Chapter Text
Dr. Winters was blabbering on in the lecture hall, same as she always did. Angie couldn't stay focused on her discussion of psychoanalytic theory, nor the brief recap that followed of today's lesson. In truth, the two-hour lecture seemed to go by so fast, the sophomore didn't know if she actually paid attention at all.
"So, next week, when I see all of you, we will be starting our group projects. Once again, I will be assigning the groups, but it is up to you to pick a topic," the professor said. "All right, thank you. See you next week!"
Student chatter filled the hall, binders clicked, papers rustled, chairs squeaked, and footsteps paced up the stairs to the exit doors. It wasn't like Angie wasn't oblivious to them, but she chose to remain in her seat. Her notes weren't going to organize themselves, but she wasn't yet ready to pack up either.
The lecture hall gradually fell quiet.
The professor tapped some keys on the classroom's computer, and clicked a few buttons to turn it off and disable the projector. The sounds gently reverberated off the walls, stressing Angie out more.
"Angie?" Dr. Winters called. "Class is over. Aren't you leaving?"
The girl almost felt her heart leap out her chest, slightly jumping at the stern tone. "Y-Yes, Dr. Winters," she replied, timid. She closed her binder slowly. "I am. I will. I—"
"You are or you will?" the woman asked. She gathered her books and notes, and neatly and deftly packed them in her bag, locking them away.
"I am!" Angie replied, a little too loudly. "I'm doing that, right now."
"Good, great."
Angie collected her materials, too, and stuffed them in her bookbag, hesitating as though this was the first time she ever did it. She zipped it up, and slid out of her chair, rising to stand on her feet. As she stood up, she collected the straps and strung them over her shoulders.
She took a deep breath.
Dr. Winters looked at her pupil across from the desk with a concerned face. "Tough to leave, huh?"
Angie nervously chuckled. "Yeah, I guess."
"Well, clearly you're here because you've got something to tell me, and I'm not going to stall for longer than I have to, so, speak," the professor sternly enunciated.
"Right!" the sophomore perked up, uneasy. "I...wanted to ask for a favor."
"...A favor?" Dr. Winters asked, curious.
"Y-Yeah," Angie stuttered. "Well, no, not, like, a crazy thing, nothing odd or anything like...that."
"Ok, then, what is it?" the professor inquired, arms crossed and waiting. Perhaps impatiently; Angie couldn't tell right now.
The student fiddled with her shirt. Her breath was shaky. She took a moment to still herself. Finally she uttered, "Can I have an extension on the paper?"
Dr. Winter's stern expression dropped immediately. "I gave you one week," she spoke almost monotone.
Angie swallowed a lump in her throat. "I know."
"Angie, you are one of my top students. You always do your work. You always send them on time. You always ask me questions. And you also know I don't do extensions unless there is an emergency. So, I'll ask you this—is this an emergency?"
The girl's eyes darted to the floor and back up to Dr. Winters' face. "No," she mumbled. "No," she repeated, dejectedly, waving her hands in front of her face. "No, this isn't an emergency, I just...didn't do it."
"You didn't do it?"
"...No?"
Dr. Winters drew in a long breath and exhaled sharply. She adjusted her glasses.
She didn't have the time to assess options right now.
Not with this girl.
"I'm giving you 'til Saturday night. Eleven fifty-nine. But nothing beyond that. Are we understood?" the professor declared.
Angie gasped. "Saturday night?"
"That is what I said," Dr. Winters said plainly. "I think that's quite lenient, don't you think?"
The girl felt one hundred pounds release from her chest.
She had to let it really sink in that this woman would even allow her more time. Even after outright expressing that she just didn't do anything. "Oh, my god, thank you."
"You're welcome. I'll extend the deadline on the site, so it'll reopen the submission link for you."
"Oh, ok."
"Do you have any other questions for me?"
"Not at the moment," Angie replied, shaking her head. Her lips turned upwards into a bright smile. Gently wrapping her palms around her bookbag's straps, she said, "Thank you again, Professor Winters!"
The woman nodded, with a small smile. "Have a good rest of your night, Angie."
The girl turned to leave the lecture hall, settled for once.
