Hopeless Romantic

18. Winter

The coldness of winter was followed by many of the high school juniors scouting for potential colleges they would want to apply to. Oscar and Rio were no exception. They headed out on their day off to look for colleges that had good campuses and as Rio specified, to ask around for the academic reviews of existing students.
The first college on their list was one that was in the neighboring state. As usual they headed there by bus, but had to walk the rest of the way. This delayed them, the plan was to hit at-least three colleges before it got dark. Visitor passes were handed to them at the entrance and a free tour of the campus was also provided by the college.
A brief introduction of the history and courses provided by the college were given while they walked to the
main building. The campus was a large one and included a baseball, basketball and tennis ground as well as a recreational space for students during their free time. About one thousand five hundred feet away from the main building were the dorms that students could choose to live in for their freshman years. Students with the national scholarship scheme received those for free.
"I think we should explore this campus on our own" Oscar suggested.
"I was going to tell you this, we need to ask around as well"
"Let's do it then"
They split away from the group of visitors and the tour guide when they got their chance.
"Where are we going to find students this time of the day anyways?"
"In the classrooms"
"Want to slip into one of the lectures?" Rio smiled mischievously.
"Are we allowed to?"
"No but there won't be any harm in doing so"
"Okay then"
They walked into the main building, removed their visitors passes and pretended to be actual college students. While Rio looked like she could be a college student, Oscar's child-like face didn't. If I were to say, he looked like a middle school student who got lost on his way. They scanned the classrooms looking for a lecture that was interesting enough for their standards. All the classrooms were as large as the gym back in their school, had step wise seats that ascended up to the entrance so as to ensure each student had a view of the professor and his power-point slides. A lecture hall that interested them was the Applied Mechanics course which they slipped into and sat in the last row of. Oscar focused on the professor while Rio took notes, he wasn't a bit puzzled by her demeanor, he could feel a fresh wave of information enter his brain as the professor explained concepts that he knew of but didn't know they were actual things people had coined terms for.
The lecture lasted for half an hour, but the two of them had been noticed by the professor.
"You two at the end, meet me in my office" he announced as the other students were leaving.
Oscar and Rio had to now face the worst outcome, getting caught. "What do we do now"
"Let's just be honest about it" Oscar hoped they would get away with just honesty.
"Or we could say I'm a student here and I got you, my younger brother here as there wasn't anyone at home to take care of you"
"Younger brother is kinda too much"
"You know you look like a kid, right?"
"Ugh fine, but I don't like this"
"As long as we get away with it, and if we do your elder sister will buy you some ice cream" she teased him.
"Yeah, no I'd rather not" Oscar didn't like the idea of having a sibling relationship with Rio, he had feelings for her that were neither in the sexual way nor a sibling way, it was just a feeling of affection and care that he couldn't explain clearly and I couldn't understand what they were either.
Rio knocked on the door and a response came from inside "Come in"
Inside was the same Black-haired man with white side fringes that depicted his experience in life. His face was slightly wrinkled and dark circles were visible from afar. He has a red sweater and white shirt underneath. The office was warm and filled with all kinds of books, sort of like a mini-library. The table in front of him was neatly arranged with reference books stacked on top of each other and a computer screen on the other end. As they entered, he gave a comforting and  welcoming smile. Oscar sensed danger.
Some thing about the man didn't sit right with him.

"Please take a seat kids" the professor instructed.
"So, what did you think of my class"
"It was the most interesting class of my life" Rio spoke without batting an eye.
"Glad you liked it; I try to keep things interesting in there"
"We're so sorry we entered inside without permission"
"I understand, the best way to know which course you wish to enter in college is to actually sit and try on a subject from the course. You are quite courageous for high schoolers though"
"You knew this, and still let us stay?"
"Yes, I believe knowledge is a power that must be shared no matter what age you are, it all depends on your interest. I found two highly and deeply inquisitive minds enter and I couldn't ask them to leave. To do so would be an absolute shame"
"Thank you, sir" Rio was glad they didn't have to lie.
"I didn't quite catch your names"
"I'm Rio and this is Oscar, who seems to be intimated by you but I assure you he's as interested as I am."
"Well Rio and Oscar, I hope to see you two after you graduate from high school, and enter my class the right way next time"
"Will do sir"
"It was a pleasure interacting with you sir." Oscar finally opened his trap.
"Likewise"
The two showed themselves out and ran as fast as they could before anyone else could stop them. "I'm so glad he didn't report us"
"He is a nice man, I guess all college professors are"
"Let's work hard and enter this college"
"He won your heart eh"
"If a place like this exists, I would want to be here"
"True"
They stopped by the recreation center and asked few of the students their reviews and all of them had the same viewpoint as the both of them.
"We're coming here"
"Their shortlisting criteria is crazy difficult"
"That just means we have to give our best to be with the best"
"Ew don't say stuff like that"
"I know I cringed the minute I said it"
After loitering about the college grounds, they left the way they came.
"Wanna head to the second college now?"
"It's already three in the afternoon, we won't make it back home on time.
"What do we do now"
"I saw a classic movie theatre on our way here, it looked like it was made in the 50s we could stop by there"
"That sounds fun, let's go"
They walked all the way while the sun was overhead and entered the theatre. The tickets were 60cents each which was a good bargain.
They seated themselves at the farthest seats from the screen to get a wider angle. The place was crowded with men in their 40s and yep, it was an old classic that was playing.
Oscar pulled out his water sipper from his bag and had two gulps of it. He glanced at Rio and noticed she was applying a body spray which was soon followed by a chap-stick on her lips. Oscar was confused, the only ever times he knew girls applied that combination was if they were getting ready for a kiss. He felt like asking her if
she wanted to, but also felt as if it was something she did occasionally and not just for those reasons.
The very next minute on the screen, a man and what seemed to be a woman older than him began making out. Breaking the silence, Rio said, "They don't make movies like these anymore"
Oscar replied, "Yeah they always show a taller and older man with a young woman"
"I mean there's nothing wrong with that, it's kinda hot that way"
Those words hit Oscar like a brick.
He spent the rest of the movie wondering if he would grow into a man like that.
They walked their separate paths after the movie. Oscar was still debating with me if he should've gone for the kiss back then.
Me being the only reasonable and practical thinker talked him out of it.
Because it was a good thing he didn't.