Chapter Text
Fifteen minutes.
"Are you nervous?" Teresa asks him, her feet propped up on the dashboard. She's biting her lips and fiddling with the stations in the car radio.
"I don't think I've ever heard of that word before. Use it in a sentence?"
"Stop being such a smart ass, Tom." She rolls her eyes but her voice has no real fire behind it. "I'm nervous."
"You're always nervous. Your own birthday makes you nervous."
"That's not true. You're just being horrible."
"It's close to true." Thomas persists. "At least, half true."
He stops at a red light and looks at her, her crystal blue eyes already full of worry. He sighs and tears his away for a minute. "If it makes you happy, I'm more nervous than you are."
Teresa scoffs as the light turns green and he merges onto the highway. "Sure you are. My stomach's currently eating itself while you're all calm and collected. College, Tom! We're going to fucking college."
"No shit."
"I'm serious -"
"Was it supposed to be taken as a joke?"
"I'm going to kill you."
"If your stomach's currently eating itself, I don't see how you can."
He's only calm and collected on the outside because this is Teresa, his best friend of over fifteen years. The same girl he used to take baths with when they were little after they made mud pies and went digging for worms. The same girl he took to prom because neither of them had dates and who's a better date than the person who's already seen you naked?
It's only because she's sitting next to him that he's able to continue their playful banter and not surge into a mental breakdown.
"My parents are scrapping together pennies to start paying off student loans," she sighs.
"That doomsday is four years away so let's leave it there."
"I'm going to need like, fifty jobs. And even then I'll still be in debt by the time I'm sixty."
"Now you're just overreacting."
"Like I wasn't before?"
Thomas chuckles before merging right to get off the highway.
Six minutes.
He's quiet for a moment before he says, "I'm nervous that I don't know what I'm doing with my life and that this is all going to be a mistake four years down the road when they're handing me some stupid piece of paper and I change my mind about what I want to be."
"So just like senior year?"
"Exactly like senior year." He confirms and concentrates hard on the blue car in front of him, as if it will serve as his anchor for the moment. "I mean, who really needs an economics degree these days?"
"You have a point. We should have been chemistry majors."
"At least we could blow stuff up when we were upset and have a reason for doing so. And we'd get paid a ton of money."
"Wow, we really fucked ourselves over, didn't we?"
"Sure did. Now we're only going downhill from here, my friend."
"Let's just get the applications for McDonalds and stop kidding ourselves."
He stops at a red light and looks at her. As soon as their eyes connect, they burst into a roaring laughter, the kind that makes your stomach hurt.
"Thank God I have you, Tom." She says, after they've managed to calm themselves down to the point where they can breathe. "I think I'd be an actual wreck if I had to do this alone."
Two minutes.
He starts to feel the warning signs of anxiety, worrying that her nerves have finally radiated onto him. His stomach is twisting itself into knots and his palms are getting sweaty clutching the driver's wheel.
"Some people have to do this alone."
"Poor unfortunate souls."
He's silent as he turns left and pulls into the parking lot of Glade University, Home of the Runners. He parks into the first available spot he sees and turns off the engine.
"I'm really glad I have you, T. There's no one else I'd rather go through this with."
"Are you - are you being sentimental?" She asks dramatically, clutching her hand over her heart. "Is - is Thomas Greene, being sentimental?"
He rolls his eyes and throws his keys at her. "You know, for someone so damn nervous, you seem like you're fine to me."
They both sigh and face the large silver building in front of them, with crowds of students coming in and out. The glass windows reveal even more students already situated in, chatting and socializing. Across the glade, there are even more students, sitting outside and enjoying the sun.
He and Teresa face each other one more time. "So, about this college thing."
The last thing he needs before his first college class is coffee.
The first thing he gets before his first college class is coffee.
He's already buzzing with anxiety and first day jitters and it really doesn't help that he doesn't have classes with Teresa this semester. His first class is Advanced Calculus, which should be a breeze for him, but he's well aware that there's no first day in collegiate history that something doesn't go completely wrong.
His something that goes completely wrong comes in the tall, brooding form of Gally Poulter.