****
Angie exited the Science building, and the cool nighttime air greeted her with a gentle rush through her body. The girl shivered slightly, but she was glad it wasn't all that cold.
Outside, the campus felt like a void. It was practically empty, save for a few students still walking around.
Angie was grateful that her Psych class was her last today.
And she was grateful that it was a Thursday, which meant that she didn't have class until next Monday.
Yet Dr. Winters wanted the paper sent in by Saturday.
Luckily she didn't have many assignments to do this weekend. She figured she could take a free night tonight.
Angie scanned the area outside, and spotted a nearby bench posited beneath a lamppost. She headed over and offloaded her bag, resting it near the handle at one end of the bench. She sat beside it, then dug through the small compartment of her bag for her cell phone.
She unlocked it with her pin number, and pressed on the contacts icon, a small green square decorated with a simple picture of a person's portrait.
She scrolled down her list of contacts, stopping at the letter H.
Hugh Morris
A fellow undergrad—a senior, actually. The guy was practically in his second-to-last semester. She tapped the call button and the phone began to ring.
"Hey, babes," a tired voice answered immediately.
"Hey, Hugh," Angie replied. "Are you done?"
"Yeah, I just finished class. You?"
"I'm tired," she admitted. "Listen, do you wanna meet me at the café across from campus?"
"Like, now?"
"Yeah, now is fine. If you're not far away, we can, like, walk together."
"Oh, ok, yeah. Sure." Hugh chuckled. "To be honest, I'm not ready to go home. I need a change of scenery, you know?"
Angie huffed a soft laugh. "Yeah, I get what you mean. Also, do you know if, uh... if Jess will be able to make it, too? Is she done with work?"
Hugh hummed in thought. "Mayhaps? What time is it right now?"
"Like, eight-something."
"Ok, no, yeah, she should be done," the senior asserted. "That said, I don't know if she went home yet. Either she is or she isn't. 'Cause you really gotta know what her vibe is to know where she's headed."
"Yeah."
Hugh paused briefly to rub an eye and let out a deep yawn, which he covered with his arm. "Damn it, sorry. I'm sleepy."
"Nah, you're good."
The senior chuckled awkwardly. "Sorry, though. Anyway, how was your day?" he asked, almost sing-song.
Angie sighed. "I have news for you."
"Oh? You do?"
"Yeah. What do you wanna hear first? The good stuff or the bad stuff?"
"Whatever you wanna tell me," Hugh replied.
"Well," Angie began nervously, "you know that paper Dr. Winters assigned last week?"
Hugh frowned knowingly. "Uh-huh?"
"...I didn't do it."
The senior gave a disappointed sigh. "Why?"
Angie shrugged. "I don't know. I think I just, like, didn't feel like it. Plus, I had a lot to catch up on at work, and, other stuff."
"Understandable," Hugh replied. "But, also not. Because, saying you 'didn't feel like it' is not a valid excuse for not doing the work."
Angie bit her lip, just a little anxious. Sometimes, the senior had a way of making her feel bad by simply speaking objectively, aside from the chipper demeanor he usually had. Jess was typically the one to lay everything out plain and simple, but when it came from Hugh, it just stung a bit more. Maybe it just had something to do with putting up with Jess ever since she and Angie were kids, but Angie didn't want to think about that right now.
"Yeah. Right," the sophomore deadpanned.
"So, what are you gonna do?" Hugh asked.
"Well, the good news is she gave me an extension."
"Oh, good!" the senior replied cheerily. "When's she want it, now?"
"Saturday night."
Hugh groaned. "That's not too far away, babes."
Angie nodded to herself. "Yeah, I know." Considering the new deadline, she added, "I think Crystal can help."
"Oh, yeah," Hugh replied. "She's a Psych major, too, right?"
"Yeah."
"Ok, see? That's good! Oh, hey—"
Angie heard a brief static-like sound coming from the senior's end of the line. Then he hung up.
The girl was confused. She was thinking about calling him back, but wondered if it was just an issue from his phone.
Or maybe it was the terrible Wi-Fi.
"Ange!" a voice exclaimed into the night. Angie jumped in her seat and looked up. Just how long was she looking down for?
