Quiet Enlightenment

Bonus, Chapter 2 - In the Moment (Halloween 2021)

Sunday, October 31, 2021 – Halloween Afternoon

"Sylvester! You have mail!" A young man in his late teens said as he walked into the living room of his house. A slightly younger teen was kicked back on the couch blankly staring at the television as it played some random cartoon. The older teen, Cameron, looked at his younger cousin who wasn't acknowledging him in the least.

With a sigh, Cameron slid the large envelope in front of Sylvester, who didn't acknowledge its presence until it bopped him in the nose. He shook his head quickly and turned to his older cousin.

"Bro, what the hell?"

"It's for you."

Sylvester looked at the envelope and then back at Cameron.

"Uh, on a Sunday?"

Cameron scratched his head nervously. The package had been sitting on a small door-side table for a couple days.

"Well... you know how they're having delays because of... truck drivers! Yeah!"

"Yeah, okay." Sylvester sarcastically said as he opened the package.

"It's probably some college advertising. I got a few of those my senior year." Cameron smugly said as he plopped himself down next to Sylvester.

"...I got in." Sylvester quietly said in disbelief. At first, Cameron was too engrossed in this show to pay attention. But then it sank in.

"Wait... what?"

"I GOT IN!" Sylvester said as he leaped up from the couch.

"...Are you sure? I mean, I don't want to be a downer, but I thought they wouldn't get back to you until March or April..." Cameron said in complete confusion and disbelief.

"Nope. They're what they call 'rolling admission.' Here's the proof right here." Sylvester said as he handed the acceptance letter to Cameron. Cameron looked at it and blinked a couple of times.

"Holy crap... you did it. YOU GOT IN!" he cried out in happiness as he wrapped his arms around his younger cousin.

"Yeah, I did." Sylvester said as he reciprocated the hug. Cameron released his grip and moved his arms to Sylvester's shoulders.

"I am so proud of you, bro." Cameron said as he found himself trying not to tear up at the realization that his cousin will be leaving for good soon. It felt like yesterday that it was the summer of 2017 and the two became housemates for the first time.

"Thank you." Sylvester replied as he blushed slightly at this sudden burst of affection.

"Man, this is your lucky day. Getting into college, going on a Halloween date..." Cameron started to say. That last sentence snapped the young man back into reality.

"OH... Oh... shit." Sylvester said as he sat back down.

"Huh? What's the matter?"

"If I go to this college, I will have to break up with Natalie." Sylvester said as he sighed. Cameron sat down and put his arm around Sylvester.

"Well, to be honest, you've been dating since, like, three hours from now?" Cameron said, semi-sarcastically.

"Hey, we've been talking to each other since I came back from Hollywood last year. It's just that we've never been together offline or outside of class. We both like each other, I know that much." Sylvester explained in the most awkward tone a seventeen-year-old boy could muster.

"And besides all of that, who says that an online relationship can't work? Remember how Kenton was dating Olivia? You know, the one who was seeing Ors-"