Moving On

Seventeen

"I'm done," I announce to inform Austin as I step out of the bathroom.

I find him in his pyjamas and his hoodie, holding two Ziplocs bags full of marshmallows, another two Ziplocs with graham crackers and tiny Hershey's. On the foot of my bed lies a small cooler with ice and a couple of beers in it. Was he serious about that date thing?

"Um... You going somewhere?" I ask while I towel-dry my hair.

"Not me. We," he says with a huge smile. It's creepy.

I let out a half-hearted laugh, hang my towel on the rack, and turn back to him. "Yeah, about that... I thought that was just one of your stupid jokes."

"Jesus, Sandra. Can't you take me seriously for just one moment?" He does this expression wherein he's supposed to look offended, I think, but it just makes him look like he's constipated. "I'm not joking all the time, you know," he adds.

"Austin, we have exams..." I remind him, but he cuts me off.

"Sandra, rule number one of college: don't overthink stuff, especially exams. You know why?"

I cross my arms in frustration. "Because a high GPA is a key to a bright future?"

"You're missing the point here, sister," he laughs. "Do you ever stop stressing out?"

I try to reason with him again about how we need to make a good impression to our professors at our first college exams ever, but he cuts me off once again before I even say something. And the next thing I know, we're walking to the University Park at late night, ready to drink some beers and make s'mores, as if we have nothing to worry about in the world.

Surprisingly, there are a lot of students too out late. What are they doing out?

"It's really weird... Why are the other students out too? Aren't they supposed to be studying?" I wonder out loud.

"Sandra, it's Friday night. Most of us don't even have classes tomorrow. And don't you think people want to get all the chill they can get before they get bombarded with school-related stress?" He raises his eyebrows at me.

"No," I truthfully reply.

"Tell me again from what planet did you come from?" He teases me. I hit his arm, not even in a playful manner. "Ouch!" That should shut him up.

So we walk for a few minutes before we get to the park. And just like he described it to me the first time, there were at least half a dozen mini bonfire areas for students to chill in on cool nights like this. Well, hats off to whoever thought about these. They're cool.

Austin starts the fire and I organize the beer and s'mores. This is weird. It's like we're actually friends. But I do think we're friends, it's just that I feel really weird about it.

It's like Justin came out fresh from the grave and then enrolled to his dream university and created a whole different persona: Austin Miller. Well, I do have a wild imagination, but that's how I see it, which is probably why I am so creeped out.

"Okay, the fire's looking pretty good..." Austin announces, snapping me from my train of thought. "Can you hand me a beer?"

"One beer, coming right up."

As the fire burned brighter and the night turned deeper, we became more comfortable with each other. We've been talking about absolutely anything for a couple of minutes now, and I can say Austin's not that bad.

Sure he looks like Justin, but there are some differences too. And different is good. Maybe I should let Justin go... But how could I? How could I possibly do that when he's sitting right beside me?