There was Hugh, standing on the path in front of her. His short, purple hair with red at the bangs was illuminated by the campus lamplight. His bookbag was strung over his shoulders. His hands were in his jacket pockets, and on his face was a bright, beaming smile.
"Ha-ha. Got you," he gently teased, tilting his head as he looked at the sophomore. The man walked over to her. "Greetings, tired little gremlin," he said with a chuckle.
"I'm not little," the sophomore replied, smirking.
"You reach my shoulder, so by Hugh Morris standards, I tower over you."
Angie huffed a laugh. "Funny."
Hugh stepped over to sit beside the sophomore on the bench, not minding his bag. He didn't feel like removing it.
He paused to run a hand through his hair idly.
"How are you?" the senior asked.
Angie shrugged. "I don't know."
"Come awwwn," Hugh drawled, giving the girl a gentle nudge. "You do know."
"No, like, I really don't know," Angie replied. She leaned forward, elbows planted on her knees. She stared down at the concrete, then at Hugh. "I'm tired, but, I'm also, like... not sure how to feel?"
The sophomore's eyes darted down again. She brought her knees up to her chest and hugged them. "I'm just meh," she continued. "Like, I'm just super drained. I'm glad I got the extension, though."
"Nah, I get it," the senior admitted. He turned more towards Angie, draping his arm across the back of the bench. "But, tell me—just how did you manage to not do the assignment? Was something going on? Work pissing you off? What happened?"
Angie paused to think of an answer. "I mean, I did all my other assignments, but there really wasn't much to do last week, anyway. Work was fine, it wasn't, like, stressing me out too much."
"Ok," Hugh replied, nodding slowly. He raised his arm to rest his cheek in his palm. "So, what was it?"
"Honestly, I procrastinated a little," the sophomore admitted. "I, uh... I was playing Tomodachi."
"Tsk-tsk," the senior interjected, shaking his head at such a blatant admission. "Playing Tomodachi Life."
"I know," Angie said, grimacing, "but, like, it's more fun than doing a paper."
"But, wouldn't you rather finish the paper?"
"High probability behavior."
Hugh raised a brow at the jargon. "Eh?"
"Crystal told me something she learned once. Like, you're more likely to do the behavior you want to do, rather than the behavior you don't want to do. So, like, I would prefer to play Tomodachi Life rather than get my assignments done."
"Very smart, Ange," the senior said frankly. "But, regardless, you still gotta do the work."
Angie nodded. "Yeah. I know," she whispered, a bit embarrassed.
The students stopped talking, hearing the sound of crickets in the distance.
Hugh sighed, and turned away from his friend. He rose from the bench, now standing. "All righty. You ready to go? You look like you need some food in you, too."
Angie's eye caught an itch, and she rubbed an eye gently as she rose up from her seat, too. "Yeah, I didn't eat since my break before this last class."
The senior gave a sympathetic hum. "So, it's been two hours, then."
"Yeah."
Angie looked back and reached for her bookbag. She threw the handles over her shoulders and put her arms through, then adjusted them for a snug fit.
The sophomore briefly turned her back to the senior. "Is my bag closed?"
"It's fine," Hugh replied.
"Thanks." She turned around, and they begun their walk off-campus, to the café.
It started off silently, the two exchanging occasional glances and quiet check-ins to the other as their footsteps paced side-by-side.
Hugh was the first to break the silence.
"What are you ordering?" he asked.
"A sandwich," Angie replied.
"With hot sauce?" the senior asked, smirking impishly at the sophomore. Angie didn't like that look—it typically meant Hugh had some tricks up his sleeve.
"Oh, no, not me. I don't like spicy food," the sophomore replied. "Why do they sell hot sauce anyway? Cafés don't usually do that."
"Well, I consider myself very lucky to be attending an institution that has a café nearby it that sells it. You bet I will consume three packets with my meal."
Angie's eyes bulged at the senior. "Three packets? Are you crazy?" she almost shrieked.
"Whaaat? Girl. They're small little things," Hugh said, demonstrating the size of the objects by putting his index finger and thumb close together. "Three packets is easy enough to go through."
"Oh, my god. Diabolical."
