Only a Memory | Bucky Barnes

Chapter 15: Study Break

Exams rolling around the corner proved to be a little distraction from the whole Steve ordeal. Steve still was avoiding Bucky, and for no apparent reason.

Angrily, Bucky dropped the photo album Steve had given him into the trash. It fell open, and there Steve was, staring back at him. His features were softer, his hair a little longer, but his eyes were the same.

Maybe Steve only gave Bucky this album to get rid of those pictures. He might've felt to guilty about throwing them away, but Bucky didn't share those same feelings.

A crumpled piece of paper lay in front of Bucky on his bed – a failed attempt of a history essay. He tossed the paper into the trash, too, and Steve was now cut out of the photo. A younger version of Bucky still remained, looking much the same, yet he had shorter hair.

At some point, Bucky and Steve had switched places, as far as their hair went. Steve had caught up with size and strength, a mystery of which Bucky still hadn't solved.

Seriously, how had Steve suddenly gotten so big and strong?

But Bucky really couldn't be thinking about Steve right now. His books were all laid out in front of him, yet they were unopened. Exams were still in a couple of weeks, but Bucky knew that if he didn't start studying now, he never would. Before he knew it, exams would be the next day and he'd be pulling an all-nighter. Just the usual.

With a sigh, Bucky opened up his biology book, but all the words were giving him a headache. Too much was going on at once. Steve. Studying. His future. Because yes, that was a thing. It was January, and he still hadn't given too much thought about postsecondary school. Most kids in his grade had already applied to several schools, including many of his friends.

Bucky still had no idea what he wanted to do, or where he was going.

He suggested taking a gap year to George, who had agreed that it was the best option if Bucky still didn't know what to do. "Better than choosing something you don't like, dropping out, and wasting all your, and our money," he had said.

Unfortunately, Winifred had overheard and heavily disagreed. Apparently, she had a 'friend' who took a gap year and never went back to school after that. Bucky had heard about this guy before. It was one of his mother's exes. According to her, this guy turned out to be loser. If Bucky didn't want to end up like him, then he had better continue his schooling.

Bucky had half a mind to pick something ridiculous and purposely flunk out. But that was awfully far to go just to make a point.

And again, Bucky was getting off track. He didn't really care about mitosis, something he had learned about in freaking tenth grade. It must have been engrained in his brain by now. He could perfectly recite everything that happened in every stage without skipping a beat.

But this genetics stuff? That was bullshit. And really, how much did he need to know about the nervous system? It wasn't like he wanted to be a doctor, or anything health related, in fact.

He felt his phone vibrate from under his leg, and nearly resisted the urge to check it. In the end, temptation won. It was a text from Natasha, asking him if he wanted to go out for ice cream.

Bucky scoffed, looking out the window to where it was snowing so much that he could hardly see the line of trees that were a few yards away. Leave it to Nat to suggest going out for ice cream in the middle of January, and in an actual snowstorm.

Sure, Bucky replied, because he was equally as crazy.

Natasha showed up not long after. In fact, it was so soon that Bucky had an inkling she was already on her way when she texted. Bucky would've had to go whether he said yes or not.