Meet Me After Class

Chapter 57: The College Canvas

I shoved another stack of t-shirts into my overflowing suitcase, struggling to zip it closed. I'd waited until the last minute to pack for college, even though I'd been home from my summer theater internship in New York for over a week now. Procrastination at its finest. At least I had some great memories from the Big Apple to tide me over before orientation started.

Those first few days back home were tough over the fact that Adam and I didn't get to patch up and say goodbye properly. I spent most of those late summer days moping around the house, replaying our last tense conversations over in my mind.

What if the distance drove us completely apart?

My mom's gentle prodding to get out of my room fell on deaf ears.

Finally, Belle intervened in her usual caring way. "You're really going to waste your last week before college in your room?"

She had grabbed my hand and yanked me off my bed. "Come here, we're binging Fruits Basket whether you like it or not."

I allowed myself to be dragged into the living room as she set up her favorite anime series. "I'm serious," Belle said firmly. "This is an order from your little sister. No more moping!"

As the opening theme song played, she settled in next to me. I wrapped my arm around her shoulders. "I'm going to miss having you bug me all the time."

"I'm going to miss you too. But you'll be back for holidays and breaks, so I'm not worried."

"For sure."

She nodded, handing me a pint of ice cream. "And I demand many, many anime catch-up sessions."

And for the next three days, that's exactly what we did—a Fruits Basket marathon punctuated only by bathroom breaks, meals, family dinner, and quick catnaps. The vibrant colors and emotional storylines transported me away from reality. As Tohru overcame obstacle after obstacle with her unwavering spirit, I found myself gradually letting go of the regrets over Adam. My mind became fully immersed in the animated world alongside Belle.

"Oh my gosh, did you see that plot twist coming?" Belle gasped, gripping my arm during one pivotal episode. "I can't believe Akito did that to Kureno!"

I shook my head slowly. "Nope, totally blindsided me."

She nodded vigorously. "Right? I told you it was amazing, though. Just wait until we get to the student council arc coming up!"

As the season finale played out, bringing so many emotional arcs to a close, Belle had tears streaming down her cheeks. "That was so beautiful. Tohru's unconditional love for everyone is just...goals, you know?"

I hugged her tightly. "It really was special. I'm going to miss watching shows like this with you while I'm away."

Belle sniffed and then brightened. "Well that just means I'll have to make us an official list to get through over breaks! There's still so many amazing animes we need to experience."

She grabbed a notebook and started scribbling furiously. "Ok, we've got to do Fairy Tail - that's about wizard guilds and has the most epic fight sequences. Oh and Hunter x Hunter for sure with the nen abilities. That one starts off kind of kids showish but gets insanely deep..."

I laughed as she eagerly recapped plot line after plot line, making notes in the margins. Leave it to Belle to plan out our anime viewings months in advance.

As she chalked up another detailed entry, I knew these shared passions were going to help with separation anxiety during college.

Time seemed to both slow down and speed up simultaneously in that cozy living room cocoon. I'd look at the clock and be shocked that four hours had flown by. Yet I also lost all track of the days blurring together into one long memory with my sister before I had to leave.