Hugh threw his head back and let out a loud laugh, the sound echoing in the quiet area.
****
The students crossed the street and followed the path to the café entrance. Angie pushed the doors open, and the two entered. They were met with soft lo-fi background music, and a rather faint smell of food. Wooden walls covered the interior, with the tables and chairs all lined up to their left.
One figure stood at the counter, making polite conversation with another—an elderly man—who was cleaning up the counter with a paper towel. The man stopped suddenly, smiling warmly and pushing the towel to the side once he saw Hugh and Angie. The other person looked over their shoulder, smiling upon recognizing the students' faces.
"Jess!" Angie greeted her friend excitedly, wrapping her in a gentle embrace. Jess reciprocated, then exchanged hugs with Hugh afterwards.
"Ah, the usual Thursday night customers are all here," the man replied.
Angie chuckled. "Hi, Mr. Carlo."
Carlo acknowledged the girl with a nod. "Where's your other friend? The perky one?"
"Crystal's home already," Jess said.
"Ah," the man uttered. "I understand. College does make you very tired. Anyway, off with my little chitter-chatter. What would you all like to eat?"
"Can we have a whole chicken and cheese sandwich, cut into three pieces?" Hugh began decisively. "And three small vanilla milkshakes. Thank you."
Carlo carefully entered the order into the POS. "All right, let me see if I got this right—one whole chicken and cheese sandwich cut in threes, and three small vanilla milkshakes?"
"Correct," Hugh replied.
"Haha! My ol' ears didn't fail me!" the elderly man celebrated with a fist in the air.
Jess shook her head, amused. Hugh giggled to himself, and Angie facepalmed.
Carlo smiled and waved a hand. "Ah, I get'cha, I get'cha. This old guy can't have his own—what do the kids call it?—ah, wins! I can't have my small wins!" He laughed softly. "All right, the kitchen's cooking. Ya got eleven-fifty for the food?"
"I got you," Hugh said, getting his wallet from his pocket. He opened it and quickly pulled out his card. "I should have enough."
"You a big spender, Hugh?" Carlo asked curiously.
"Nah, I'm not. I don't really buy a lot of stuff unless it's an absolute necessity," the student replied. He inserted the card into the slot at the bottom of the card machine, and the device processed his payment. Once he got the signal, he removed the card and slid it back into his wallet.
"There you go," Hugh said, putting his wallet into his pants pocket.
"Thanks," Carlo replied. "You know, it's good to be conscious about money. When I was a kid, I was always counting the stuff I saved up. I got so fascinated with money, I became an accounting major. But that didn't last too long, so I just took odd jobs here and there."
"Wait, did you drop out of college?" Angie asked, hands on her hips.
"What's it look like, Angie?" Carlo said, spreading his arms out briefly, as if the gesture would answer her question. "I didn't end up dressing up in a nice suit at a big-shot firm."
"Do you ever wish you could go back to college?" Jess asked.
"Nah, I'm old," the man replied simply. "Too old to return to the kinda life you kids have right now. Speaking of, what are you all studying?"
"I'm doing Theater," Hugh said.
"Theater?" Carlo repeated, flabbergasted. His eyebrows shot up. "Wow. You going to Hollywood? Or Broadway?"
Hugh laughed. "I'll see where time takes me."
"And you can sing?"
"Ehhh," Hugh uttered, sheepishly shrugging his shoulders and tilting his head. "I can carry a tune."
Carlo chuckled. "Very nice. And what about you, Angie? What are you doing?"
"Psychology," the girl replied. "I, like, look into people's behavior and figure out why they do what they do. As I take more classes, I'll figure out the specifics of what I wanna study in the field, but as of now, I'm not entirely sure. But, so far, it's going pretty great."
"Well, it sounds very interesting and I'm wishing you all the best in your search," the elder said. "What about you, Jess?"
"Photography," the girl answered simply, crossing her arms. "I don't know, I'm just very good at taking pictures. I also like certain cameras and scenes. I like scenic locations, and, like, traveling around and finding the perfect moments to snap." Jess blinked and took a pause. "Wow, that was super redundant."
