm not Kiera Cass so they probably won't be perfect, tell me how to improve! Thank you guys!

When my mother found out I was eligible for a scholarship to Illean prep university, she was ecstatic. She thought this would solve everything for me in life, rocket me to the top. I didn't consider myself a disobedient daughter but at some point I had to draw the line.

I didn't want to go to some preppy rich kids school, I didn't even want to try to get a scholarship. I was content just skipping college all together, my family couldn't afford it and I didn't need it.

I figured I could get a job without a college education. I could sing, I got jobs frequently.

I avoided contact with my mom ever since we had received the notice that I was eligible for the scholarship, but being the oldest in a household, meant I was responsible for helping with dinner.

I set the table for 5 as my mother prepared the chicken. After I set out all the dishes I went and helped my mom with the pasta. I got by with just a couple of glares from my mother. I could tell she wasn't pleased with me.

"It wouldn't kill you to at least apply, America." She said, no longer containing herself. I groaned, not wanting to talk about it.

"This scholarship could open so many doors for you." She continued with her speech. I knew it could. Our money was stretched as tight as high wire, anything free was a good thing in our family.

I should've been smart when I first saw the email in my inbox. I should've deleted it, forgotten about it all together. Sadly I didn't, I'd left the stupid email where my little sister, May, saw it.

May got all excited that I was going to go to the most prestigious college in the country, and she blabbed to mom about it. Now neither of them will stop bugging me about it.

Soon everyone was seated for dinner. May was just bouncing in her seat. We all began eating and finally she said something, I wish she hadn't though. May told everyone all about the email she'd saw on my computer, about how I could go to Illean prep university.

"America, this is wonderful!" My mother exclaimed as May carried on about every detail she saw. She hadn't just stopped there though. My mother carried on with it the whole meal.

"And of course everyone would love you there America, your beautiful!" She said.

"Please mom, if anything I'm average." I told her, I didn't like all the compliments.

"No your not average! Because I'm pretty and I look just like you!" May yelled, usually mom would tell May to be quieter at the dinner table, but since she was backing her up mom let it slide.

May was grinning from ear to ear, it was true May was beautiful. But it was so much more then her appearance, she had an award winning personality. She was kind, sweet, and caring. She radiated an energy that just made you want to be around her.

I turned towards my little brother, Gerard, for help. He was only 7, but he was smart.

"Gerard, do you think I'm pretty?" I asked. Everyone in the family looked over to stare at him.

"No! Girls are gross!" He yelled. I smiled smugly.

"Gerard, please." My mother said. She sighed, but I knew she wouldn't argue with Gerard. Nobody could be mad at him, he was the baby of the family.

"America, you must know you're a great girl." Mom continued. She really wasn't giving up this argument. All the meanwhile everyone else had given up on the conversation. It was just me and mom now.

"Even if I do apply, I'm not saying I will, but even if I do there is only a slight chance I will actually get the scholarship." I replied. I didn't want her to think I was giving in.

"But there's always that chance." My dad pipped in, which was his first comment about the whole conversation.

Me and mom argued the rest of the meal before she went to go give Gerard his bath. I cleaned off the rest of the plates and everyone had left by the time I was done except dad.

"I'm sorry dad." I muttered, he smiled and motioned for me to sit back down.

"Don't be silly kitten, I'm not mad at you." He said. He always knew how to reassure me. We talked for a bit and he told me I didn't have to apply. Then I went to do the dishes and clean off the table.

I wrapped up the little leftovers we had and hid them in the fridge, behind our carrots. I would, need them later.

Finally I was done and I went back to my room to get ready for bed. As I laid on my old mattress I thought about what might happen if I actually did go to Illean prep. I starred out my window, at the old treehouse in our backyard.

Soon midnight rolled around and I crept out of my room to go to the kitchen. Quietly I grabbed the leftovers I had wrapped and I snuck out the back door.

I ran out to the backyard, still in my pajamas, and started climbing the ladder to the treehouse. It was difficult with the food in my hands but I managed okay, just like I had every other night.

When I finally reached the top I was met with a sly grin.

"Hi, gorgeous." Aspen said as I sat down. I glared at him as I sat down the wrapped food.

