The Woods

Fritzie's favorite things about the fall semester of her freshman year at college consisted of pumpkin spice lattes, afternoon classes, and the anticipation of seeing her boys again. Her boys being Elliot James Cruz, Zeke Collin Sallow, and Carson Dean Ford. The four had grown up together in the small town of Crawford, Virginia, and had spent almost three whole months without seeing each other, which was significantly different from waving to them every day just as she stepped out her front door.

Her head bumped against the window as her dad drove down their gravel-made driveway. Home, she thought. She silently smirked to herself as she laid her head down once more. Although Fritzie was eighteen, she still enjoyed pretending to be asleep after a long road trip to fool her parents. Suddenly, the car door opened.

"Welcome home, kid," said her father with a chuckle.

Luckily, she had her seat belt on, but that barely stopped her from the shock of almost falling out of the car. "Dad!" she squealed.

Her skin prickled with the crisp, cold air of fall, causing her to inhale and exhale slowly. After she got out of the car, her face snapped with realization, making her sprint towards her house. There was someone who was expecting her, someone who would be angry at her absence.

As she opened the front door, she felt her skin melting as she was greeted by the familiar scent and warmth of her mother's fall candles. Promptly, just as she stepped through the door, Fritzie heard the light pitter-patter of footsteps.

"Cheeto!" she shouted. All at once, Fritzie swept her chunky orange cat up in her arms. "Oh, I missed you so much, baby. How's my sweetiekins?" In response, Cheeto allowed her to hold him and purred against her arms.

Fritzie was sitting on the floor of her kitchen. She looked around the small room and gazed at the black and white tile floor. She had always loved that pattern. Of course, this was not her first time being home in three months. She usually came home about every few weeks since her college was only ninety minutes away, but this would be her first time seeing all her boys in those three months.

"Child, what are you doin' sittin' in the middle of the doorway?" her mother asked her with her father trailing behind.

"Catching up with my little sweetiekins, of course," causing her mother to just laugh and shake her head. Her father grunted as he stomped through the doorway and headed toward the bathroom.

"Are you ready for Jackson's Halloween party tonight?" her mother questioned.

"Totally, I'm so ready to see Harper and the guys again. Harper's planning to come over at like 6:45 so we can get ready together and be at the party by eight- wait what time-" but before she could finish her sentence, there Harper stood, knocking at the door.

"Hello, hello, beautiful," cheered Harper.

Fritzie sprung from the ground and darted past her mother to her best friend, who immediately enveloped her in a tight hug.

"Careful, careful, I got us coffee," Harper warned, holding two venti pumpkin spice lattes.

"Ugh, you are literally an angel, Harper Elizabeth Grey," she breathed.

"Oh, I know."

The two girls raced down the hall, up the stairs, past Fritzie's older sister's room, to Fritzie's lair. Then, they immediately broke out into a fit of chit-chat and giggles as they caught up on literally everything.

"How's school?"

"How's work?"

"How's life?"

"I wish we went to the same college, Fritz, I miss having my ride or die with me."