1
~
June
“Look, it’s too hot and early in the morning for this much ambition, don’t you think?” Madison’s voice cut through my stream of planning and overthinking with a smile that was sincere enough to soften the blow.
Embarrassed, I quickly shut up, pressing my lips together tightly as we passed beneath the shadow of red maples that lined the main university walkway. The leaves were a vibrant green, still temporarily immune to the coming fall season.
But she was right. It was our final year; our morning classes hadn’t even started yet, and already I was prattling on about all the steps I needed to take to make sure I’d be the best possible Masters candidate in the history of NEU’s architecture department. Just casual conversation, of course.
Though between Madison’s recovery from last night’s shenanigans and the sun overhead that still seemed determined to cling to summer, I could see where she was coming from.
“Sorry,” I muttered.
She threaded an arm through mine, the back of her heavy backpack—that was bursting with everything except books—knocking me in the side. “You know I love you, June. Really. But I swearIhave your five-year plan memorized just from hearing you talk about it all the time. It’s okay to relax, you know, especially right before the new semester starts.”
A little crease appeared between her brows as she frowned.
“You should’ve joined us at the party last night. Most of the team was there, and I think you would’ve actually had a great time,” she said thoughtfully.
A pang of regret hit me, and I gave her a wistful smile. “I wanted to get in one final refresher session before the first lecture.”
She nodded, but I didn’t miss the unspoken point she was making. Some small part of me actually did wish I’d gone. It wasn’t the first time I decided to skip out on a party for the library, and it certainly wouldn’t be the last.
But I was way too excited and nervous and honestly justeagerto make sure I followed the right path and reached my goal: an urban planning job at the prestigious Muller & Co. That wasn’t going to come easy, and I didn’t have time to be anything less than fully focused.
“I’m sure it was fun. It’s just that if I slack off now, it’s going to set me back…” I started, then trailed off as Mads snorted.
“I’m not laughing at you,” she clarified, giving my arm a reassuring squeeze. “It’s just that you’re the last person on the planet who could ever be accused of ‘slacking off’. I mean, you remember who you are, don’t you? June Price: straight A’s, straightlaced, straight stick up her—”
“Screw you,” I said, shoving her lightly, but she clung to my arm, causing me to stumble with her. We nearly careened into a waste bin, startling a boy standing nearby.
“Sorry!” I called out to him before dragging a laughing Madison back onto the walkway. I couldn’t help a small laugh of my own. “You’re a bitch sometimes, you know that?”
“That’s why you love me,” she said matter-of-factly. “I’m your bitchy safeguard against overthinking yourself to death. Andyour constant reminder that you’re doing better than you think you are. Just learn to breathe.”
I took an emphatic deep breath and leveled a pensive glance at her. We were a study in contrasts, the two of us. Her golden hair, olive skin, and smattering of freckles lent an exotic, carefree vibe to her appearance that matched her personality to a tee. My dark auburn hair and pale skin matched my predilection for indoor study sessions. But we’d struck a balance during the course of our friendship. I would help her think ahead and push her to grow, and she’d keep me present, pulling me into the sun with her when I needed it.
I couldn’t imagine it being any other way, or having any other roommate greet me that first day we met in the dorms. I knew that even when she tried to pull me out of my shell, Mads never forced me to do anything I didn’t want to. She honored the rules I set for myself, knowing when to let it go and when to try harder. A skill I was, admittedly, lacking.
“Yeah, okay,” I conceded, rolling my shoulders back. “You’re right as always.”
Her brown eyes sparkled with humor. “Of course I am. Plus, you’ve got the academic stuff in the bag already. If you’re going to focus on anything this semester, it should be networking.”
My own brows quirked up. “Networking?”
“Yep.” We were fast approaching the point of the journey where we’d have to split to get to our different lecture halls. Madison pulled back slightly, slowing us down. “Collecting a decent list of contacts is going to be almost as important as studying. Moreso, if you really want to nail that job. It’s all about who you know that’ll get you a foot in the door. Your grades and skills are what will help you kick it wide open.”
I thought about that for a second. I knew I’d have to start meeting people and forging professional ties, but I hadn’t really weighed just how important that would be.
“Plus, that’s significantly more fun than breathing in the smell of mothballs in the study hall for hours on end,” she gave me a playful nudge. “Socializing. Can you imagine that?”
“Well, if anyone knows anything about having fun, it’d be you, right?”
“Hey, it’s my last year. I actually do plan on prioritizing fun and getting an A-plus for my effort,” she replied breezily. Ahead of us, our invisible forked road began to diverge. She turned to me with all the seriousness of a mother sending her kid off to their first day of school. “This is where I bid you farewell. Try not to outpace the professor in class, okay?”
I rolled my eyes but returned her hug tightly before pulling away. “As long as you don’t forget that you actuallyhavea professor. Or a class.”
