Honoring the bloodline

2

Chapter 2

It's been four days since Gale and me were on the mountain top and now the day has come, college. One of the few things that I have been looking forward to is sharing a dorm with Gale, and that wasn't easy to get. The college of Chicago has strict rules of sharing dorms, no boys allowed in the girl's dorms and vise versa. Somehow my charming smile and Gale's convincing persona made them change their minds of our situation and for that, we were beyond thankful.

The college of Chicago is an hour away from our neighborhood so if we get homesick it won't be that far away. To attend this college has always been a dream of mine and Gales, we have longed for this since third grade, but now that it's finally happening I don't feel ready for this new chapter in my life. One more step into adulthood and I'm not quite sure how to feel about that. What if I don't get as good grades as in high school, what if everything isn't as we have dreamed? what-

''If you're going to stay in bed and think of a million what-ifs we aren't going to make it there in time'' I look up at Gale and laugh, he's right, I need to grow up and go through with this, but at the same time I wouldn't be Autumn Wright if I didn't overthink.

All our belongings are now in the car and it's time for us to say our goodbyes to our parents. I look up and study Anna and Will, Gale's parents. She is holding onto Gale as if he were to fall off a cliff. Her sobs, oh her sobs, Gale is their only son, I can't imagine how lonely it's going to feel for them. The emotional scene in front of me leaves me in tears as well, I can't help but not to cry when I see moments like these. Okay Autumn, take a deep breath and try to hold it together when you look at your family because God knows how much I will miss them. Miss them? I'm missing them right now as they stand beside me. The tears are uncontrollable now, and I feel my mom hugging me. Sammy and dad have joined us now, all I can think of is how much I'm going to miss seeing them every day.

''Cmon' Autumn, it's time for you to do this, it's a part of how life works, I did it, your mom did it and one day Sammy is going to do it too.''

''I know dad'' I say through my sobs ''it's just that I love you guys so much and the thought of being away is really getting to me.'' I don't ever see my dad cry, but as soon as I said that he sheds a tear or two. His little girl isn't so little anymore and whether I'm ready or not it's time for a new beginning.

Gale doesn't say much during the first 20 minutes of the car ride and that is way too long for him not to say something, but I know he feels as strongly about his family as I do for mine. I gaze out the window and feel as though I am in a movie, the sad part obviously. What are we doing? most normal people are excited about college and here we are starting off as a pair of losers? I connect my Bluetooth to his car and play The Lumineers and Gale is already singing along with a grin on his face.

''That's the spirit Gale!'' I scream through the music blasting in the car.

''Wohooooo! we may be losers but nobody in college knows that so cheers to a new beginning'' Gale screams back and we both laugh. Maybe college won't be so bad, maybe, and just maybe I'll find my other half, just like mom and dad found each other in college.

Gale pulls up in the parking lot and after a good 30 minutes, we finally manage to find an empty spot. We grab our luggage and head for the Campus.

 I feel the nerves in my stomach and can't help but to get nervous, I quickly look up at Gale to see if he is as nervous as I am. To my surprise he is smiling, that calms me down a bit. My nervous thinking is cut off when I look at the Campus. Big isn't the word to describe it, enormous? yeah definitely the right word, and beautiful, so many details of the building catching my eye at the same time, not knowing where to start and admire the art in front of me. The red brick buildings and every walkway are literally filled with students smiling and laughing with their friends.

Everything with the campus is so much more lovely than the brochures and the catalogs I ordered online. I study the trees and wonder how old they must be? The Campus was founded in the early 1840s and surely the trees were there from start and maybe even much earlier than that. I guess you can say that I majored in history and plan on doing it in college.

When we enter the major building we get in the line at the reception, I hope Gale took as many classes as I did. I choose 6 classes this semester so I can go at a slower pace next semester. ''Did you take 6 or did you take 4?'' I ask Gale hoping he took as many as I asked him too, but the look on his face tells me otherwise.

''Look, I'm sorry, but it's the first semester and I don't want to spend every minute studying. I want to live and party, you know normal things you do at a college?'' I give in, he's right and now that I think about it I wish I would've done the same choice.

''You're right, sorry for pushing you, it's actually a smart decision, though I hate to admit it.'' ''I know right?

Even though you took a hundred classes this semester I'm still dragging you to every party there is.'' I was just about to argue but then I remembered, Gale is just as stubborn as I am so there is no need for our bickering on the first day of college.

''Well well well, if it isn't Ringo and Dingo.'' I turn around, only to find the sworn enemy standing in front of me, Carter Stone.

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