A Graveyard of Stars

Chapter Twenty

A/N: Just wanted to let everyone know that there will be one more chapter to this story after this chapter! (:

-G

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Early November in the middle of the night is when I decide that college life isn't what I thought it would be.

Starting in junior year, the guidance counselors would come into classes and talk to the upperclassmen about their futures. Teachers would have college students come in and talk about the "college life." To me, it all sounded too complicated. The teachers made college sound so hard, like the whole time you'd just be stressed out and buried in study material. Then the college students would come in, each saying the same thing over and over, my college is the best.

But now that I'm here, I see that college isn't like many describe it. It's also not like many movies describe it. Not near as many parties or scandals, but that might just be because of the college I chose.

I've made friends here, but most of my time is spent with Will. He applied to Ohio State and it was no surprise when he got accepted. We celebrated anyway by going bowling with Craig and Abigail, who may or may not become an item any day now. Craig would hint his affections toward her multiple times throughout our get-togethers over the summer, and Abigail seemed genuinely flattered but wouldn't give him anything back. I could tell that she liked him, but she's still coping with the loss of her first love.

Craig, by the way, found his passion over the summer at an Art Museum in the Photography section. Days before, he showed me a notebook he discovered in Connor's bedroom with a long list of places around the world.

Chicago, Illinois
Las Vegas, Nevada
Juneau, Alaska
Liverpool, England
Tokyo, Japan
Paris
Ireland
Russia
India

The list goes on and on in Connor's careless and messy handwriting. Some written in pencil, some in pen. We guessed that meant he continued to add to it at different times throughout his life. Neither Craig nor I knew what the list was for exactly but we could guess.

Connor dreamed of traveling.

Craig became fascinated with this, seeing it as the last piece of his little brothers life. When he went to the Art Museum in Columbus and saw photography from around the world, his brain spawned an idea. He would travel to as many of the places on Connor's list as he could.

Craig said he thought Ralf was going to have a heart attack when he told him. He said Richelle was skeptical at first but after a day of thinking she decided the idea was beautiful and wants tons of pictures.

So there you have it. Craig was going to travel the world in an attempt to check off a list of places his little brother possibly dreamed about. But before he left, he did one spontaneous thing that even surprised me a little.

He asked Abigail to go with him.

By this time, Abigail already had plans to major in Nursery at the college her Grandma and Mom had attended. She had her future pretty much laid out. But because Abigail knows that life moves so fast and regret is a dreadful emotion, she said yes to Craig.

They left in October, when the leaves were crinkling and air was softer then it is in the summer. Every once in a while my phone will ring and it'll be one of them telling me about something they had just saw or experienced. Who would've thought it'd be Craig and Abigail skipping out on college instead of me?

Wondering how Will and I are doing? Oh, we're fine. Sure, we have petty little arguments here and there but they're usually over him touching my paintings when they're not fully dry. From the outside looking in, some might wonder how we're still together due to how much we disagree on little things. Somehow though, we put up with each other, more than that, we desire each other.