"Please don't call me that, first mom and May and now you. It's getting annoying." He laughed a little.

He hungrily looked at the food I brought and I began unwrapping it. As worse off as my family was, his was much worse off. Aspen had to often give his food to his younger siblings, just so they wouldn't starve. So whenever I could manage I brought him any leftovers we had.

Before he started eating though, his lips crashed into mine and we were stuck in a trance. We could get in big trouble for these night excursions, it was breaking the cities curfew and our parents. Yet we still did it.

We broke apart and I couldn't help but smile. Finally he dug into the leftover chicken I'd brought him. He was starving, I could tell.

I told him all about the scholarship while he ate, and he was silent through it all. Finally he finished and I could tell he was grateful. It made me happy just to see he got some food.

He pondered something in his head for awhile before he spoke.

"Mer… I think you should apply for the scholarship." He said. I almost gasped. I looked at him with wide eyes as he sat there.

"Don't you realize that would mean moving all the way across the country? I couldn't do that, I couldn't not see you. I would miss you too much." I said. I was absolutely shocked he thought this was a good idea. I thought he'd agree with me on this.

He was looking me right in the eye and I could tell he was serious about this.

"Mer, if you had a chance for a better life and you didn't take it because of me, I couldn't live with myself." He told me. His breath was raspy and sugary.

"I probably won't even get picked anyways, the chances are so low." I said trying to talk him to my side.

"If they are so low then it won't matter if you apply anyways then, please just do this so I can sleep in peace at night, knowing I didn't stop you from great things."

"Aspen, I love you, I couldn't leave you." I pleaded. I wanted him just to side with me.

"Please?" He said and I broke. There was no way I could get chosen anyways so it wouldn't matter.

"Fine." I said and he smiled. He pressed his lips against mine again and I began to melt into him. It would all be okay because there was absolutely no chance I would leave here. I couldn't, it was to perfect.

He pulled back and looked at me for a minute.

"I love you America Singer." He said and then he began climbing down the ladder and into the night, soon after I went down and back into my room as well.

I snuck through the back door and back into my room. I laid down and soon I was fast asleep.

Just as soon as I closed my eyes, they were open again by the beeping of my alarm clock. It didn't even feel like a minute that I'd slept. I sighed and got up to shut off the evil beeping contraption.

I sighed, and reluctantly got dressed. I remembered my promise last night and as soon as I was ready for the day I sat down at my ancient computer and searched up the application.

It was fairly standard to fill out and I got it done before everyone barged in my room to try and convince me to fill out the application. I told them all that I already had.

Mom and May were over joyed. May kept going on about how I might meet the star quarter back and May's recent celebrity crush, Maxon Schreave. I told her if I did (which I wasn't planning on since I wasn't going to be picked anyways) I could give her a picture of him that was signed.

Mom decided that she was so happy, we would go into town and have a proper meal at a dinner. Everyone pulled into our little car and we headed off.

When we arrived we got a booth and everyone ordered. I got some pancakes, that were absolutely delicious. We didn't eat out often so this was a real treat for everyone. I felt bad though, they were splurging on some exciting thing, but I knew it wouldn't actually happen.

After we ate, as we were leaving the dinner we ran into Lena Leger, Aspens mother. She was walking to the house she cleaned for, mom stopped and talked for a while, and I stood next to her. Everyone else got back in the car.

Mom asked Lena how everyone was and finally she asked about Aspen.

"Oh he's good, I think he's saving up for a wedding though, he's stashing money left and right. I don't know about any special girl though." Lena told us. I was absolutely over the moon to hear that, I love Aspen and I wanted nothing more to marry him.

I couldn't stop grinning the rest of the day. I was just a ray of sunshine and nobody knew why, they probably assumed it was because of the application, but it was because Aspen was saving up to marry me. I would be 18 in less then a year and I could legally get married.

I didn't get to see Aspen until next until a couple of days until the applications were announced. I didn't care about that though, I was still thrilled about the saving he had done, for a wedding, for us.

I purposefully made extra food that night for dinner and I baked a cake just for the event. I wanted it to be a feast for us.

