Chapter Text
The game was over. It had been over. Why would it cross your mind now?
Who cares, forget that.
Here you are. Fingers nervously drumming over the laptop, the cold shiny Macbook almost felt threatening to open. California Institute of Technology. Caltech. No fucking way. The classroom was bare. The professor wasn't even there yet and the sea of seats was mostly unfilled. Seats to be soon taken up by the others who fell into the 3% who managed to claw their way here. The room was cold from the blasting AC. It felt so empty, nothing like school before. The handful of other early students were quiet, keeping to themselves looking at their own laptops. how couldn't you help but wonder if they looked around nervously the same way, where they had come from, if they thought the same of her, if they felt out of place. Suddenly these racing thoughts left your pounding heart in your throat.
Doesn't matter, you'd never get those answers anyway. Now it was just about passing time until the professor arrived, until the rest of the class arrived and it began. The first class you’d ever attend here. How long exactly did the honeymoon feeling about this place last? How long until it wore off? Until the shaking excitement died down. Until finding your favorite spots around campus? Until knowing the area? Until you’d met other people? Realistically, this was pretty boring. Would you even have time for any of that? What would the new life here look like?
Cant I just calm down for a second? Frustratingly huffing, rolling your lip with the escaping air. Eyes scanned the space you took, laptop and notebook, bookbag laying against your leg. This was nerve wracking. Why was it so nerve wracking?! You just wanted to throw up all the butterflies in your stomach so they'd leave you alone. If only it worked like that. Until then you'd mindlessly fidget with your bracelets, flicking at the beads. Nervously checking the time on your phone once more. Twenty minutes. Watching as a few more faces filled into the room, just a few.
God, you were here. Far from home. This wasn't that rundown, public highschool in Jackson Wyoming anymore. That place was over 900 miles away now. Wish the memories of Wyoming were over 900 miles away now too. More faces began filling the room, filling into the seats. You couldn't help but people watch with a small unsure smile. A few steadying breaths convinced you maybe this wouldn't be so bad, it'll be fine. You made it here after all, earned your place and your pride. Until one face entered that room, one you immediately recognized
A blue NASA hoodie, black washed out fading jeans barely held up by a belt, falling apart Converse. All on the body of a girl with green eyes and freckles. Choppy hair, a deep brown auburn colored mullet, was half tied up and hugged around her face.
What the hell. What the hell was she doing here?