The Lonely Hearts

Chapter 16

After their last date, Siri and Archie quickly got caught up in preparing for final exams and planning the upcoming orientation program. The campus became busy with activity but everyone felt the stress of exams also. Despite their busy days Archie and Zoyee kept their routine of going to classes and heading home together. It was a beautiful morning as Zoyee got into Archie's car. She was holding a cup of coffee and a bag full of notes. Archie glanced at her and smiled, "Good morning. Another late night?" Zoyee sighed and sipped her coffee. " Good morning and yeah, stayed up checking my notes. What about you You look too fresh for exam season." Archie laughed as he started the car, "That's because I've figured out the trick", he winked at her as he continued, "Nap for two hours in the afternoon and sleep for three hours at night. Works like magic." Zoyee rolled her eyes, "You and your crazy tricks. Unbelievable." As they got closer to campus their topic shifted to the orientation program. "When are we going to start practicing for our performance? You do know we haven’t planned a single thing yet." Archie gave her a quick glance and nodded. "I know. Let's just get through the exams first. Once we're done, we'll figure it out." "You better mean that. No last minute panic, okay?" Archie chuckled, "Promise. Now let's focus on the exams."

After a long day of classes and studying Archie and Zoyee finally drove home together. The soft sound of the radio filled the car as Zoyee leaned back in her seat looking tired."Can you believe the orientation is right after the exams? Who thought that was a good idea?" Archie grinned hearing her. "Probably someone who enjoys making us suffer." Zoyee laughed and shook her head."At least performing will be fun. I'm actually very excited." "Me too. It'll be the perfect way to relax after all this exam stress." "Oh, by the way, Bella said she's helping with the decorations. Maybe we should talk to her about the theme?" "Good idea. Let's catch her tomorrow during lunch & Emily is handling everything about the decorations side, I'll introduce her to Emily." "Emily? Who is she?" "Oh, she's one of my friends. She has always been a part of this function. During your orientation, she was the host." "Oh yeah, I remember now. Okay we'll talk with her tomorrow." "But for now let's go home and take a rest. You've been working too hard. Don't be hard on yourself." Zoyee smiled, "You too, Archie. Don't overdo it."

Soon the exams started & with a blink of an eye, it was already ending. The day before their last exam Zoyee and her friends gathered in the library to study together. Papers, books and empty coffee cups were spread across the table as they worked on their final revisions. Ryan stretched with a loud sigh, "If I have to read one more word about Neutral Network, I think my brain will explode." Zoyee spoke flipping through her notes, "You've got this, Ryan. Just focus on the main ideas and you'll be fine." Bella looked up from her laptop. "Zoyee, the queen of calm. Do you ever get stressed about exams, or not ?" "Oh, I do. I just don't show it. Staying calm helps me to focus." Henry groaned spinning his pen in frustration, "Meanwhile, I'm just trying to figure out how to write all the answers in just two hours." Ryan chuckled, "Here's a tip: Start with the correct answer & then write whatsoever as much as you want. Confuse your professor, they'll think you're a genius." Everyone laughed easing the stress for a moment. After a while, Archie came to the library only to find Zoyee already there with her friends. Gently greeting everyone, Archie turned to Zoyee, "Feeling nervous?" "No actually. Just revising the important parts one last time." "Good. I've finished my study also and am going back. Let's go then." "Hmm just gimme 5 minutes." "Okay, I'll wait at the parking area then." After ten minutes, Zoyee came to the parking area. As soon as she sat comfortably Archie turned towards her, "So, what's your plan after the exam tomorrow?" "Ryan, Bella, Henry and I are going out for dinner to celebrate surviving this week." Archie nodded hiding the small flicker of disappointment. "That sounds fun. You guys deserve it after all the hard work." "What about you?" "Nothing. Probably going to sleep all day." Siri raised an eyebrow, noticing the slight shift in Archie's mood but kept quiet. When they reached Zoyee's house she turned to him with a warm smile. "Best of luck for tomorrow. You'll do great, Archie. See you tomorrow." "See you. Good luck."
With that Zoyee entered her home & Archie also went to his apartment.