I got it all up to the treehouse early that night and I waited for him up there. I was afraid I'd be caught with as many trips as I made into the house, but nobody was awake at this hour. It was almost midnight.

Finally I heard him climbing the ladder and I prepared everything to be presented to him. I was so excited as I heard him climbing higher and higher.

At last he made it to the top and saw everything I had set out. His mouth was wide open and I thought that was a good thing.

"America… You shouldn't have done this." He said as he looked at everything I'd set out. I was confused, I thought he would be happy.

"What do you mean Aspen? I did this for you, because I love you." He shook his head at me a couple of times and then stuck his hand in his hair.

"I know, but I can't accept this, I was okay when it was just little leftovers America, but this, this is too much. I can't be your charity case." His stare was cold and he avoided my eyes.

"Aspen? I…I thought you would like this." I said, I was extremely confused now. I didn't know what to do.

"America, I was stupid to think this would ever work. I don't want to drag you down with me, I can't afford to do things for you. I can't provide." His voice was cold and I could see his breath huffing in the moonlight.

"Aspen, it's okay. We can manage, I love you." I said. I didn't know what was happening.

"I know, I love you too Mer, that's why I can't do this to you. I'm sorry Mer it's over." He didn't look at me, and instead focused on the planks of the treehouse as he said that. And just like that my whole perfect world shattered.

"But… Aspen?" Was all I could manage out. He came over to me and kissed me one last time before he descended into the night for the last time.

Quietly I cleaned up the feast I had set up and I went back inside. I was devastated inside.

I went to bed and I felt numb as I slipped to sleep.

When I woke up in the morning I was in a slump. My family seemed to notice, but they didn't say anything. They probably thought I was nervous to see if I got the scholarship.

The next few days I stayed in my slump and finally it was the day where the email would be sent out to those who got the scholarship for Illean prep. Only 35 of them would be chosen, and I had in all honesty forgot that it would be sent out today, May however had not.

All day she bugged me to check my inbox every 5 minutes, to see if there was any email from Illean prep university. I tried to keep her busy with baking but she would still remind me.

Finally it was almost 8:00pm and May was starting to lose hope that I'd been accepted. Mom told me to check on last time before I went to bed and I did. I was utterly shocked to see an email waiting for me when I checked.

I clicked it open and discovered it was indeed from Illea prep university. I opened it up and skimmed through it. They said they were incredibly impressed by my application and they would like to offer me a scholarship.

I sat there absolutely dumbfounded for the longest time. How? How out of he millions that applied had I actually gotten the scholarship?

When I didn't return to the kitchen after a while May came into my room. She screamed when she saw the open tab with an email from the university, and mom came rushing into my room as well.

"America! This is amazing!" Mom shouted and soon everyone was in my room. Gerard was dancing around, May was still shouting, Dad was grinning firm ear to ear, mom was getting really excited, and I was still sitting at my computer trying to process everything that had happened.

The phone rang and mom ran to the kitchen to answer it, she called out my name soon after and I got up to go see who it was.

"Hello?" I asked to whoever was on the other end on the line.

"America singer?" A mans voice asked.

"Yes, that would be me." I replied.

"Great! We don't know if you've checked your email yet but you might want to. Your application for the scholarship to Illean prep university has been accepted! I hope you know what an honor this is, only 35 students in the whole country got this opportunity. Will you accept the scholarship?"

I pondered the question for a bit, my plan had always been to say no, but right now I could use a break away somewhere else, plus he was right it was an honor, my application was chosen over hundreds.

"Yes." I said definitively. By now everyone was crowded around me.

"Ok great, we will send someone to brief you on the school before we fly you out to start your first semester. Expect him around three days."

"Uh okay. Thank you." I said, the man then hung up the phone and everyone was jumping with joy.

"We have to call the paper!" Mom yelled. I was still feeling hesitate about everything, but there was no backing out now.

"Or better yet, the news station!" Dad joined in.

Everyone was happy and excited and for the first time in days, I felt sort of excited as well. This would be a great fresh start, which right now I needed.

Ok so that's the end of chapter 1! Please review and give me your feedback! It would be much appreciated! I tried hard to keep it as close to the story as possible! Thanks so much!