Trouble ✧ Bucky Barnes

CHAPTER 2

"So" said Lori, looking back at Ellie, "are you excited?"

"For the graduation?" she asked and rested her head on her hands, "first I have to pass all my finals"

"Not about that, darling" smiled Lori, "about your birthday!"

Ellie looked at her friend, "right" she smiled and sit properly on the chair, "I forgot that it was nearing"

Alex took a dramatic breath, "how can you forget that your birthday was nearing! Lori won't shut up about it"

Lori glanced at Alex and he shut up.

"We'll have to go buy a dress and go eat something!" Laura clapped her hands, but her smile disappeared when she looked at the table, were too many papers where messily scattered, "but first we have to study"

"But first we have to study," repeated Ellie, smiling and taking out her books.

"Did you happen to read the M. V. book?" asked Alex, stretching across the table until he was close to her. Just like Ellie, he was studying Aerospace Engineering.

"Yep" she smiled and handed him some notes, "that's the summary"

"Thank you, you're a lifesaver" he smiled and went back to his seat.

"You should be more responsible" said Tom but Alex just shrugged, "what will happen when you get a job? Ellie won't be there to help you"

"Well," Alex took a breath, "I will think about that went it happens, but until then..." he added, lifting the papers and putting them in front of Tom.

The bespectacled boy pushed them away and Alex giggled, "leave him be, Tommy" said Ellie with a smile and he smiled as well.

"All right," he took a breath. Tom was studying Chemistry and Genetics, and was about to graduate as well. He was the best in his class, and that was mainly due to all the hours he spent on the University labs, studying. He too, was 25, the same age Alex and Lori had.

Ellie was the younger of the group, but she had grown accustomed to being in older people's presence. She spent all her childhood with Howard, and then, all her University years with people four or five years older than her.

She came to realize that she preferred that company, more than spending time with people her age. She didn't have many friends either, so her weekends were spent studying with Lori, Alex or Tom; or grabbing hamburgers with them, or going to the movies with her brother...

Now that she thought about it, she needed to go out more. Maybe attend those fancy parties her brother always seemed to enjoy, or go dancing with Lori. Lori loved dancing as much as she loved law, and that was saying something.

Two hours passed incredibly fast, and Ellie and Alex said their goodbyes, walking together towards their class.

When they entered and took their usual seats, Ellie realized that, in a couple of weeks, she would be finishing her career.

A huge wave of nervousness, sadness and panic overcame her.

What was she going to do after she graduated? Would she get a job? Considering the situation, it seemed like an almost impossible idea.

As if on cue, Professor Delgado entered the room and, after everyone went quiet noticing him there, he spoke up, "when the class is over, please go to the hallway in Tower B. Yes, Mister Muller, the hallways of the announcements" he said when a blond boy raised his hand, "you will see that several announcements will be available for each major, and if you are interested in knowing jobs available for those with the highest grades, you will find them there. Obviously, everyone can send a letter to the established address, but I repeat, they are only looking for the best of the best."

Murmurs were heard throughout the room and Professor Delgado raised his hand, causing the peaceful silence to return.

"If you do not get one of said jobs, please know there are still many jobs looking for qualified people" he said and smiled kindly, "well, we will continue with where we left..."

Ellie put all her nerves to one side and focused on the class, but when it was over, both she and Alex ran as fast as they could to the hallway in Tower B, where several students from all the majors were huddling.

Ellie couldn't see any announcement in the space under the two big words "Aerospace Engineering", but Alex pushed two boys not so kindly and Ellie managed to read them.

There were two jobs for NASA, three for a private engineering company and two for the development of airplanes for the military. Ellie pointed at that one and looked at Alex, who nodded and smiled. Quickly, Ellie took out a small piece of paper from her bag and, with a fancy looking silver pen, jotted down the mailing address.

Leaving the crowd, she was met by Tom and Lori, the latter with a huge smile.

"There are practices in the New York court!" she said excitedly, "there is only one vacancy, but I'm sure I'll get it, everyone loves me"

"And you have the best grades, but the fact that everyone loves you seems to be much more important" said Alex jokingly and Lori smiled, apparently her good humor would not disappear with Alex's sarcastic comments.

"What did you find, Tommy?" Ellie asked, and the boy pulled a piece of paper out of his pocket.

"There is a vacancy in a genetic compound development company" he said, "the logo is funny" he added with a smile.

"Logo?"

"Yeah, look, I drew it," Tom said and showed it to Ellie. A rare octopus with six tentacles was placed on a crumpled piece of paper.

"It looks weird"

"Yeah" said Tom, "but if the university has put that place in there, I'm sure it's reliable" Ellie nodded and Tom smiled; "would you like to grab something to eat?"

"Sure" she said, and Tom's grin increased, "lets tell Lori and Alex, I bet they are starving too"

Tom mumbled and okay, but he wasn't smiling anymore.

The four friends spent the evening in a nice café, eating pie and writing their respective letters, and after checking them for probably a hundred times, sealed them and left them in the mailing company.

"There's that," said Lori, "I put on a copy of all my grades of all the years I've been at the University, and also about that debate I won last year in Denver and- Oh! But what if it isn't enough... maybe I should take the letter back..."

"No use, Lori" said Ellie, "and I'm sure it's enough" she nodded reassuringly, and Lori smiled.

"We'll see," said Alex.

"We'll see" answered the other three friends.