When In Doubt - Freshman Year

Chapter 31

Case in point: it was never going to happen, but Eden had still run over towards him afterwards and wrapped him into one of her signature hugs.

Madison wished she could've seen the look on Arquez's face.

"I couldn't help myself!" Eden practically jumped in glee, plenty of laughter in her voice. "I was just so happy that he didn't hate it, it's my instinct to hug!"

Madison eyed Eden's wide leg floral print pants, her black long-sleeved top that left her shoulders exposed, along with the newly re-found jump in her step: Eden had gotten her groove back.

"I hope you know you don't need to base the quality of your work based on one professors opinion, right?" Madison raised a perfectly arched brow at her and flicked her glossy, straightened hair behind her shoulders.

"I know, I know, you'd been telling me that all semester," Eden admitted.

"Damn right I have, because it's true."

Eden's happiness must've been contagious, because Jenna also buzzed with elation. "Let's talk about something else, like, how finals are officially over!" Jenna threw her hands up. "We've officially completed our freshman year!"

Madison couldn't match their level of hype, but she'd smiled at the thought. No more school, no more homework, no more track; just a ninety-day vacation to get herself back in better health, both mentally and physically.

"When are you heading out?" Eden asked her.

"I can't get a ride until next Tuesday, so I'm staying around campus until then."

"I was planning on leaving tomorrow, but what if I stayed too?" Eden pondered. "We could see who else is staying back to get together and do something!"

"Like drink in the dorms?" Jenna suggested.

"No! Well, maybe?" Eden raised her arms like she didn't know the answer. "Maybe someone will have a party at their house or maybe not, but either way, we should all be together for the last weekend here."

"With mostly everyone heading home, maybe the cops won't be out as much either," Jenna pointed out. Madison seriously considered staying after that.

"Very true!" Eden gushed as she'd pulled out her phone. "I'll send out a message to our group chat." Eden's fingers danced across the screen as she set another one of her plans into motion.

Heather

"So, who's all still here for the weekend?" Ali asked.

Heather shrugged; she'd honestly hadn't known because not that many people had actually responded to Eden's message earlier. On the Thursday of finals week, the whole group had pregamed before half of them had been drunk and gone to see a movie, not without sneaking in more booze. Matt had gotten the worst; when one of the rules they'd come up with appeared on screen, Matt raised his mixed drink in a Powerade bottle and yelled "Cheers!" through the whole theater.

Subtle...but Heather and almost everyone had died laughing at him.

Heather knew Alex and Zach had already left earlier that following Friday; there'd been a big group hug and group photo earlier that day out in front of Fleming Hall up on North Campus where Alex and Zach actually lived; Heather had totally forgotten that since they'd always been on their floor in HKMC anyways. It'd almost been too sad to say their goodbyes for the summer.

Heather decided to stick around and then catch a ride back with Matt since they'd lived only twenty-minutes away from each other. She and Ali were in her room, but Lindsay had left early because her family were going on some two-week cruise right away and came and got her the minute she'd completed her last final. Mandy had gone home too, but Madison was still around, so they'd known it'd be at least five girls left. Ali had come over wearing a white crop top, cutoff denim shorts and her long bob of blonde hair down; she was totally embracing the warmer weather. Heather had thrown on an Aztec-patterned skirt and black halter top with her hair in a fishtail braid, and had been putting the finishing touches on her look in front of her mirror while Ali played music through blutooth on her phone.