Fall (LGBT) ✅

Part 5

5.

After that day, it felt like something had changed.

Jeremy and Duke were by no means best friends with Sam, but there were none of the awkward silences that had occasionally plagued them before. Instead, they were comfortable enough with each other that they didn't have to fill the space with words. It might also have been because they spent most of their time together studying because Sam was in the same boat as them and he understood the pain of exams, having to sit his A- levels at the end of the school year.

Thom and Callum didn't have any of those worries but they'd have GCSEs next year and then they'd be working just as hard. But next year would also mean that Jeremy would have third year exams and a dissertation to submit and that had him resting his head on his paws. He could imagine how much fun he wouldn't have then.

"Hey," Duke nudged him, "you look sad. Tell your face to stop doing that."

Jeremy huffed out a breath at him.

"Well," Duke said, leaning back, "it seems like a break might be a good idea now."

It was a Saturday which meant that Zoe was coming over later so Duke and Jeremy had invited Sam round instead of going over to his house. Thom had obviously come along with him, since he'd been spending so much time with Callum, and they hadn't stayed long before they were leaving to meet up with friends. Which Jeremy was glad for, because Callum shouldn't be staying at home when he had the freedom not to, and he knew he'd be doing the same as soon as he could.

Food wasn't something that Jeremy wanted, not when it was cat food he was being served, and most of the games they could play required either opposable thumbs or the power of communication. Since Jeremy had neither, they went for the better option of watching old reruns on TV and it was the kind of mindless entertainment he needed.

It wasn't that he was overly worried about exams, not when they still felt so far away, but the weight of his situation was beginning to hit him. Because it was second year and that meant his marks counted and the results of these exams, coupled with those from the January season, made up a third of his final grade. It wasn't something to panic about but it wasn't nothing, either.

He could at least take some comfort in the fact he knew three of his modules well enough to pass but econometrics was a different matter entirely.

Luckily, he knew someone who loved the subject.

"Zoe!"

"Someone is ridiculously chirpy for this early in the morning." She frowned down at him. "What have you been feeding him? Sugar?"

Duke shook his head, less enthusiastic in his greeting. "I haven't fed him anything that would make him hyper, he's just happy to see you."

"Well, I'd be a lot happier if he was quiet and he sat back down."

Duke looked at her sympathetically. "Rough day?"

"I took an extra shift yesterday at work and I'm still feeling it." She grimaced, sitting on the couch next to him. "But revision waits for no man and I said I'd be here."

"You didn't have to come," Duke said, concerned . "We can always study another time."

"Yeah," she drawled, "I can only imagine what a hardship that would be for you. Absolutely terrible."

Jeremy laughed because it was true that none of them would complain about a day off but they did have good reasons for it. Burnout was a real thing, and working too much could cause that to happen, so rest days were important and more so if someone was already feeling terrible.