Finals
were over. The quad is filled with students enjoying the onset of summer.
Sanders and Bannister exit the Hall of 2D studies together. Bannister is
carrying a small box of trinkets from his office. Sanders stops and turns
around to look back at the building. Bannister copies him. “So, you aren’t
going to miss this? Not even a little?” Sanders asked.
Bannister
shook his head. “Maybe someday down the line. But right now I feel like I’m
being reborn.” He explained as he turned away from the building.
Sanders
nodded. And continued walking with Bannister. “Oh, thanks for keeping me in the
class.” He said spotting his friends sitting under Thompson’s big tree further
down the quad.
Bannister
nodded. “It’s didn’t seem fair to let you screw yourself over.” He admitted.
Sanders
nodded. “You’re going to be at dad’s tonight for dinner?” He confirmed.
Bannister nodded and Sanders took a step towards the tree. “I’ll see you later then.”
He waved as he took off toward the tree. Joining Cynthia, Foster, and Thompson.
Thompson
kicked at Foster with a barefoot. “Well Foster, you made it to the end of your
first semester of college. How do you feel?” He asked.
Foster
sighed. “A bit like I’m witnessing the end of the world.” He admitted.
“Ok
explain.” Sanders demanded.
Foster
shrugged. “It’s never going to be like this again. Next semester will be infinitely
different than this one.”
Thompson nodded. “And yet, creepily enough, almost exactly the same.” He confirmed.
Foster
pulled his knees up to his chin and used them to rest his head. “It’s like we
build the same sand castle at low tide just to see what changes from version to
version.” He sighed again.
Cynthia
rolled her eyes. “Could you two just be happy for one moment?” She asked.
Clay,
Faith, and Lacey joined the circle, sitting in the shade of the tree. “Evidence
shows they are both capable.” Clay replied.
Sanders shook
his head. “Yeah but chicks dig moody guys.” He joked.
Cynthia
noticed Lacey’s outfit. “Oh my god I love your shirt, did you get that at
Forever Ten Two?” She asked.
Lacey
nodded. “I did. We should go shopping soon.” She offered.
Cynthia
smiled. “That would be awesome.” She confirmed
Porter
walked up with four drinks in a carrier. Clay looked up at him shielding his
eyes from the sun. “Which of those is coffee?” He asked.
Faith
slapped his shoulder. “They are all coffee dork.” She said.
Porter
shook his head. “No, these two are epic poems.” He said as he handed the girls
their drinks. “These two, are coffee.” He said as Clay reached up to grab his
drink. They clinked their cheap paper cups together.
Lacey puts her cup down and sees a very nice car parking in the distance. She slaps faith’s shoulder. “That’s it, that’s the car the lady from nationals drove. I want one of those so bad, It’s my dream car.” She said wishfully.
Porter’s
ears perked up and he took note of the car she was pointing out. “Color
preference?” He asked.
She
seemed taken aback for a second. “Um, in a perfect world? They come in a shade
called Midnight Lust. IT’s like a little darker than blood red.” She explained
as Porter nodded.
Foster
kicked at the empty drink carrier with his shoe. “Thanks for brining drinks
only for yourselves, definitely feeling the love over here.” He playfully
complained.
Clay held
up his coffee as if he were toasting Foster. “S’what friends are for noob.
Letting you know where you’re wanted.” He said as Foster playfully flipped him
off.
They
spent the rest of the day visiting together under that tree. Trying to make the
last of the semester last as long as possible before they all went back to
their homes, their ‘normal’ lives. Their separate worlds, it was easy work,
spending time together, making the most of every moment at the University of
Console Heroics.
