Impenetrable Heart | Lams College AU

Fight, Then Write

     That following week, tensions seemed to dissolve ever so slightly. Well, between the group of four, anyway. Exams were coming up, and everyone was scrambling to retain all the information they had learned that past semester. Alex, however, had one week to learn multiple weeks' worth of information, which may or may not have stressed him out. A lot. He sat in class, guzzling his third coffee of the day when Herc, Laf, and John walked in.

     "Dude, you're going to overdose on coffee I swear," Herc laughed, setting down his rucksack. Alex scoffed.

     "I don't get that lucky."

     He had been getting on average three to five hours of sleep a night, which wasn't horrible, but it added up. The only thing keeping even somewhat conscious was coffees, monsters, anything with a caffeine content over two hundred. In terms of John, things had been going pretty well. Laf said he'd been going out less, which was a fairly good sign.

     Of course, that didn't mean he stopped.

     A few nights prior he's gone out around one AM and only got back an hour before his first class. Laf said he had looked like death warmed over. Since then, however, he stayed home, which was a surprise to Alex when he came over to study with Laf.

     "Yo, Laf. Do you have any Tylenol?" He had asked, walking out into the kitchen. Alex nearly jumping out of his skin. "Oh, hey Alex."

     "Hi," Alex said, trying to not sound as surprised as he had been.

     Since then, it was uneventful. Right before class started, a boy walked in. He was on the shorter side, looked fairly young but carried himself like he was older. He was wearing a collared shirt, paired with a simple pair of jeans and sneakers.

     "Who's that?" Alex whispered to John, who sat next to him.

     "Aaron Burr," he said, eyeing him now too. "Just moved up a grade, I didn't even know you could do that in college, to be honest."

     Alex had heard the name tossed around before. He was recognized as being one of the most studious kids in all of the campus, and rumor had it he was on track to graduate in half the time than everyone else. Alex was both impressed and jealous.

     "How does he do it?"

     John raised his eyebrows and had gone to say something when the professor started class. He couldn't help but glance at him from time to time, wondering how he managed to keep it together. A class before nine AM is enough to make Alex want to scream. He angrily scribbled down notes, thinking, some people have all the luck. When class was finally over, the four walked back to their places when Laf suggested,

     "Say, with tests coming up, why don't we all go out for the night?"

     "Dude, do you know how much work I have to do?" Alex said exasperatedly. "I hardly have time to breathe, let alone go out."

     "Aw come on," Herc laughed, slugging him in the arm. "Just for a few hours, no biggie."

     "How are you all even passing?"

     "By not being sticks in the mud," John said. Alex considered for a moment.

     "Well... what did you have in mind?"

     Laf took out his cell and pulled up some messages.

     "Bonfire tonight to celebrate the end of the semester," he said. "Open to everyone, spirits, and games."

     "So nothing hardcore? No pub brawls?" John said, fake pouting. Alex snorted.

     "I'm sure there will be some games, football, maybe some indoor pool-"