Saving Me [MxM]

Chapter 18 (Part Three)

“Oh, not too bad. Finals week has everyone all cranky and hyped up on caffeine, so that’s been a complete buzzkill, because most of my friends are graduating this year. You talk to ‘Drea lately?”

“A little bit−−”

“I haven’t been able to, unfortunately, super busy with work. Who knew college would be so much work, huh? I think I’m gonna change my major though. Maybe be a pediatrician or something instead. I like kids better than dirt anyway.”

Alyssa. Right. The girl who wanted to be an archaeologist. Nathan nodded politely, and Alyssa was about to talk again before she jumped. “Oh, right, I am so sorry, you’re probably here for something. What can I help you with?”

“We need our cap and gowns.”

“Alrighty, I’m gonna need an ID from both of you.” Alyssa said, turning to the computer next to her. Both Nathan and Vince fished out their IDs before handing them to her, and she looked them over before giving them back and typing something into the computer. “Mkay, you’re both registered. I’m gonna need your height and weight,” she said again, turning to Nathan.

“Uh, like…5’9 and a half, I think. 175,” he told her. She nodded, then moved away from the counter. When she came back she had a plastic-covered square in her hand.

“That’ll be fifty.”

Nathan pulled out his wallet, handing over the money and frowning slightly when he noticed he only had a ten left. Maybe he wouldn’t be getting coffee then.

“Alright, here you go.” Alyssa said with a smile, handing the cap and gown over to Nathan, who took it and moved so Vince could get his. Once they were both finished, Alyssa smiled widely at them.

“I will definitely try and be at graduation. Good luck with your finals!” she said. Nathan nodded to her as they were leaving, and once they were out of the bookstore, Vince shuddered.

“She was scary. No one should be that happy during finals week. No one.”

Nathan snorted. He didn’t care how upbeat Alyssa was. He got his cap and gown, and he was good.

Now he just had to face the monstrosity of finals.

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It was quiet on the farm. A quietness that Varian had never known until the day his father took his sister away from him. Once more he found himself standing in her open doorway, knees loose and shoulders slumped as he stared at her empty rumbled bed and the clothes that lay around the room.

He inhaled shortly upon the familiar placement of the articles. He knew their shape and their shadows, even in his sleep when the sock sticking out of her white dresser door haunted him. Telling him of a day when he’d had to relinquish everything he’d held dear to the very person who hadn’t tried to stop it from happening in the first place.