Chapter 46
Ember
I never thought the campus sports field had the ability to look so, beautiful. What was usually trashed in empty Starbucks cups, rogue deflated footballs and condom wrappers, was now a luminescent wonderland. There were vibrant circus-style marques dotted all around, the biggest one holding the main stage where a bunch of scantily clad, (but impeccably glamorous), drag queens were currently performing to a sea of eager students, all singing along to I will survive. There were mini bars flooded with string lights for the ultimate boozy and bougie experience, multiple fast-food vans that elicited such an odour that I’m 90% sure my perfume is now Eu De Chip Fat, but I’m sure I won’t be complaining later on when I’ve had one too many and my only saving grace is a greasy Frank Furter hotdog. A giant hay bale covers the mid-section of the field, surrounded by colourful flags and fairy lights, the ideal place for a casual chat with friends over a drink, not such a nice place for the girl who is hunched over and currently chundering onto one of the bales. I take in a deep breath as I spot the giant Ferris wheel, a luminous pink, and the ideal setting for the eagerly-awaited first kiss in any romance movie.
“Fancy going up there later?,” Arthur winks, clearly on the same wavelength as me.
I nod, smiling goofily. My legs felt like jelly when I first saw him all suited and booted. There was something just so charming and alluring about a man in a suit,let alone Arthur. I was at serious risk of needing hosing down every time I looked at him. I could tell that he was starting to revert earlier when it all got too much on the bus, I needed to remind him that I was there for him, that we were in it together, no matter what. Life with him had been complete and utter bliss to tell you the truth. We’d done a lot of reflecting, a lot of talking and a lot of…kissing. We were closer now than we’d ever been before. Naturally, we were rebuilding trust, especially on my end. But I always told him that if there was anything he ever wanted to know about my magic, or any questions that he had, all he needed to do was ask. There were no more secrets. The luck spell had soon ran its course after our initial fight, I don’t think either of us could have possibly been any unluckier at the time. So now we could be rest assured that everything that was happening, was no longer determined. We were free to be and do as we wished.
“Guys, can you stop gushing over one another now so we can all go and get smashed?,” Poppy faux whinges, letting go of Sam’s hand so she can yank on my arm.
“I second that!,” Amy chimes in, “it’s bad enough that I’m fifth wheeling you guys, at least allow me the grace of spending all my money on alcohol before it all goes on the deposit.”
Arthur and I giggle as we look at their faces of desperation. A bunch of alcoholics, the lot of them. I couldn’t say I blamed Amy though, as in about 6 weeks’ time, we were all officially homeowners. After the events of the past few months, with the whole, not speaking to each other debacle, no one knew where we stood in terms of our second-year house. A general rule of thumb was that you had to start looking at least 3-4 months before you finished first year in order to secure a house, purely because of the demand. We were in deep shit, all panicking that we’d have no other choice but to be placed in a first year flat once again. Thankfully though, over the past month, we’d nabbed some last-minute viewings, some pretty grotty ones, but that was only to be expected when you left it to the last minute. To our surprise, we managed to find a 6-bed house on Lower Bristol Road, which was exactly the same road that both of our accommodations were located. It wasn’t too shabby. There was a third-year student already living there, called Arlo. He studied law and said that because he had to resit the year, all his other housemates had already left and were ready to graduate. He needed housemates, we needed a house, it was a win-win situation. We all met up with him for a pint, just to see if we all gelled, and it was apparent from the second Amy’s eyes almost popped out of her skull when she saw him, that she was attracted. Hook, line and sinker. Of course, she wouldn’t admit it though, she kept reminding us how she was still very much sworn off men and that Arlo was 2 years older than her which practically made her a child bride, (even though they were both fully consenting adults at 19 and 21), we all snorted at her desperate attempts to convince us otherwise, but I guess only time would tell there. Either way, as unenthused as we all were at the concept of having to stick a fat deposit down and manage our own bills over the next 2 years, we were all so excited for this new chapter in our lives. It was the fresh start everyone needed.
Arthur had been worried about going long distance whilst we were both back home, but I assured him that if we could get through the last few months unscathed and come out even stronger, then we could conquer anything. Plus, the beauty of it being the summer break meant that not only could we shamelessly call each other every day for hours on end, but we’d even arranged for him to come and stay on one weekend. He insisted that he was coming so he could finally meet mum and Allegra, but I saw the way he cooed whenever I showed him photos of Robert, he couldn’t convince me that his excitement wasn’t mainly to do with meeting our furry guest of honour.
“Right, I’m tired of this now, last one to the bar has to pay for the first round!,” Amy shrieks, whipping off her heels and taking a head start, Sam and Poppy racing closely behind.
Suddenly, in one big swoop, as if I was being whisked away by Zack in the ending scene of An Officer and A Gentleman, Arthur hooks one arm around my legs, the other supporting my back and hoists me up, ready to run with me in his arms.
“Go, go!,” I shout, laughing as I point a finger towards the others.
As we all sprint towards the bar, intoxicated on laughter and love, I notice the night sky has quickly transformed into a deep shade of Indigo, illuminated only by the celestial moon and glimmering stars, and it takes me back to something that Arthur said. The likelihood of us coming into existence is rare enough, but the likelihood of coming into existence together should be practically impossible. But as I steal a glance up at him, his face a picture of joy as he runs with me in his arms, I think I finally understand. Maybe life is a pot luck, a leap of faith, one that doesn’t require good luck spells, smoke shows, or divine intervention. Maybe take fate out of the equation and life in its simplicity, is just random. Maybe that’s what makes it so valuable. In this moment though, all that matters is that we’re together. In this world, in this universe, and in this lifetime, under the same sky.
The End.