Chapter 43 Genevieve
Genevieve
You can’t always choose your blood, but you can choose your people. And damn, I chose well. I’m so glad I convinced Lana and the boys into doing this, not that I doubted myself.
I could pretty much anyone into anything. Except Professor O’Gwen, that woman hates me so much she wouldn’t change her outfit if I paid her.
Standing here has made me realize that all I needed in life was some good people I could turn into family. Material things come and go, but friendships could last a lifetime.
I want the things in life that money can’t buy.
I don’t know where I’ll be in the next two years, or even the next two months, but I do know I can count on these people I have by my side.
All of us take turns making eye contact making sure we’re all full in. We all took our shoes off already so the only thing left is for us to jump in.
The four of us are holding hands in front of the union fountain getting ready to jump in its frigid temperatures.
We are all fully clothed since the boys didn’t have swimsuits and I wasn’t about to only have Lana and I do it so all of us are going in clothed. I personally think it makes the whole experience way better. Plus it’s way too cold out for bikinis, not that it’s stopped me before…
Lana doing this with me, no matter how much convincing it took from my end means a lot to me.
This goes against all her codes of conduct but I feel special that she would do this for me.
She showed up for me, no matter how uncomfortable it made her.
I’m glad to see her lighten up a bit. I just hope she will be okay without me, but I don’t have a doubt in my mind that she won’t be.
We’re standing there like some kind of wet-footed Breakfast Club, four idiots, one perfect, ridiculous memory in the making.
“Everyone ready?” I yell.
“Ready!” Everyone says back.
“One, two, three!” I count, then we run towards the fountain and hop right in.
My recently flowy yoga pants become skin tight and my white shirt starts to become see through. Nothing this campus hasn’t seen before.
The four of us splash around for what feels like a long while, when I look up and start to see snow fall from the sky.
It’s early December so sounds about right.
Snow starts to fall, slow, quiet, like the universe decided to hit pause for a second and let us feel something magic.
I guess when it rained earlier it wasn’t as cold as it is now to turn into snow.
I lift my hands out to feel the soft snowflakes kiss my skin.
I feel like I’m in a movie, and Aspen and everyone else must agree too because they stop splashing and look up at the sky too.
Then, all the sudden, lights from a distance start to come closer into our view, ruining our scene.
“Cops!” I yell and that causes all of us to surrey out of the water, grabbing our shoes and running back to the dorm.
We run so fast we don’t even look back to see if they’re still behind us or not.
I’m pretty sure they gave up though because when we make it to the front door of my building they are nowhere to be seen.
We probably out ran them. Any security guard I’ve ever seen on this campus looks like they’ve only ever chased after a snickers bar.
They’re the equivalent to Kevin James in “Paul Blart: Mall Cop.”
We walk through the lobby and get in the elevator, leaving a trail of water with us wherever we go and go back up into our room. Honestly, they could’ve followed our trail back with Google Maps. We basically left a wet breadcrumb GPS.
All the running pretty much sobered us up, so we all take showers and get ready for bed. Ending the night with Derek in Lana’s bed and Aspen in mine. Yes, two twenty two year old six foot men sharing a twin sized bed with chicks. Now that’s a sight to see.
The road ahead is unknown, but for the first time in my life I’m excited for it.
I’m excited to move and to see what will happen.
I’m excited to be doing something for myself rather than for someone who is not living my life.
It’s time I took matters into my own hands and lived life for me and me only.
Not my mom, not my dad and not my brothers.
For me.
Aspen is sound asleep beside me, and the warmth of his arms feels like home. It doesn’t matter where we are or where we’re headed he’s home for me, and it feels good to finally be home. But then, Aspen stirs and turns toward me. He must have been pretending to sleep this whole time.
“It felt like we did everything backwards,” He whispers to me, “but I almost forgot. Genevieve Brown, will you officially be my girlfriend?”
“Aspen Davis I thought you’d never ask, Yes!” I whisper back.
Then we kiss and try so hard to not make love because our ex-roommates would hate us forever.
“I love you, Snowflake,” He whispers between kisses.
“I love you too.”
And we lay there, wrapped in warmth, as snowflakes softened the world outside.
Life’s messy, but at least I accessorize well.