Pan [Lost Boy Series #2]

✶Fools✶

Looking in the mirror, I inhaled deeply and sighed. Yet another day of summer classes waited for me and it was one less day of torture I had to go through. Throwing a plain black t-shirt over my bare torso, a sorrowful smile crept its way onto my face. The little glass bottle dangled from my necklace, shimmering in the artificial light from my lamp.

Dear old friend, it's been a while.

Smiling, I threw my bookbag over one shoulder and grabbed a blueberry muffin on my way out the door. Driving to school consisted of singing and sounding like a dying cat. Thank God I had the windows rolled up because if not, I'm positive that someone would've lost their hearing.

Walking into the door of the Lab Sciences building, I went to the lounge area and sat in the same old booth that I did everyday. The transition from high school to college was a bit rocky, but after taking one year of the junky beginner's classes I was more than well prepared for the three classes that I was taking during the summer semester.

The lovely academic advisors did their job of supposed 'advising' and recommended that I take Anatomy and Physiology I, Intro to Patient Care, and online Psychology: Human Growth and Development in one summer semester. Two of these classes had labs and I was now currently drowning in a pile of lab work and random pictures of body parts. Guess that's how life is when you're goal is to become a neonatal nurse.

Go Laney, they said. You were salutatorian afterall. You could've went to any college in the country!

Yes, but rationalizing my situation, I had no money saved up and no sense of independence. There was no way I'd be able to make it by without the emotional and financial support of my parents, so I decided to do the more economical thing and go to my community college. In ten years when the valedictorian has racked up about thirty-thousand dollars in debt, I'll be the one with the same exact diploma-except I'll have a lot less debt.

Munching on the delicious blueberry muffin that I had taken from my house, I heard loud voices coming from the nearby hallway.

"Seriously. Where did you even get those shoes?"

"Maybe the thrift store had another half off sale," added in another boy.

"Please, I'm just trying to get to class."

As the men became visible, two taller, muscular men were picking on a short and stocky boy. Having a sudden loss of appetite, I scowled at them.

"I'm just trying to get to class," mocked one of the bullies.

"What a loser," said the shorter of the two men as he purposely knocked down all of the books in the innocent boy's hands. The boy's bottom lip quivered as he watched the other two walk away laughing. Throwing my backpack over my shoulder, I swiftly ran over and helped pick up the scattered papers that had shuffled all over the glossy floor.

"Here you go," I said as I held out the papers to him. Looking into his chocolate eyes, it was a mere mirage of my high school self. He was vulnerable, fragile and people used this as a target.

"Thanks," he replied as he sheepishly avoided eye contact.

"I think it's really horrible what they did to you. This is college for crying out loud. I thought all of this stuff stopped in high school."

His shoulders sadly slumped. "So did I. I guess I was horribly wrong about that, but thank you so much for helping me out ma'am. There needs to be more people like you in the world."

Feeling touched by his kind words, my heart seemed to lighten up a bit. Holding out my hand, I shot him a nice smile. "Laney Riverdale. Nice to meet you."

Firmly shaking my hand and shifting his thick-framed glasses on his face, a slight smile cracked across his face. His smile was so uplifting that I couldn't help but return the gesture. "Thomas Shapiro. Nice to make your acquaintance. However, I best be on my way. I'm to speak with my professor in three minutes."

"See you around!" I hollered as he strolled down the hallway. Shaking my head, I sat back down to finish my muffin. Some things in life just never change.

© Lightning_Stryker 2016

Laney is baaaaack! <3