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𝐔𝐍𝐂 𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐄𝐋 𝐇𝐈𝐋𝐋
june 4th
NO WEEK CAN BE AS calm and chaotic, crowded yet empty and fast but slow as finals week. Down in North Carolina's campus, home to the Rameses, it was no different. Each student had their own ritual for this ultimate test.
Some had opted to exclude all social interactions for the past month so they could focus full time on the challenges they were to overcome while others were natural-born procrastinators who bravely — or not — chose to do the bare minimum and yet, with a small prayer and hopefully luck, face their exams head on.
For the amber-haired girl who now sat outside soaking in the warm soon-to-be summer sun, neither of the options above applied. She had already gotten two exams out of the way, one more to go. It was fair to say the teen took everything very lightly, perhaps because biology was what she was meant to study from a very young age; perhaps because the previous year 0 at UNC gave her a comfort advantage, or perhaps both.
Due to her pale complexion, sun wasn't something she was used to. But due to the light mood she was in, nothing could possibly tear her mood down — much less Olivia's rants.
"I mean, I understand teen boys' fragile egos nowadays but I tried to give Theo a chance. And then he turns it around on me? The audacity." The brown-skin walked back and forth in front of Chelsea, who occasionally opened her eyes to respond to her best friend. "Chels, am I right or am I right?"
"You are more than right."
"It's very funny, right?" Olivia stated, following Chelsea's chuckle "my comedy-like life is just hilarious."
"Liv,..." she stood up, placing each hand in the teen's shoulders "I just think it's funny we're in the middle of finals and here you are, stressing about a boy who hasn't even fully formed a mustache. Honestly, he's nineteen — it's weird."
"I guess..."
"Either way, life is precious and you will find someone worthy once you stop searching."
"What's with you today, you're way too happy for someone with a calculus exam on Friday."
"For starters, I'm great at math" Chelsea pointed her finger at her friend "but no, I just have a lot on my mind today."
Coming from two opposite degrees, Chelsea and Pope were having a busier week than usual, which gave them barely no time to spare or hang out as they had for the past few weeks.
After that episode at the library, both were smitten by each other's presence and the teen was able to see a side of the young boy she had never discovered to date. He had loosened up and started demonstrating his funnier side. Both had ever since been inseparable, which is why she was dying to tell him the fresh pair of news she had gotten that weekend.
In between her comments, she would often look behind Olivia to see if by any chance, she could see him.
"A lot or one thing in particular."
"Whatever..."
"You don't have to pretend when I know you've been searching for Pope for the past half an hour. Why not just text him?"
"He was meant to have an exam this morning, I'm not sure what time. I just don't want to disturb him."
Olivia crossed her arms to her chest "it's not even funny that you're leaving me for the whole summer, rotting here in boring Chapel Hill."
"You know you're welcome to join me. Or come visit, at least."
"Try and tell my parents that. My mother wants to enjoy as much time with me as she can, before sending me across the country to my dad."
Chelsea gave her friend a side-smile, taking her hand and squeezing it. Just then, by chance, her eyes came across a very similar figure walking outside the nearby pavilion and as her irises hinted, she excused herself to jog in his direction.
Having reached him in no time, the young teen threw her arms around his neck embracing him in a tight hug which he took a second to respond to.
"Well, hello there." He smiled into her red camomile scented hair. "What is this all about?"
They both parted ways, but her smile just got wider as their eyes met. "I have some exciting news."
"You passed your exams?"
"No" Chelsea chuckled at the boy's guess "still have one left. How did yours go, by the way?"
"Ah, this one was one of the easy ones."
"That's great!"
"But please, enlighten me." He insisted, seeing as the girl's attention fluctuated.
"Oh, right!" She regained her excitement, "we're just two weeks away from summer break. And coincidentally, I was home this weekend — as you know — and I was talking to my mom. I didn't quite suggest it myself." The teen's rant was something she had picked up from all the time with Pope, which in reality, he found adorable "It was more her actually. But she actually announced we're going down to the outer banks for the summer!"
At the end of her speech, she clasped her hands together and cheered as a cheer captain would. The boy blinked at her speech, not because he hadn't gotten the whole thing, but because he was emotionless.
"No way."
"Yes way! There was an old friend of my father's that can rent us a beach house. I don't personally care for it, but at least we'll be closer."
"Definitely."
"I can finally meet your friends, we'll go to the beach — it'll be fun."
"That's amazing, Chels."
What in his mind was a spread-out smile, was in reality a blank face which caused Chelsea's excitement to die down.
"You don't seem too happy, though. Is it a bad idea?"
"No, not at all."
"Oh god, it's too soon. I'm coming off too strong. What a stupid ide-"
Pope grabbed one of her wavering hands, smiling. "It's a great idea."
"Just be honest."
"Spending summer together sounds amazing," he responded, navigating through the thousands of thoughts swimming through his mind at the moment.
"Then what?"
"I'm just not from the side of the Outer Banks you're expecting."
