Alice's POV
"This place is huge," Beth marveled as we stood before the University of Aberville. "Sky is going to get lost here so many times."
"Hey, I'm standing right next to you, you know," her twin resented. "Besides, I got a map of this place. See?" He showed us an already dog-eared large piece of paper.
"It's upside down," Keegan noted after barely glancing at the map.
"What? No! What makes you say that?"
"The letters are upside down."
"Oh... Yeah..." Sky turned the paper. "So now we are..." His gaze raked over the map and he furrowed his brows. "We are..."
"Here," Asher pointed out.
"Right where it says "entrance"," Keegan added.
"Yep! We won't be seeing my brother for the next few days," Beth shook her head with a sigh.
"Don't worry," Kee grabbed Sky by the hand. "We are in the same faculty building so I'll keep an eye on him, Beth."
The two boys headed left.
"And I'm over there," Asher pointed out to one of the nearest premises which was to our right. "What about you girls?"
"We are all the way to the back," his girlfriend replied, studying a map identical to that of her brother. "Right next to the Chemistry faculty and the labs."
We walked Asher to his destination, mindful not to bump into anyone from the large swarm of students hurrying to their first classes for the year.
"See you in about an hour," the boy said as he kissed Beth, making her giggle.
"Three minutes and counting," I pointed out a little later.
"Huh?"
"That is how long it's been since you and Ash kissed goodbye and yet you're still grinning."
"Oh, Alice, I can't control it! We've been dating for months but I can't help but feel giddy each time we kiss. It's like an eternal honeymoon without the marriage part of course," she added, the smile finally leaving her face. "And speaking of marriage: have Will and Flora chosen a date yet?"
"No, they aren't in a hurry. Besides, both of them want a small gathering for the ceremony so it wouldn't need too much preparation. Their wedding is not going to be like any of Elanor's."
"Speaking of your mother: how are things between you?" My best friend inquired cautiously, just as we'd reached our building.
I puffed.
"Weird. She's actually trying to bond with me but after so many years of keeping her distance... Whenever we attempt a conversation we end up in this really awkward silence. We just don't know how to talk to each other."
"Oh, Alice..." Bethany wrapped her arm around my shoulders in a sideways hug. "The important thing is that you are both trying."
"Yeah, I guess..."
The two of us entered the classroom and a boy about our age immediately straitened up, giving Beth a charming smile. She returned it with a polite one but made sure to pick us a couple of seats as far away as possible from that guy. As soon as we took our places, my friend opened one of her study books and started to browse through it.
"Oh, this might be a fun lesson," she commented, showing me the title. "But the next few seem complicated..."
She kept on talking until our teacher came in but I wasn't really listening to her. Once the thought of Elanor got into my head, it was difficult to chase it out.
*****
"Will you quit it with all those pictures?" Beth questioned, irritated that I'd stopped to photograph one of the buildings again.
"I want to show Cade what the University looks like," I responded, clicking on the camera button once more.
"But you already took so many," my friend continued to whine.
"Not my fault the architecture is so diverse," I kept on fighting for my cause, taking a picture of a dark wooden door with a leaf pattern carved onto it. A passerby shook his head at me and his female companion gave me a sneer but I kept on with my occupation. "Some of these buildings were built centuries ago while others are just decades old. There is such a clash of styles here, of classical and new-age, that Caden won't be able to resists drawing it." Another click and a photo of the statue of Jacob Aberville, founder and first mayor of the town of Aberville, was saved onto my phone's memory card. "Besides, Beth, it was you who was agape with the University this morning."
"It is one thing to say that this place is astonishing. It's a whole different matter to take pictures of every single door, window, statue, fountain..."
"Okay, okay! I get it," I cut her off, putting my mobile in my pocket.
"You know, Alice, Caden can just look at the University website; there are plenty of photos there," Asher suggested wisely. "I mean, he could..."
"I am going to murder him!" His girlfriend growled suddenly, taking Ash and I aback.
"What are you," I started but Bethany rushed forward. We followed behind her and it took us less than a minute to realize what had gotten her so peeved; Skyler was not far by, giving one of the blonde girls from our apartment building his signature boyishly flirtatious smile. Before we reached them, the girl swiftly slipped her hand into his shirt's pocket and left.
"What was that all about?" Beth inquired of her twin but didn't give him time to respond. "Didn't we agree that you and Keegan are going to stay away from Jinnee, Jenny, July or whatever their names were?" Sky opened his mouth to respond but his sister wasn't done yet. "Because I'm not letting you hide into our apartment if these girls go stalker on you."
"Calm down, Beth; it's all under control," her twin finally managed to butt in. "First – their names are Jennie and Jodie; second – Jennie was just giving me their phone numbers in case... in case..."
"In case?"
"In case Kee and I needed a cup of sugar," Sky concluded.
"Oh, I'm pretty sure it's some sugar that you want from them, bro," Beth kept on glaring at him.