"No," the man replied sincerely. "I think all of your passions are very interesting, and hearing you all talk about them gives me hope for the generations after me who are still curious about the world. Oh—"
Another café staff entered from the kitchen, bringing a tray with the sandwich wrapped up, as well as three small cups of vanilla milkshakes, with straws inside. They placed it on the counter.
"Here's your order," they said with a tired smile. Carlo acknowledged them and carefully passed the tray over to Angie. Meanwhile, the staff headed back to where they were.
"Thank you!" Angie said cheerily as she received it.
"You're welcome. Ah, just letting you kids know, if you're all planning to stay here for longer, the café closes at eleven p.m.," Carlo reminded them.
With that in mind, Jess checked her phone.
9:24 P.M.
"It's nine twenty-four," she said.
"Oh, we have time, then," Hugh commented.
"Well, you three get a spot and enjoy your meal. I'll be taking a break if no more customers are coming," Carlo said.
The students looked around, and quickly decided on a seat near the café's entrance. It was a table surrounded by four chairs. Jess and Angie sat beside each other, while Hugh sat across from them. Angie set the tray down on the table.
The three released their bags from their shoulders, some resting it on the floor, others putting the handles around the chair backrest.
They then unwrapped the sandwich. It was indeed large, and cut precisely how they wanted it. They each silently chose their own piece, and began to eat.
"You didn't take hot sauce," Angie commented to Hugh. The senior shook his head as he chewed the contents in his mouth. He swallowed.
"Maybe another time," he responded with a chuckle. "To be fair, I just wanna eat my food."
Angie pulled a few mouthfuls of her milkshake from her straw. "I forgot to tell Jess I didn't submit Dr. Winters' assignment."
The other girl gasped. "For real? Girl, you had—"
"One whole week. Yeah, I know. She told me that, too."
"Why are you so casual about it?" Jess inquired, already stressing out as though she was the one with overdue work. "Why haven't you gone home already?"
"I got an extension," Angie said.
"Ohhh," Jess uttered. She cooled down. "Well, you should've said that at first! You had me worried. But, still. Like, you had the week. I don't understand how you couldn't've done it. You got all your other stuff done, too."
"Oh, did I tell you babes decided to play Tomodachi Life: Living the Dream instead of doing her assignment?" Hugh interjected, a sly smirk creeping onto his lips.
"Hugh!" Angie exclaimed.
"Ange, it's the truth, you told me," the senior remarked. "Your words, not mine," he added, gesturing at her for emphasis.
"Wow," Jess said. She took another bite of her sandwich. "First I've heard of you not submitting an assignment on time. And because of Tomodachi Life."
"Why are both of you acting like you don't like the game, too?" Angie asked, almost accusatory. "And, like, it's like the most evilest thing in the world?"
"No, we like the game," Jess admitted. "But, you're a really good student, Ange. Always on top of things. So, hearing that you didn't submit something and it's past the deadline is, like, strange."
"Look, we're not saying you can't fail, or you can't not have bad or weird days," Hugh said. "It's just the fact that you didn't do it because of this other thing that was more interesting to you."
"The paper confused me, to be honest," Angie said. "And, in general, the professor, too. Like, sometimes I understand what she teaches, and I'm good at it. But then, other times it's so complicated."
"Well, do you ask questions in class?" Hugh inquired.
"Yeah, I participate."
"Often?" Jess chimed in.
"Yeah," Angie replied with a nod. "Like, I am invested in the lesson, and, like, if I'm stuck, I also ask."
"Do you make use of office hours?" Hugh continued to prod.
"Yes, I go to office hours," Angie replied, exasperated. "I make use of my time wisely."
"Ok, good," the senior said. "So, look—you got an extended deadline to work on and submit your paper. Use the time between now and then wisely."
Jess nodded, firmly agreeing. "Yeah. Also, remember, it's not like you can't take breaks. So, work on it, but also don't push yourself too hard."
"Do you have any other assignments to do besides the paper?" Hugh asked.
"I have one from English and one from History. For English, I have to analyze a passage and write something about it, and there's a short online quiz for the History class," Angie replied.
"Is the quiz timed?" Jess asked.
"I think so, yeah. The professor usually gives us, like, ten minutes for the quiz. Five questions. Straightforward stuff."
