Green Hill University (Sonadow College AU)

Chapter 4

Shadow

"Yoo hoo, Shadow! It's Friday night and about time we set this bitch off! Now get down here!"

Rouge, with zero regard for anyone in Shadow's apartment complex, hollered for him at about 5 till 8. For one so liberal with her life, she was always surprisingly punctual.

Shadow, doing his best to prepare, had spent the rest of the afternoon cleaning his apartment, rearranging his living room, occasionally watching television or working on crochet, doing his damndest to quell his anxiety. He was less the going out type and more the burrowing deeper into his bed type.

Rouge had told him to try and look nice tonight, but for him that equated to brushing his quills and putting on a simple grey t-shirt and one of his nicer sweat jackets. He didn't own too many clothes, and especially none bright enough to stand out.

Shadow assessed himself once more before heading out. Sometimes he considered trying a little harder to look nice, but it seemed a waste to him. He was a quiet, dower guy, and knew it. If he tried any harder, he'd stand out, and standing out meant getting people's attention. And attention meant interaction, and interaction meant-

"Shadow! Are you rearranging your whole fucking house again? Get out here or so help me, I'll rearrange your face!"

Always so direct. It helped.

He stepped out into the warm evening air, and locked his apartment. Rouge was leaning against her car, dressed in attire that let everyone know she ruled this town, and more importantly, that she knew it. Giving Shadow a light smile that only just reached her eyes, Rouge beckoned him into a hug.

"Oh hon, we do not see each other enough! How's prison?"

"You know, not everyone can fly through life as easily as you do. Some people need higher education to reach their goals," Shadow said in a semi-serious tone.

"Yes yes, I'm aware most aren't on my level, some people need the help," she scoffed in an overly posh tone. Shadow couldn't help crack a small smile at this.

They got into her car that Shadow knew had to cost more than his tuition for the past 4 years; maybe even double. Rouge was right; it had been an awful long time since they had last actually hung out.

About a year ago, Rouge had evidently been promoted to a position with a much higher pay grade and much larger time investment. She rarely had a chance to catch her breath. Rouge, however, was nothing if not flexibly meticulous. Bullshit was something she had no time for, and it helped her in attaining her goals. In a way, Shadow envied that amount of sheer charisma and confidence she had. "Honey, I promise you, confidence isn't something a person is just born with. Sometimes you gotta fake it until even you believe it." That's what she had told him when he questioned her - he'd never truly been able to wrap his head around it.

They were now cruising their way toward Station Square, the city glow just off in the distance.

"Soooo, senior year just started for you, hmm? Seeing the finish line yet?"

"Hmph, hardly. I may be finishing up the undergraduate part of my degree, but I still have years of med school, more Bio-chem and advanced mathematics courses. Honestly, I'm only just now getting to the 'fun stuff'," he said with exaggerated air quotes.

"Wow, how exciting," Rouge said, yawning in semi-fake boredom.

"Well... sometimes you need to sacrifice what's fun, for the sake of others."

"Honey, I do plenty for the 'sake of others,' and have a blast doing it." She almost sang the words.

"Will you ever be able to tell me what it is you do, exactly? With how secretive you are I'm inclined to think you're either some government assassin or a really well paid dominatrix."