Meeting Diana and Alice.

I looked at my phone to see the time and check if I’d gotten any messages. 1:03 pm, no messages. We agreed to meet at 1:15 pm, so none of the girls were late. I was just too early. Even so, I should’ve expected Diana to be the first to arrive, especially 10 minutes before the appointed time. We saw each other and she walked up to me with a smile which I was happy to return.

Though we were in the middle of spring, the weather was already getting hotter, meaning we had to start wearing lighter clothes. I was wearing blue jeans with an unbuttoned white shirt and a black t-shirt underneath, keeping it simple. I want to say Diana was keeping it simple, too, but she just looked too good in her white, sleeveless blouse and black slacks. With her brown leather purse hanging from her shoulder, it really hit me that I was dating a grown woman.

“What’s with that weird look?” she asked me once she was in front of me. “Do I have something in my face?”

“No, I was just thinking that you should be out of my league. How did we end up together again?”

Diana chortled and shook her head. “Because we have a common friend that was kind enough to hook me up with a nice man that’s way above my level.”

“Oh, shut up.”

We laughed, but kept our greeting at that. It was an unspoken agreement, kind of. Diana and I were of the same mind when it came to PDA, and kissing in such a busy area would definitely earn us weird looks.

We got lucky and a bench close to us emptied up, so we went to sit down while we waited for the others. We made small talk, asking each other what we were in the mood of having for lunch and such. Then Alice was the second to arrive, just at the appointed time.

She saw us and smiled tiredly. She came up to us, sat next to me and rested her head on my shoulder. And I know what I said about PDA, but it was clear Alice needed the contact, so I held her hand.

“It’s done,” she said. “Talked to my parents about university. Told them I’d study law if that was what they wanted, but it’d be here in town. If not, I’d go work with Alex and skip higher education altogether.”

I squeezed her hand and nodded. Diana asked the follow up question for me. “What did they say?”

Alice chuckled. “They didn’t like it. Dad is stubborn as a mule. Kept saying that I’d be wasting my talents and such. Then I blurted out that I would rather waste my talents than be alone and miserable. That… made him quiet down. Then they listened to my plan. Told them I’d move out when you had your house. I think they understood how serious I was, but they don’t quite believe you’ll get a house.”

“I don’t blame them. I would’ve rather you told them that after the house was ours, but we can exactly wait that long.”

“Yes, that would’ve been ideal,” Diana said. “Show them you’re not putting your eggs in a basket that may not even exist.”

Alice nodded against my shoulder. “They agreed, in the end. They don’t want me going rogue like my brother. Or more like they’re afraid I’ll end up sleeping in the streets.”

I held back on clicking my tongue. I’d have to talk to Luke soon, see about getting construction on the house started as soon as possible, or at least properly owning the land. Anything to show Alice’s parents I wasn’t making their daughter empty promises.

“And you’re really sure you want to get into law school?” I asked her.

“I at least see what my dad means when he says cars are a hobby and not a job. I don’t fully agree, but keeping my tinkering as something I like doing in my free time instead of something I always have to do is not a bad idea. Besides, I’m good with books. Law school will be challenging, but I know I can do it.”

Diana sighed heavily. “This system is so stupid. Asking 18 year olds, most of whom have no idea what they want for themselves, to make a decision this big is insane.”

Agreed.

“And, Oliver… Are you sure you’re not going to university?” Alice asked me.

Ah. That.

“No, I’m going in the end.”

“Hah?” Both Diana and Alice exclaimed in each of my ears.

“What do you mean?” Diana asked. “I thought you had made your choice.”

“Yeah, well… When I told my mom, she shot down my choice completely,” I said, shrugging and grinning. “It was a pretty quick thing, too. She told me I was free to study whatever I wanted wherever I wanted, but that I had to go to university and she wouldn’t accept I didn’t. Considering how compliant and understanding she’s been with everything else, I couldn’t say no.”

Alice began to laugh. “Wow, I can practically hear her saying that.”

Diana also chuckled. “And you don’t seem upset, huh?”

“Can’t bring myself to be. She’s giving me plenty of choice and her arguments were sound. She said that university is more than just a piece of paper at the end. It’s life experience. And, well, considering my grandma’s horse betting earnings were meant to put me and Isabelle through school, the cost was covered the day I was born.”

“Wait, what?” Diana asked.

“Y-Yeah, go back. Your grandma’s horse betting earnings?”

“Oh, have I not told you that story?” I suddenly had my vision obstructed. A pair of hands over my glasses. Hands I knew very well. “Aren’t you a little late, Sarah?”

“What? How!? Did you see me?” Sarah asked, removing her hands. I looked back and saw her, Grace, Mila and Noelle together.

“No, I could just tell. Of course I know your hands.”

“And he says it like it’s normal,” Grace said.

“Sorry we’re late. Sarah went to pick us all up,” Noelle said.

“And we love her for it,” Mila added.

“Yeah, yeah. Now let’s go eat. I’m hungry,” Sarah said.

“Yes, let’s,” Diana said.

And so we went to eat together.

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