Honey and Milk

1: Bubblegum Leaves.

George

I slung my bag over my shoulder, pushing the door to my dorm open. A shaggy brown sweater draped over my thin shoulders, giving ample warmth against the autumn air. It was around mid October, halfway through my first semester of Sophomore year. It was strange, a seemingly mystical aura to the chilled air. I was glad to have come here for college, a whole different world in Michigan over the familiarity of England.

The stroll to my class was a mere 5 minutes, the older buildings giving off a charming feel. I hummed softly, flicking on an orange pair of glasses. I grinned, looking to the multi-colored trees, the oranges popping out even brighter, nearly taking my breath away. It was an amazing parting gift from my mother of the colorblind glasses, allowing me to enjoy the simple beauty of colors. Some of the trees even popped out in vibrant pinks, a color which rarely came around unless I were to view the lilacs in Minecraft.

It wasn't long until I popped into my class's building, on the newer side of campus to fit the technology we toyed with. My love of computers was nowhere near a new appearance, I'd always found a fondness to coding things for as long as I could remember. And, well, thankfully there were successful career options down this path. I'd even begun to share my creations on YouTube with my small audience of barely 200 subscribers. Oh well, the few supportive comments were enough to boost me with serotonin. 

My typical spot was in the second row, behind a girl with vibrant blue hair. I sometimes got lost in the color as it was one of the few beauties I didn't have trouble seeing. Today though, she didn't seem to make an appearance, which was disappointing. I heard a shout before a hand came down and slapped his shoulder, causing me to jump in surprise. Ah, Darryl. My closest friend and roommate. It was amazing luck to live with someone who shared my major. I'd normally have walked with him, but his swim practice schedule had changed, causing him to make a mad dash to class, his wet hair spraying anyone near him. "Hey bud, you look like you could use a quick knock back onto Earth, got anyone on your mind?" He made a quick wiggle from his eyebrows.

I chuckled, resting my chin on my palm and shook my head. "Nope, still the emo kid. Sorry to disappoint." He gave a small smile before pulling out his laptop, flicking on their coding program. "Sorry I couldn't help you with the project last night, I got my ass whooped by sleep deprivation after an assignment in math."

"Language. I got it pretty easily after nearly smashing my table in half." He laughed, following my same procedure. The class chatter died down as the professor came in, opening a powerpoint and beginning the new presentation.

Clay

I hopped out of the pool, stretching my shoulders back. Today was especially deadly, the few practices leading into taper for a big meet. I'm sure after a back-to-back workout of weight room and swim that I would be very sore the next day, but hey, it comes with the sport. "Thank god it's just yoga tomorrow, I don't think I'd be able to wake up at 5 a.m. and do that while half awake." A groan sounded, my friend Nick coming up and hanging his mesh bag onto the wall. "You going to that party this Saturday? It's supposed to be a final time to party before we head off the big comp." They pair began walking to the locker rooms, nearly being slammed into from a rushing Darryl. He was one of the unlucky ones who got the short end of the stick with scheduling.

"I'm not sure, depends on how homework turns out. I don't think I need the pressure of sports and academics weighing me down like last time." I chuckled nervously. Last year, I was the only freshman to compete against the big guns in the NCAA championships. It's kind of a big deal to compete in one of the top D1 schools and fail miserably on live TV. I completely screwed myself over for it, learning the downsides like a slap across the face when everyone has their hopes and inspirations on your back. I shivered, never wanting to feel that dark mindset ever again.

"Yeah, I understand you. But you've gotten a taste of college and you'll be much better this year, I believe in you!" Nick said, tying that dumb white bandana around his forehead. He insisted it made him look cool, and the team just had to casually accept it as his usual attire. It didn't take long to change and head out of the natatorium. I had thankfully remembered a plush beanie to make sure I didn't catch a cold with my wet head, giving a quick goodbye to Nick as I began walking towards town. This was one of the highlights of my week, heading off to work. During this time of year, the coffee shop was teeming with college girls spying out guys and the general feel of the season. The team had teased me that the only reason I was hired was to boost the amount of girls flocking in, but I denied any of the accounts. Sure, I was a charmer, but I didn't want to be labelled a player.

The interior was decorated to give the feel of a log cabin, a warmth resonating around like a pure Hallmark Christmas Special. I immediately headed to the back room, placing my stuff into a cubby before changing. I was on a shift with some kid named Tommy, quite a talker if you asked me. I flicked out my phone casually waiting in the break room for my shift to begin.

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okay, new feel! i'm not planning on doing anything crazy like fighting and violence, i just wanted a fuzzy feeling fic that was just pure softness. it's definitely going to be something new, but hopefully it'll turn out great!