His back is to Thomas, who pushes through the hall of students to get into the classroom. Thomas is too busy, checking his text messages, and Gally is too busy, leaning back as he laughs at something his friend says. They're both too busy wrapped up in their own affairs to notice the other before coming into a full on collision.
Thomas stares in horror as the hot contents of his cup splash onto Gally's back and drip down his spine in slow motion. He immediately rushes to apologize, "Oh my God, man, I am so sorry -"
"You're sorry?" Gally bellows, or at least it sounds like he's bellowing to Thomas, whose morning is not going well so far. "You slinthead, you just spilled your stupid coffee all over me!"
"Slinthead?" Thomas repeats in confusion.
"You're going to pay for that -"
"Why don't you pay for my coffee, jerk? You're the one who was leaning back." Thomas fires at him.
Now that their attention is completely on each other, they barely notice the class beginning to watch them intensely.
Gally lifts his long legs over the table and comes face to face with Thomas. "The day hell freezes over is the day I'll pay for your coffee, slinthead."
"What the hell is a slinthead? Just because you have the eyebrows of Satan doesn't mean you need to act like him."
Thomas is fairly certain that he sees his life flash before his eyes as Gally shoves him back with so much force, he goes flying across the classroom. He's not sure if he's seeing stars or the lights taking him to Heaven by the time his back collides with the floor.
He hears someone defending him and is vaguely aware of two people lifting him up and helping him to the back classroom before sitting him in a chair. He wants to thank someone but his head is too dizzy to focus on anything.
"Can someone please tell me what a slinthead is?" He mutters mainly to himself, when the professor finally decides to show up for class.
"I think it's derogatory." A pretty blonde girl explains, turning around in her chair to face him. He tries to focus on her coffee colored eyes to stop feeling the pain coursing through his back, even though he's having trouble focusing on her voice.
"The boys in Hall A came up with them." Another girl with beautifully curly hair and golden skin rolls her eyes. "They've been using them for the past three weeks now."
"You're just jealous that the girls in Hall B aren't as clever as we are." A bulky, Asian figure retaliates as he plops down next to Thomas. "Name's Minho. Who are you?"
"Nice manners, Minho." The blonde girl rolls her eyes and Thomas realizes she has a British accent. "I'm Sonya and she's Harriet."
"Thomas," he nods, rubbing his head. He looks back over to the kid who almost knocked the air out of him. "I don't suppose you know who that is?"
"You four in the back," the professor's voice travels up to them from the front of the class. They all turn in unison to see a man of average height and graying hair, with deep blue eyes, glaring at them from the chalkboard below. "I hope I'm not disturbing your conversation as you seem intent on disturbing my class. This is Advanced Calculus. Not beginners, not introductory. This year, we'll be moving at a faster rate than some of you are prepared for. Gossiping with your friends is not a way to become prepared in my class."
He turns back to the chalkboard and Thomas immediately exchanges a look with Minho. "He's pleasant."
"Oh, the best. That shank you asked about, he's Gally. He's got a bit of a chip on his shoulder."
"Yeah, well he's still an asshole."
"And I won't deny it. Listen, you have plans for lunch today?"
"I'm probably just going to grab something with my friend -"
"Great." Minho flashes him a smile. "You'll have lunch with us."
"So you've nearly gotten yourself knocked out by an Adonis and managed to make new friends all at the same time." Teresa recounts as they walk towards the dining hall. "You never cease to amaze me."
"Look, there's Minho."
"Oh. He's cute."
"Calm down, tiger." Thomas tells her as they approach Minho and his friends sitting at a circular table in the dining hall. "Hey. This is Teresa."
"Thomas! Glad you came. Nice to meet you, Teresa. That's Sonya and Harriet, whom Thomas met earlier today, and that's my pal, Newt." Minho says, pointing each individual out. They give a small wave in return.
As soon as Thomas's eyes land on Newt, he can't help but blurt out, "You're Peter Pan. You're literally Peter Pan."
Sonya leans her head back and laughs. "That's what he's been hearing his whole bloody life. Here, sit."