"How long does your English professor want your assignment to be?" Hugh asked.
"A page or two," Angie answered.
"Those seem simple," Jess said. The other girl nodded.
"Is it ok if I asked Crystal for help on the Psych paper?" Angie wondered aloud.
"Pretty sure she won't have a problem with that," Jess said, nodding. "But maybe don't ask her now, she's sleeping."
Angie shook her head. "Yeah, no, I won't."
The trio ceased their conversation to continue eating their meal.
****
Jess finished her sandwich, and drank half of her milkshake. Hugh was in a similar position, and Angie only finished half of her sandwich, with the milkshake barely even touched.
"Ange, you gonna finish soon?" Hugh earnestly inquired.
"Yeah, I will," the sophomore replied. "What time is it?"
The senior checked his phone. "Ten on-the-dot, babes."
Angie's eyes widened, astonished—she'd been eating at the speed of a snail. "Wait, has it really been that long?"
"Yeah, it's been roughly forty minutes since we sat down," Jess said.
"Uh-huh," Angie nervously murmured, her eyes rapidly switching between her sandwich and cup.
"Well, why don't you finish the sandwich, and take your shake with you?" Jess suggested. "It's getting a bit late. You can drink it while we wait for the bus."
Angie gasped. "Oh, yeah! You're right. Sorry, I've been really slow."
Now conscious of the state she was in with her food, the sophomore anxiously hurried to finish her sandwich, and took a few more sips of her shake.
"Slow down a little, you don't have to rush like that, Ange," Hugh tried to soothe, raising a hand.
"I don't like keeping my friends waiting! Plus, Jess said it's late!" the girl exclaimed, mouth full.
"Angie, calm down. Just eat. We're here," the other girl said.
****
Jess, Angie, and Hugh left the café at ten-twenty in the night. Angie brought her milkshake with her, making her hands tremble as she held it. Stubborn as she was, she refused to put a coffee cup sleeve around it, even when her friends insisted it would help her—weren't they just for hot drinks?
The trio walked to the bus stop, which took them around fifteen minutes. Jess and Hugh carried most of the conversation on the way, while Angie mostly listened and drank her milkshake, trailing close behind them.
"So, Jess, how was work?" the senior asked.
"Good," Jess replied. "The kids were super chill today."
"Oh? Didn't you say they're, like, scared of you, or something? Or were they?"
"They're warming up," the girl said with a smile. "Am I too...forward with them? I don't know."
"What do you mean?"
"Like, should I do less of speaking my mind and just...help the kids?"
"But you are helping the kids. That's your job. Speaking your mind is also good in a tutoring job, though. Just don't be mean about it."
Jess gasped, a realization striking her. "Yeah! That's the word. I'm wondering if I come off as mean to the kids. 'Cause, like, I know I'm an upfront person, you know? Like, y'all get me. Ange, especially, since she's known me since we were, like, baby-baby."
Angie nodded. "Jess is a chill dude," she casually interjected. "She also doesn't hide the facts."
"Uh-huh, and that's kinda what scares me about being a tutor," Jess admitted. "I don't wanna hide but I also wanna be nice."
"Well, then, do that," Hugh said. "Don't hide the truth, but also don't be patronizing."
"You right, you right," Jess replied. She looked over her shoulder. "You ok back there, Ange?"
"Yeah," Angie said. "Shake's almost done."
"Don't get brain freeze," Hugh advised.
"I won't."
****
Angie finished her milkshake as she and her friends waited at the bus stop, and threw it away in a nearby garbage can.
The bus stop was actually pretty...dead. Besides the trio, there was one other person waiting (sleeping) under the shed. They were snoring in a dreadful, jagged rhythm, and Angie had to cover her ears to keep them intact. Hugh and Jess could somehow bear it—props to them, she guessed?
The bus arrived within roughly ten minutes, and once it pulled up to the sidewalk, Angie could see that there was barely anyone inside.
Lucky.
The doors opened, and a man exited through the back. Angie, Hugh and Jess entered, and paid the fare. They grabbed some seats at the front of the bus.
As the bus doors closed and they were on their way, Angie felt relieved.
She would start her paper tomorrow.