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[ bonus chapter ] - college

"You have your retainer?"

"Yes, mom."

"Your socks?"

"Yep. The fluffy ones, too."

"Your books?"

"Mom," I say, sounding exasperated as possible. I really don't want her to stop asking me things. I don't want to go anywhere that isn't right next to her, now especially. But I do my best not to show it.

She sighs and shakes her head. "Right, right. Sorry. Uh..." she smiles at me. "You have everything you need."

"I really do." Do I? I've been packing since May and I'm still not sure.

This is the point her eyes start to tear up. We're standing outside my new school - my college. I forgot how terrifying first days at a new school were. After all, it has been four years.

It's a strange feeling, leaving like this. But I'll only be about two hours away. But it still feels big.

My eyes tear up, too, and my mom pulls me into a hug. Tessa comes out of the car with my last bag and hands it to me. I still can't get over how grown up she looks. She's still as fashionable as ever, still as gorgeous. The only difference is that she's a freshmen, and I couldn't be prouder. I hope she knows what she's in for.

I smile when she joins our hug after placing my bag on the ground.

"I'm so proud," my mom says, her voice muffled by my shoulder. "So, so proud." I smile as a tear slips down my cheek.

"I love you guys."

Tessa rolls her eyes through tears. "You're not dying. You're gonna be home on weekends." I can tell it does nothing to reassure her, even though she sounds confident about it. I smile. She's always trying to be braver.

I laugh. "I know, dingus." I recompose myself and grab my bags. "Alright, I think I'm ready." I'm really not, though. I knew I wasn't ready when I threw my cap in the air along with people I'd never see again in my life. But this should be a happy time for me, and my mom's proud. So I'm not going to act like a baby.

I hold my chin up and smile. "I'll see you in five days," I say, but all I'm thinking about is my room and how comfortable I feel in it. Is my dorm gonna be anything similar? How am I going to feel, sleeping in a dark, unfamiliar place?

Guess I'll have to find out.

"Bye, again?" I say, and they both pull me into another hug.

I take one last look at both of them before turning around and waking up the steps. I glance back multiple times before running into the door on accident.

Well, let the Hunger Games begin.

————————

"So how're you settled in?"

"Great," I say, glancing around. My room is really small, but I don't mind. I've decorated it as much as I can, and it looks slightly like my room back home, which comforts me. But I'm feeling so tired after setting up and stressing. "How about you?" ( I was unfortunately unable to rip my 1D poster off my wall, if you'd forgotten about the Gorilla Glue.)

"Awesome. I've got some classes coming up. My roommate is obsessed with watching Gilmore Girls, so that's one less person I have to talk to that isn't you." I smile and Archer smiles back. This is so strangely new.

"Thanks."

"Sure."

There's a silence between us, and I start thinking of my greatest fear. This distance won't tear us apart, will it? This small, hour drive. I wish I could see him every day in high school like before. I didn't even realize how much I'd taken that for granted.

Like Andy Bernard said, "I wish there was a way of knowing you were in the good old days before you actually left them."

"...Can we go for coffee soon? Like, on the weekend?"

He smiles. "Miss me already?"

"You have no idea."

He smiles, his eyes softening. That was obviously not what he was expecting.

"I love you. And yes, we will definitely do that."

"I love you too," I say quietly. "I'm tired. I think I'm gonna take a quick nap."

He nods. "Oh, alright. Well, talk to you later?"

I shake my head, lying down farther on my bed. "No no no, don't hang up. Just... stay?" I'm surprised at how desperate I sound. "Please?"

He smiles softly, and I feel my heart skip a beat. "Okay, sure."

"I hope you know we'll be doing this every night."

"Fine by me, Ken."

I smile, closing my eyes. There's something so comforting about knowing he's on the phone with me, that he's thinking of me, busy spending time with me. It helps the small, but painful distance between us. It's going to be okay for us, I know that.

I think back to freshmen year, how afraid I was. Eventually I wasn't, and I started to really enjoy high school. But I was already thinking about college. Everyone was. But almost everyone, by senior year, has chosen a different place. Maybe it was only to seem impressive, to know where you belong. I don't know.

I remember reading To All the Boys I've Loved Before in sophomore year, even though I was kind of too old for it. How Lara Jean's mom didn't want her daughters to go to college with a boyfriend. I can't help but think it would've been hard if it were anyone but Archer. It wouldn't have been worth it if it were anyone but Archer. But it is him. It's him I've chosen. So it's worth it.

I never thought I'd have a boyfriend. I never thought I'd be so desperate for someone's time like I am now. I never thought it was possible to be so in love with someone like I am now.

We've been together three years, and everything still feels new. Like I'm still dreaming about having someone so perfect. There's no way he could be real. But the best part? He is.

Who would've thought, all of this would've started with a popular girl and the new guy.

But now, when I look at him, I see my past, the present, and my future.

My forever.

| THE END #2 |

AND THAT'S IT!
no more bonus chapters! sorry to say it, but I love ending it here. it's such a perfect place to close the last chapter on this story that I've loved for more than a year now. <3 thank you for reading! (ps. if I come up with the most insanely amazing idea that I just HAVE to write, this may be a lie. But for now this is it.)
signing out, waffles. ♥︎
ps 2 - someone find me a guy like archer. I think I'm in love with him :-0