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City of Sin
Ivy Smoak
Prologue
Bee
I put my pencil down and read through my essay to look for any mistakes. When my eyes got to the bottom of the page, I smiled. I had just finished my last final. Ever. I couldn’t believe I was really done. Four long years of late night study sessions and early morning cramming had finally paid off. Although, I still needed to actually pay those years off. Why am I thinking about student loans right now?
I grabbed my test booklet and walked to the front of the classroom. My Intro to Psych class was in a huge lecture hall. I had saved one easy class for my last semester and this was it. But now I almost wished that I was handing in my paper to a professor that I knew well. A professor that could tell me how proud he was of me and how he thought I was going to do great things. Instead, I handed my test to Professor Thornton who I had only ever spoken to when handing in assignments. She wouldn’t know me from the other 200 students in the class.
“Have a good summer,” Professor Thornton said and smiled.
“Thank you. You too.”
She immediately looked back down at the book she was reading.
That was unceremonious. It didn’t really matter. In just a few days, the dean would hand me my diploma and it would really feel like the end. I glanced over my shoulder at the other students still finishing up their exams. Goodbye, college. I opened up the door and walked out into the bright sunshine. Normally I hated endings. But this seemed more like a beginning than an end. Patrick was supposed to hear back about his internship today. I hadn’t had any luck landing a job yet, but it was for the best. If Patrick got the internship, he’d be moving to New York City. And I didn’t want to have to choose between an entry level job in Delaware and Patrick. Not that it would be much of a choice. Patrick would always win. Besides, he always encouraged me to go after my dreams. And I really wanted to hold out until I landed a job in advertising. Maybe I’d have more luck in New York.
Patrick and I had talked about moving in together after graduation. I pictured a cute little place in the middle of the city. It seemed romantic and perfect. Before Patrick, I never in a million years would have thought I’d wind up in New York. I liked the suburbs. There was something exciting about moving, though. Mostly just because Patrick would be there with me. The two of us suburban kids facing the big city together. I really hoped he’d get the internship. Otherwise we might not be able to afford to live together yet. Moving back in with my mom didn’t seem nearly as exciting.
I looked around at the few students walking around campus. There were still two more days of exams. Most students were doing last minute studying, holed up in their dorms and the library. I had been lucky that all of my finals were early. Now I could spend my last few days here relaxing, something that I hadn’t done that much of since I started. I pressed the button for the crosswalk. I was going to miss it here. I hadn’t expected to feel so sentimental. This campus had become my home away from home, though. My life had changed for the better here. Mostly because I had met Patrick. I smiled to myself.
When the light changed, I crossed the street. In a few minutes I was outside of the Sigma Pi frat house. I walked up the steps and knocked on the door. Please, please have gotten it. Patrick opened the door. He had a huge smile on his face.
I took a deep breath. “Did you hear from MAC International?”
“Mhm.” He closed the door and walked past me down the steps.
“Patrick?” I chased after him. He looked happy when he had opened the door. Was he actually upset?
He stopped and turned back around. He was still smiling.
“So…”
“So?”
“Patrick, you’re killing me. Did you get the job?” I held my breath.
He flashed me the smile that I had fallen in love with.
“You got it?!”
“I got it, Bee.”
I wasn’t sure I had ever seen him look so happy. “Ah!” I threw my arms around him.
He laughed as he picked me up and spun me around. When he set me back down, he put his hand on my cheek. “I can’t believe I actually got it. I thought it was a long shot…”
“I knew you’d get it.”
He leaned down and kissed me.
I would never get tired of the way he kissed me. He had this way of making me feel like I was the only thing that mattered to him.
“What do you think? Should we go look at apartments tomorrow?”
“Tomorrow? Yes!” I felt so giddy. I couldn’t believe this was really happening. It felt like everything I had ever wanted was coming true.