"Look, sis, maybe I'm changing," the boy said through a sigh. "I see how happy you and Ash are and how you are always there for each other and how you help each other out. The same goes for Alice and Cade as well; even if one of them is in a bad mood, the other shows up, kisses them and a smile magically appears on both their faces. Maybe I just want that now; maybe I want someone to look at me with the same adoration and as if I'm the most important person in the world."
"Oh," his sister mouthed, visibly calmed. She grasped his hand and squeezed it lightly. "Oh, Sky, I didn't know you felt that way. I mean, I get that you'd want someone beside you, especially now that Alice and I can no longer babysit you, but I never imagined..."
Her brother's laughter interrupted her gentle reassurance, making her expression go from motherly to the face of an infuriated harpy in an instant.
"You!" She slapped him with her handbag but that did not make the boy quit his laughing. "You little cheek! You lied to me, didn't you?" She smacked him again. How did the boy not cry out with all the books his sister was carrying was beyond my understanding; I was pretty sure that bag would leave some bruises. "You only said all those things about wanting commitment so that I won't bicker at you."
"No," he protested, this time managing to jump away from the bag. "I really mean... I really..." He hid behind a large decorative column but his sister followed him. The boy moved back, lifting his hands up in surrender.
"What did he do now," a voice whispered in my ear.
I turned around to find that Keegan was standing right behind me. Being too busy watching the Millers, I had not noticed him arrive.
"Sky was flirting with one of our neighbors, Beth started to reprimand him but then he started speaking that he might be serious about getting with someone, she went soft on him and he laughed at her. Apparently, he said that only to avoid her wrath," I explained quickly, before turning my attention back to the twins.
"Kee, help!" Sky shouted, diving behind the newly arrived boy. "Beth is going to murder me."
"Don't you think you should hide behind someone else then?" His roommate asked. "Maybe behind someone who doesn't want to kill you as well?"
Beth, who had just prepared herself for another strike with her trusty bag, paused in surprise. Sky dared to move to the side and looked at Keegan.
"What do you mean? Why would you wish me dead?"
"You were supposed to meet me by the west gate half an hour ago," the other boy replied in a deceptively calm inflection and the blond muttered an "oh" in response.
"You forgot, didn't you, Skyler?"
"No," the male twin said confidently but stepped out of arms reach from Keegan. "I did not forget; I got lost again. Then I met Jennie, she gave me their numbers by the way, then Beth came charging at me for flirting with Jennie and then you came, and yes, while I was running for dear life from my crazed sister, I momentarily forgot that we'd arranged to meet but..."
"Enough with the excuses," his roommate growled. He glared at Sky but the later looked so guilt-stricken that only a moment later, Kee sighed and his face went back to normal. "Just call me next time you get lost, okay? And I'll show you how to use your phone's GPS; let's hope that would help!"
"Thanks," Sky relaxed a bit, and then turned to his sister. "How about you? Do you still want me dead?"
"I'll forgive you if you hand over that piece of paper with our neighbors' telephone numbers which is in your pocket," his sister replied, outstretching her hand. She had no doubt that Sky would give her what she wanted and she wasn't surprised when her brother delivered it. He seemed reluctant but he knew better than to argue with an angry Bethany Miller.
"So," Ash started, "now that we are all together, shall we go home?"
"Yep," his girlfriend pecked him on the lips and intertwined their fingers. "Let's go!"
She strode away, still holding his hand, but began a conversation with Keegan; I was pretty sure the topic was her brother. Skyler and I followed them. I deliberately slowed down my pace so that we'd fall a few steps behind the others.
"Hey, Sky," I started. "What you said earlier – about seeing us couples and thinking that you might want the same... Was that just to make Bethany stop shouting at you or did you really mean it?"
"Well, I said it as a joke but..." He bit his lip and looked at me a bit shyly. "I don't know. I mean, yes, I sometimes wonder what it would be like to fall in love and wake up next to the same girl each morning instead of doing your best to quietly sneak out in the wee hours of the morning, but I don't think I'm ready for that just yet. I want it, just not now. I'm young and I wish to have some fun before I settle down."
"So you no longer want to be the eternal bachelor?"
"Oh, you remember me saying that?" He laughed. "Nah, I'd like to have someone beside me one day. Just don't tell the others; it would ruin my reputation. Especially if Kee finds out."
"He'd be upset to lose his hunting comrade," I teased, remembering how those two boys liked to be each other's wingman.
"Well, I'd just have to make him see the good side of it."
I raised my eyebrows at him in question.
"When I'm no longer out there as competition, he'd get laid more often," the boy replied with a cocky smirk.
*****
A/N: So now that you know most of the new places and people from this story, I'm done with the introductory chapters.
PS: I've posted a rough map of the Aberville University in the Multimedia section to this chapter so that you guys don't get lost like Skyler (I might upload another, more detailed version of that map later on). Don't worry: it's not upside down ;)
Comment and vote if you enjoyed the chapter!