Teresa takes the empty chair between Sonya and Minho, leaving Thomas the empty chair between Harriet and Newt.
Newt leans close to him and says in a lower voice. "To be honest, mate, that's quite the compliment."
He has the same British accent as Sonya, Thomas notices. And the same blond hair, even though hers is pulled back into a ponytail and his barely reaches past his ears. And the same coffee colored eyes.
"Are you -"
"And Sonya related? She's my half sister, believe it or not, the details of which are too messy to delve into at this present moment in time." Newt says with a childish smirk. "I still choose not to believe it."
"He's just jealous I'm the prettier one." Sonya insists, looking relieved.
While they could pass for gender swapped versions of each other, Newt's curved in eyebrows and small, boyish face remind him intensely of his favorite childhood character.
"I have nothing to be jealous of." Newt declares, pretending to flip his hair over his shoulder. "Do I, Harriet?"
Harriet snorts. "As if I'm getting into this. Girls, girls, you're both pretty."
"I think we all know who the prettiest person here is." Minho holds his hand up as if he's in surrender. "Me."
"Or your ego." Thomas says without thinking.
Newt, Sonya, and Harriet burst into laughter around him and he smiles apologetically at Minho.
"I see how it is, Thomas. I save your ass and then you insult my looks. Peasant."
"Saved his ass?" Newt raises his eyebrows.
"Gally." Harriet rolls her eyes. "All you need to know."
"Who's Gally?" Teresa asks a little quietly, speaking for the first time.
"Major slinthead." Minho explains, as if Teresa had any idea of what a slinthead was. "Tried to knock the living daylights out of Thomas here."
Newt frowns, turning to examine him. "You alright?"
Thomas is a little hesitant on moving out of Newt's touch but assures him he's much better.
"I thought he was a goner." Harriet mentions, to Thomas's surprise. "I mean, you literally flew backwards."
"He's a tough shank," Minho says, almost looking impressed. "Do you play any sports?"
"I just ran track in high school."
"Oh Tom's being modest," Teresa cuts in. "He was the fastest in our district and won first place all four years for regional competitions. He even qualified for nationals -"
"Thanks, Teresa," Thomas interjects, feeling his cheeks grow red, before she could mention how his mom wasn't able to afford the competition fare.
"Oh, boys! They either downplay their achievements or rub it in your faces to hook up with you." Sonya rolls her eyes. "That's awesome, Thomas! You should be boasting about it."
"You should join the track team," Minho decides.
"You'd be a great fit! But as much fun as this conversation is, I have to leave." Harriet stands up and smiles. She turns to Newt. "Are you coming?"
"Depends on where you're going."
"I left something in my dorm."
Sonya snickers from across the table and Minho gives Thomas a knowing look, that flies completely over his head.
Newt ignores the two and stands up himself, taking his tray with him. "Might as well. Cheers, mates. Bye Thomas and Teresa, happy to meet you!"
Thomas watches the two walk off, standing particularly close together, before returning his attention to Minho and Sonya. "What's so funny?"
"That was code for let's go snogging in my dorm." Sonya explains through a fit of giggles.
"Snogging?"
"Kissing." Minho translates with a crooked smile. "Making out, if you will."
"They've only been dating a couple days, but we've known her for years, almost." Sonya tells her. "My mum, Harriet's mum, and Minho's mum all used to go here when they were in Uni and were the best of friends. They stayed friends even after my mum had to move to England. Imagine their surprise when we all got in."
"They seem like a lovely couple." Teresa says politely.
Minho doesn't look so convinced. "Sure. For now. Anyways it's been great meeting you, shanks. I'll see you around."
Sonya leaves a little shortly after that and Teresa waits until she's out of sight before whispering, "What the hell is a shank?"
"You're asking the wrong person, buddy."
"Slinthead?"
"Gally called me that before he shoved me ten feet backwards."
"Lovely."
They're both silent for a moment, letting the vents of the day overwhelm them. Their trays with uneaten sandwiches and unopened soda bottles fill the space on the table between them.
Thomas sighs and manages a smirk. "So, about this college thing."